Ireland

What the Family Tree of Tim Kaine Has in Common with Downton Abbey

By |2016-08-04T13:35:12-04:00August 4th, 2016|Celebrities, Family History, Immigration, Research|

No sooner had Hillary Clinton announced Tim Kaine as her running mate than articles on his roots began to appear – mostly about his inherent Irishness. But what else was there to learn?

5 Things You Didn’t Know about Melissa McCarthy’s Family Tree

By |2016-07-14T12:55:48-04:00July 14th, 2016|Celebrities, Family History, Human Interest, Research|

Easily one of the most popular and reliable box office performers today, actress, comedian, producer, and now fashion designer Melissa McCarthy has a lot to be proud of. Following a string of hits, she’s now part of the long-anticipated Ghostbusters dream team of Leslie Jones, Kate McKinnon, and Kristen Wiig. While they’re all ghostbusting, I thought I’d do a little ghost-searching – that is, for the ancestors who populate McCarthy’s family tree – and here’s what I learned.

Genealogy Roundup, July 6

By |2016-07-06T12:16:07-04:00July 6th, 2016|Celebrities, Genealogy Roundup|

This week's Roundup explores the Barack Obama Plaza in Moneygall, Ireland, a project which was one of the largest single investments in a decade in Ireland’s Midlands region and has become the main job provider for the village, as well as the largest employer for miles around.

Genealogy Roundup, June 29

By |2016-06-29T10:27:36-04:00June 29th, 2016|Celebrities, Family History, Genealogy Roundup, History, Human Interest|

In this week's Roundup, check out the story of a "quiet and self-effacing" Marine who chose to stay silent about his role in the 1945 flag raising on Iwo Jima, quirky and interesting stories about microfilm and time capsule homes, more on VP Biden's visit to Ireland, and more . . .

Genealogy Roundup, June 15

By |2016-06-15T10:17:01-04:00June 15th, 2016|Celebrities, Genealogy Roundup, History, Human Interest, Research, Videos|

This week: Explore a mystery mansion for sale in London, watch a suspense trailer for the New York Public Library (somebody had fun making this and it's fun to watch, too!), TLC announces that Who Do You Think You Are? will return for a ninth season, and much more . . .

Joey From Scranton – Vice President Biden’s Irish Roots

By |2016-06-14T12:11:52-04:00June 14th, 2016|Celebrities, Family History, Human Interest, Immigration, Research|

Given Vice President Biden's forthcoming trip to Ireland to explore his roots, I thought this would be a good time to re-share an article I'd previously written about his ancestry. Enjoy!

Q1 2016 Seton Shields Genealogy Grant

By |2016-04-13T10:30:07-04:00April 13th, 2016|Family History, Grants, History|

This quarter, as all of the requests were modest, I’m awarding four Seton Shields genealogy grants – one each to the Morgan County Public Library, the Scott County Historical Society, Oak and Laurel Cemetery Preservation, and in support of 'The Rising' film.

The Latest Chapter in the Story of Annie Moore, Ellis Island’s First Immigrant

By |2016-04-07T14:21:48-04:00April 7th, 2016|Family History, Human Interest, Immigration|

Here's a peek at the first-time meeting between two of Annie Moore's (of Ellis Island fame) Irish and American relatives, one of whom closed out the evening at the 2016 Irish American Hall of Fame Awards. Plus, I share how I found Annie's Irish family (a decade-long endeavor)!

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