Claire Bradley is a Dublin-based genetic genealogist specialising in ancestry from Ireland
If you’d like to consume your hobby in a new format, have you considered documentaries? I’ve got two to recommend. First up, Found is a feature-length documentary about three Chinese-American adoptees (Sadie, Chloe & Lily) who discover they are related to each other through 23andMe DNA tests and then, supported by their families, decide to…
This is my final blog post following my trip to Rootstech 2024 which was held in Salt Lake City in Utah. If you’re not aware, then this building is the something akin to Mecca for genealogists. The LDS Church considers genealogy a part of their religion and so they collect and make available records for…
For St. Patrick’s Day 2024, I’m taking a look at a new collection on Ancestry of Guinness records. Guinness, in case you didn’t know, is one of Ireland’s most famous exports. The Guinness Store House is a top tourist attraction in Dublin. I actually don’t much like the black stuff, but I do recognise the…
The second part of my report from Rootstech 2024 highlights an interesting panel session, which you can watch online, featuring some of the movers and shakers of the genetic genealogy world. They discussed the origins of the field and how it has progressed in the first quarter century. It’s a lovely summary of “so far”.…
As I write this, I’m still in a snowy Salt Lake City. It’s the day after Rootstech 2024. This was my first visit to the world’s largest genealogy conference, but definitely not the last. For those who have no idea what I’m talking about, Rootstech is part trade show (a full Expo Hall of stands…
If you’ve lived in Ireland in the past 25 years, you can hardly be unaware of various historical scandals that rocked the country. These included, but were not limited to, industrial school abuse, Magdalene laundries, Mother and Baby homes and illegal adoptions. A couple of years ago, I helped a man called Denis O Sullivan,…
Genealogy social media has been awash in the past couple of weeks about Ancestry.com’s newly launched Pro Tools. Initially, it seemed only to be available in the USA but I was able to buy it a couple of days ago. It was a few different prices but now seems to be fixed. Here’s my review.…
And so we reach the end of another great year in genealogy. Prompted by a recent discussion, I’ve been looking at the Old Age Pension search forms. This collection is held by the National Archives of Ireland. If you’re not familiar with this small record set, let me enlighten you. In 1908, Ireland was still…
If you’re looking for a unique present this Christmas, why not buy a gift voucher for family history research! I’m taking bookings for 2024.
Today I’m reviewing a book called Irish Emigrants in North America: Consolidated Edition. Parts One to Ten by David Dobson. It’s published by Genealogical and they asked me to review this book, for which I received a free copy. That said, this is very much my own independent opinion. This was originally 10 shorter books, now…