Researching Ancestral Crisis in Ireland (Webinar - online)
A virtual presentation on Zoom
10:30 AM - Noon CST (UTC-6)
Presented by Chris Paton, BA (Hons), HND, PgDip from Scotland
$15 for IGSI members (with Discount Code); $20 for non-members Click here to see the current time in Minnesota
Chris will discuss the many historical moments when our ancestors experienced difficultly, through actions of their own or those carried out against them, and someone stood nearby with a quill and ink to document the time. Ancestors were sent to mother and baby homes, Magdalene laundries, stood trial for crimes or fell victim to criminals. Some were adulterers or bigamists, or revolutionaries, and much more. Real hardships were enduredand many overcame the difficulties. Others did not, but their stories brought us to becoming the people we are today.
Chris will outline research strategies and resources to help us understand the experiences of those times that shaped our families.
Drop in on Zoom between 6:30 - 8pm Central (US/Canada)
For this session we encourage you to bring your research questions & challenges for discussion. After introductions (as you choose), our member volunteers will offer suggestions to help find answers to your research questions. If your challenge is complex or highly specific, we can suggest how to find local expert advice or professional genealogists. Please join in the fun!
Open to all. No registration required. Join in our common purpose: finding & exploring the stories of our ancestors! Join the Gaggle | Zoom Meeting ID: 881 4208 2364 - Passcode: 494413
Hoffman Research Library - Minn. Genealogy Center, 1385 Mendota Heights Rd near the MSP airport
Stop by from 10 an until closure at 4 pm to receive help Irish research or visit with our volunteers. Check this link on the day you plan to visit to confirm the library is open; short-notice closures are highlighted on this linked page. Directions are available at this link.
Saturday, May 16
Old Records, New Tools: An Introduction to artificial intelligence (AI) for Genealogists (Webinar - live & online)
A hybrid presentation on Zoom - LIVE audience at the Miinnesota Genealogy Center in Mendota Heights
10:30 AM - Noon CST (UTC-6)
Presented by Mary Wickersham and Gigi Hickey
$15 for IGSI members (with Discount Code); $20 for non-members Click here to see the current time in Minnesota
Curious about AI but not sure where to start—or whether it's even relevant to tracing your ancestors? Our speakers will show you how today's AI tools can help you with brick walls, faded documents, and mysterious townlands that every family historian knows too well. We'll walk through real examples (many drawn from Irish records) demonstrating how AI can help you decipher difficult handwriting, suggest research strategies when you're stuck, make sense of unfamiliar placenames, and even draft those tricky notes to distant cousins.
No tech background required—just bring your curiosity. You'll leave with practical techniques you can try immediately, a better sense of what AI does well (and where it still needs a human eye), and maybe a few new leads on that elusive great-great-grandmother from County Cork.
Please join our live audience at the Minnesota Genealogy Center, linger for a box lunch and mingle with the speakers, then explore the Irish Collection at the Hoffman Research Library until 4pm.
Registration will open soon
Tuesday, May 19
IGSI Social Gaggle on Zoom - open to all (Social)
Drop in on Zoom between 6:30 - 8pm Central (US/Canada)
Have a lingering question from Saturday's webinar... or story to tell? Drop in and share. Bring your research challenges, celebrations, tips, or maybe your favorite tools. After introductions (as you choose) we'll give a 15-min demo or walk-through, and then open the floor to discussion & sharing. Please join in the fun!
Open to all. No registration required. Join in our common purpose: finding & exploring the stories of our ancestors! Join the Gaggle | Zoom Meeting ID:824 4623 9668 - Passcode: 301878
Hoffman Research Library - Minn. Genealogy Center, 1385 Mendota Heights Rd near the MSP airport
Stop by from 10 an until closure at 4 pm to receive help Irish research or visit with our volunteers. Check this link on the day you plan to visit to confirm the library is open; short-notice closures are highlighted on this linked page. Directions are available at this link.
Saturday, June 20
How has the Irish Ancestors website changed in the past year? (Webinar - online)
A virtual presentation on Zoom
10:30 AM - Noon CST (UTC-6)
Presented by John Grenham from Ireland
$15 for IGSI members (with Discount Code); $20 for non-members Click here to see the current time in Minnesota
The host of the JohnGrenham.com.web repository, and the Irish Roots blog (www.johngrenham.com/blog) returns for an annual update. John's team has made major upgrades to the mapping features on his site over the past year. Teasers include:
Complete redesign of the surname information dashboard.
