Contagious Genealogy: A Pandemic

This final blog entry will round out my Dublin research trip studying my KEEFFE and MEADE ancestors in my maternal family tree. If you've somehow landed here first without reading about days 1-7, go ahead and flip back to those articles for the full picture! I warn you, it's very genealogy-focused, but I bet if you're at this website at all, that's what you came for. So read on! Most importantly, I want to give a shoutout and wholeheartedly thank Donna Moughty for organizing the excursion and lending her expertise during our family history hunt in Ireland. This was my first time traveling internationally solely for the purpose of genealogy, and I'm so glad I did. I found so many pieces of history to add to my family tree that I would never be able to discover online! It was a very different vacation from ones I've taken in the past. Aer Lingus Terminal, Dublin Airport, Ireland DAY 8 Saturday, October 14th, 2023 was a sad day, because it meant the vacation was ov...

I can't begin to explain how much this tour helped grow my research skills! It was a great opportunity to learn how different repositories operate and proper etiquette to use in each. Plus, I had the chance to meet plenty of other family history buffs, and every day I learned something new from our courageous leader, Donna Moughty. Buswells Hotel, Dublin, Ireland DAY 8 Since we had no formal plans as a research group for our final official day in Dublin, one of the last times to mingle with everyone at once was downstairs in Buswell's restaurant for breakfast, and then everyone would be off in their own directions around the city until dinner time. Donna was there, along with Drew, Janet, and Anne while I dined on some eggs and hot chocolate. We all sat in the back cove at a long table where everyone could come and go as they please. We chatted about our finds throughout the week, updates in the world of online genealogy software, and bits about our lives outside of our family ...

It's not the full Dublin experience without a stroll through St. Stephen's Green, the historic park seated in the middle of the bustling city. The main attraction, the geese, easily caught my eye on their graceful glide under the bridge. St. Stephen's Green Park DAY 6 The morning was my own, so I took the chance to be a real tourist and made my way over to Grafton Street for some Disney Store window shopping (okay, I actually did walk through all 3 stories) and a comfort from home -- Starbucks!  Then it was back to the lobby of the hotel to meet up with my research group. We all strolled back down the street to jump on the Luas Tram and take it up to the North Side. This was my first time utilizing the tram which I already had my Dublin Leap Card to pay for (of course, you don't see any of the locals actually paying since it's on the honor system). I was a bit nervous in figuring out which stops I needed, but found the circuit to be quite easy to understand! Registr...

They say it's lucky for rain to fall on your wedding day. Well, I count myself lucky that rain finally fell on my fifth day in Dublin, and it did seem to bring with it some good finds! On Wednesday, October 11th, I was free to go out on my own and research wherever I saw fit. I had my eyes set on a repository outside the realm of where our group was headed, but physically just steps away from us -- the Grand Lodge of Freemasons of Ireland Library! It was located just opposite our hotel, in fact. Grand Lodge of Freemasons of Ireland Library, Museum, & Archives. DAY 5 But first, breakfast! I took a table with my fellow researchers, Pat and Bill, in the lobby of our hotel, where I delighted in a wonderful cup of hot cocoa. Then, my adventures lay literally just a hop, skip, and a jump away from our front doorstep -- at the Grand Lodge at 17 Molesworth Street. I walked past the pillars and into the lobby, greeted by some very interesting tile work on the floor. Grand Lodge of Freem...