The National Archives is delighted to announce the first talk in its evening lecture series for 2022. Entitled ‘Researching your Roman Catholic ancestors’, the lecture will be given by professional genealogist Joan Sharkey (member of Accredited Genealogists Ireland).

Before the introduction of comprehensive civil registration in 1864, virtually the only direct sources of family information for Roman Catholics are the local parish records. As the vast majority of the Irish population was Catholic, researching in these records forms a very important part in tracing one’s family history.

This lecture will discuss the compilation of the records and the historical background to the administration of the church over time which unfortunately, resulted in the majority of the registers only commencing in the early 19th century. The talk will cover the extent of the available records and where they are located and will also give advice on using the various websites which contain transcriptions and images of these records.

Biography

Joan Sharkey became interested in genealogy and local history through a small group in her local library in Dublin from which the Raheny Heritage Society was formed in 1987. She obtained a Diploma in Local History from NUI Maynooth in 1998. She is the author of St. Anne’s: the Story of a Guinness Estate (2002, Dublin), tracing the history of the former house, demesne and gardens owned by the famous Guinness brewing family in Dublin.

Joan started work as a professional genealogist in 1998 and was admitted as a member of Accredited Genealogists Ireland (AGI) in 2003. Since then, she has worked alongside her colleagues in the Genealogy Advisory Service in the National Archives and previously in the National Library of Ireland. Joan has given many lectures on genealogy and local history and has been a member of the AGI Council since 2005. She served two terms as its Honorary Treasurer and has just completed her term as President from 2019 to 2021.

Note: The lecture will be hosted on Zoom and the link to attend will be sent in advance of the event to the email address with which you registered.