MARCH 2026
GENEALOGY NEWSLETTER
 
GENEALOGY BOOK CLUB:
Join us for our monthly book discussion on Thursday,
March 12. This month we are discussing "The Colony"
by Audrey Magee.
 
Books are available to checkout at the library, or place a hold here.
 
We will be meeting Cathy in-person at
Teresita Mexican Grill at 2:00pm.
 
 
The Colony by Audrey Magee
The Colony
by Audrey Magee

In 1979, as violence erupts all over Ireland, two outsiders travel to a small island off the west coast in search of their own answers, despite what it may cost the islanders. It is the summer of 1979. An English painter travels to a small island off the west coast of Ireland. Mr. Lloyd takes the last leg by currach, though boats with engines are available and he doesn't much like the sea. He wants the authentic experience, to be changed by this place, to let its quiet and light fill him, give him room to create. He doesn't know that a Frenchman follows close behind. Jean-Pierre Masson has visited the island for many years, studying the language of those who make it their home. He is fiercely protective of their isolation, deems it essential to exploring his theories of language preservation and identity. But the people who live on this rock--three miles long and half a mile wide--have their own views on what is being recorded, what is being taken, and what ought to be given in return. Over the summer, each of them--from great-grandmother Bean Uí Fhloinn, to widowed Mairéad, to fifteen-year-old James, who is determined to avoid the life of a fisherman--will wrestle with their values and desires. Meanwhile, all over Ireland, violence is erupting. And there is blame enough to go around. An expertly woven portrait of character and place, a stirring investigation into yearning to find one's way, and an unflinchingly political critique of the long, seething cost of imperialism, Audrey Magee's The Colony is a novel that transports, that celebrates beauty and connection, and that reckons with the inevitable ruptures of independence.
GENEALOGY PROGRAM FOR MARCH:
 

And Now There Are Three:

                                         Irish Census Records

 
Presented by Sara Cochran

Tuesday, March 17,  6:30 PM on ZOOM

Most of the 19th-century Irish census records were destroyed, making the surviving 1901, 1911, and 1926 enumerations invaluable for genealogists. This presentation explores the history of Ireland's census, examining how these three complete record sets capture families during pivotal decades of change.

 
Click on the shamrock to register for the program:
 

 

 
 
GENEALOGY ROUND TABLE:
 
All are welcome to come share their ideas, show genealogy treasures, or tell us about a brick wall that you have encountered.
 
We all have a lot of different experiences to share
with each other!
 
Only ONE genealogy
round table this month
 
 
Friday, March 27th at 2:00 PM
 
IN PERSON 
 
REGISTER HERE.
 
 
IRISH GENEALOGY BOOK SUGGESTIONS:
Tracing Your Northern Irish Ancestors by Ian Maxwell
Tracing Your Northern Irish Ancestors
by Ian Maxwell

Tracing Your Northern Irish Ancestors is an expert introduction for the family historian to the wealth of material available to researchers in archives throughout Northern Ireland. Many records, like the early twentieth-century census returns and school registers, will be familiar to researchers, but others are often overlooked by all but the most experienced of genealogists. An easy-to-use, informative guide to the comprehensive collections available at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland is a key feature of Ian Maxwell's handbook. He also takes the reader through the records held in many libraries, museums and heritage centers across the province, and he provides detailed coverage of records that are available online. Unlike the rest of the British Isles, which has very extensive civil and census records, Irish ancestral research is hampered by the destruction of many of the major collections. Yet Ian Maxwell shows how family historians can make good use of church records, school registers and land and valuation records to trace their roots to the beginning of the nineteenth century and beyond.
Pocket Guide to Irish Genealogy
by Brian Mitchell

An indispensable tool for tracing ancestors in Ireland.
NEW Pocket Guide to Irish Genealogy by Brian Mitchell
Basic Guide to Irish Records for Family History by Brian Mitchell
Basic Guide to Irish Records for Family History
by Brian Mitchell

Irish genealogist and geographer Brian Mitchell is the author of numerous textbooks on Irish genealogy, including several how-to books, collections of ships' passenger records, and guides to Irish parish and cemetery records. This offering by Mr. Mitchell was inspired by the growing number of Irish sources available on the Internet. It provides an up-to-date overview of the key sources for Irish research. Considering that more than 70 million persons emigrated from Ireland over a 300-year period, researchers should welcome Brian Mitchell's latest contribution to our understanding of this subject.
THIS MONTH'S HIGHLIGHTED WEBSITE:
NEWSPAPER ARCHIVE!
 
We are excited to announce that we now have
"Newspaper Archive" available in our library and ALSO at home to do your genealogy research.  For the at home research all you need is our Lyon Township Library card.  If you are not a Lyon Township resident you are always welcome to come into our library and research here.
CLICK BELOW FOR A LINK:
https://libraryaccess.newspaperarchive.com/
 
CATHY'S IRISH THOUGHT OF THE DAY:
HAPPY ST. PATRICKS DAY!!!!
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