Greetings genealogy enthusiasts!

If you're in the mood for an uplifting read, this issue is packed with fascinating stories. From Ukrainian Easter egg "Pysanka" potentially becoming a UNESCO heritage, to an American's DIY adventure restoring his family's English castle, and President Biden's family ties to Galway, there's something for everyone. Plus, uncovering the remains of a WWII Army private, decoding old newsprint in Gaelic, and celebrating 24 years as a professional genealogist! Don't miss out on captivating tales of family history, mystery, and heritage!

Confession time: I don't know how many of you have been following developments in the use of AI (artificial intelligence) in genealogy, but I used ChatGPT to write the intro above by giving it the links in this newsletter and asking it to write a brief summary. Though this issue doesn't include any articles on AI, I thought I'd offer a real world taste of one way it might be used. If we thought DNA testing changed the world of genealogy, we ain't seen nothing yet!

Until next time,

Cut from the Same Cloth: Joe Biden and Stephen Colbert Share More than Their Irish Heritage

Joseph Biden and Stephen Colbert (author’s photos)

Genealogy has been an unexpected door-opener for me leading to many “Who the hell let me in here?” moments over the years — not the least of which are the opportunities I’ve had to interact with President Biden. As an Irish American, I rarely miss a chance to delve into the Irish ancestry of those I admire, so I’ve been exploring his roots since 2008 and written about them several times, including “Joey from Scranton” (pages 56–59) when he was inducted into the Irish America Hall of Fame.

Joe Biden has made numerous trips to Ireland over the years, but this week’s journey will be his first as President, and for both Ireland and Irish Americans, that’s a big deal. As journalist Lynne Kelleher, author of The Green and White House points out, next to John F. Kennedy, he is the most Irish of American presidents.

I’ve shared my discoveries about plenty of others with Irish heritage including Bruce Springsteen, Melissa McCarthy, Jimmy Fallon, Barack Obama, Katy Perry, Rachel Maddow, and Judy Collins, but have long been struck by the parallels between Joe Biden and one other in particular — and that’s Stephen Colbert.

I started climbing Colbert’s family tree back in 2007 and first offered some gleanings in “The Colbert (Genealogical) Report” (pages 38–41 — and yes, it was that long ago). So what do they have in common?

Click here to continue reading.

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Genealogy Roundup, April 19

Photo Credit: A.Davey under Creative Commons license

The History of Passport Photos, From ‘Anything Goes’ to Today’s Mugshots – There's something about a passport photo.

Buried Secrets – Just read the sample chapter of "Buried Secrets: Looking for Frank and Ida," and can't wait to get to the rest! If you're in the mood for a genealogical mystery, I think I might have found your next engrossing read!

In 2008, I researched then-VP Biden's roots. It was March 2013 before I met him in person. Amazing to watch his return to Ireland as President recently. He and his Blewitt cousins have become quite close, and I hope they had the happiest of family reunions in Ballina! ☘️

Goldsmith’s Boat Shop makes history as oldest continuously run marina in the country – Love this kind of story about businesses still run by the same family a century later.

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Genealogy Roundup, April 12

Photo Credit: via Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons license

Ukrainian Easter egg “Pysanka” may become a UNESCO heritage – Yes. 💛🥚💙

Downton Shabby: One American's Ultimate DIY Adventure Restoring His Family's English Castle – If you're like me and on the lookout for pleasant diversions in your reading, you might enjoy this one. A genealogical fantasy for most of us, but true for this fellow! That said, what a learning curve and commitment!

President Biden invited to visit Galway after discovery of family links – Did this at 1:20 a.m. my time, so fingers crossed I sound semi-coherent. 😆 President Biden just visited Ireland, so there's apt to be some chit-chat about his roots and Irish cousins.

How 27,000 bricks from Biden's great-great-great grandfather helped build the cathedral where he'll speak in Ireland next week: Deal made family $25K - before they sailed to the US to start new life – Hey, y'all, it's that season again. Joe Biden just visited Ireland so there's been a lot out there about his Irish roots and cousins. Some of it has mentioned my work, but this is a discovery I had nothing to do with.

Joe Biden invited to Galway after genealogist uncovers family ties to the county – This title is a little misleading in that I confirmed what then-potential family members suspected, but yes, he has Galway roots as well. ☘️

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Genealogy Roundup, April 5

Photo Credit: Public Domain

Researchers identify remains of Army private killed in WWII – Welcome home, Pvt. Myron Elton Williams. Honored to have researched your family.

Thinking a lot of genealogists might want to add this Nancy Drew puzzle to their collection!

Three abandoned children, two missing parents and a 40-year mystery – A (partly) genetic genealogy story with some twists and turns.

Teaching Computers to Decipher Old Newsprint—in Gaelic – These next few years are going to be a wild ride in the genealogy world!

Celebrating 24 years as a professional genealogist! Lucky enough to have been involved in a lot of fun adventures over the years!

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Genealogy Roundup, March 29

Image Credit: OpenClipart-Vectors via Pixabay

ResearchBuzz Search Gizmos – Hey, y'all, Tara Calishain of ResearchBuzz is up to 45 search tools! In addition to the specifically genealogical ones, there are others for Google, location-based, etc. that are also helpful to genies. Recommend exploring/bookmarking when you've got a few minutes to spare!

Captured in Time: Nameless English Singing Girls upon Arrival in America in 1890 – Hey, y'all! I added an update at the end of this story because I heard back from a descendant! Folks are always asking me about relatives' reactions, so I wanted to be sure to share this. Quite an ancestor to claim!

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