Contagious Genealogy: A Pandemic

The days since my research trip to Dublin, Ireland have quickly slipped away, but in addition to the travel log that I already blogged about, it's important to expand upon the most exceptional discovery I made. What better time to reflect on that find than on St. Patrick's Day? For a full look at how the discovery came about, click here for Day 3 of my Dublin adventures last year in 2023. Kira D. Foltz at the National Library of Ireland, October 2023 It was my very first day of doing research in a foreign country. I was in the Manuscripts Reading Room of the National Library of Ireland, and I was digging through the estate papers of the Cole-Bowen family in hopes of finding any mention of my Keeffe/O'Keeffe ancestors of County Cork. But more importantly, I was hoping to find a map of the local area in which they lived during the famine years.  National Library of Ireland Manuscripts Room, October 2023 The smallest unit of land is called a "townland" in Ireland, b...

I likely would have never stepped foot in the National Library of Ireland (NLI) had it not been for signing up on Donna's tour to Dublin. She managed to ease any of my fears or intimidating feelings of researching within a government building. Monday, October 9th began our first official day of research in Dublin. Main Reading Room at NLI DAY 3 Had to kick off another day with a traditional Irish breakfast at Buswells Hotel! This time, I was not alone. Our tour group had a table set aside for us at the back of the restaurant in a little cove. I got to know Janet a little better and met the second Anne in our bunch for the first time. Our breakfasts were included with our hotel stay, so that helped cut down on daily meal costs. We met up in the lobby at 9:15am and walked as a group across the street to numbers 7/8 Kildare Street, the main entrance to the National Library of Ireland. National Library of Ireland There are two sets of locker rooms in the building to store your oversize...