Updated surname mapping.
New zoomable maps of Griffith's householders and listing of all surname variants.
A collaboration with FindMyPast.ie resultss in Griffith's entries now mapped down to townland level, with a much more fine-grained overview of exactly where families were in a county and parish.
Also with FMP data >8,000 new surnames: unique, mistranscriptions, & actual new variants of exisitng surnames. All are integrated with the existing surnames and variants tables.
And that's not all. Registration will open soon.
Saturday, July 11
Irish Saturday ("Irish Saturday")
Hoffman Research Library - Minn. Genealogy Center, 1385 Mendota Heights Rd near the MSP airport
Stop by from 10 an until closure at 4 pm to receive help Irish research or visit with our volunteers. Check this link on the day you plan to visit to confirm the library is open; short-notice closures are highlighted on this linked page. Directions are available at this link.
Saturday, July 18
The Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland (Webinar - online)
A virtual presentation on Zoom
10:30 AM - Noon CST (UTC-6)
Presented by Brian Gurrin from Ireland
$15 for IGSI members (with Discount Code); $20 for non-members Click here to see the current time in Minnesota
VRTI is an all-island and international research partnership hosted by Trinity College Dublin. This is an effort to reconstruct the Public Record Office of Ireland — a magnificent archive destroyed in 1922 at the outset of the Irish Civil War. This is an ever-growing, open-access resource, freely and permanently available online to any researcher interested in Ireland’s deep history, at home and abroad. virtualtreasury.ie
Registration will open later in 2026
Saturday, August 8
Irish Saturday ("Irish Saturday")
Hoffman Research Library - Minn. Genealogy Center, 1385 Mendota Heights Rd near the MSP airport
Stop by from 10 an until closure at 4 pm to receive help Irish research or visit with our volunteers. Check this link on the day you plan to visit to confirm the library is open; short-notice closures are highlighted on this linked page. Directions are available at this link.
Saturday, August 15
What you need to know before hiring an Irish researcher, or visiting Ireland to do your own research (Webinar - online)
A virtual presentation on Zoom
10:30 AM - Noon CST (UTC-6)
Presented by Fiona Fitzsimons from Ireland
$15 for IGSI members (with Discount Code); $20 for non-members Click here to see the current time in Minnesota
When and how should you hire a professional researcher in Ireland? Fiona will discuss selecting a qualified genealogist with local the expertise you may need to address your specific research challenges. She will also discuss preparing for a visit to Ireland, for your research and to visit associated people and places.
Registration will open later in 2026
Saturday, September 12
Irish Saturday ("Irish Saturday")
Hoffman Research Library - Minn. Genealogy Center, 1385 Mendota Heights Rd near the MSP airport
Stop by from 10 an until closure at 4 pm to receive help Irish research or visit with our volunteers. Check this link on the day you plan to visit to confirm the library is open; short-notice closures are highlighted on this linked page. Directions are available at this link.
Saturday, September 19
Tracing Your Irish Roots: A Beginner's Guide (Webinar - online)
A virtual presentation on Zoom
10:30 AM - Noon CST (UTC-6)
Presented by Jillian vanTurnhout, MAGI from Ireland
A free webinar thanks to a generous donor! Registration is required. Click here to see the current time in Minnesota
Ready to dive deeper into your Irish ancestry? Jillian will guide you through essential resources for tracing your Irish roots, from civil registration records and parish registers to online databases, land records, and archives. You'll learn about key record types, understand what's available for different time periods, and discover effective strategies for overcoming common challenges like missing records, surname variations, and contradictory information.
Registration will open later in 2026
Saturday, October 10
Irish Saturday ("Irish Saturday")
Hoffman Research Library - Minn. Genealogy Center, 1385 Mendota Heights Rd near the MSP airport
Stop by from 10 an until closure at 4 pm to receive help Irish research or visit with our volunteers. Check this link on the day you plan to visit to confirm the library is open; short-notice closures are highlighted on this linked page. Directions are available at this link.
Saturday, October 17
Patriots, Loyalists, & Redcoats: Irish in America in the Revolutionary War era (Webinar - online)
A virtual presentation on Zoom
10:30 AM - Noon CST (UTC-6)
Presented by Michael Strauss from Ireland
$15 for IGSI members (with Discount Code); $20 for non-members Click here to see the current time in Minnesota
The roles of the Irish during the war were wide-ranging and complex. Many Ulster Scots-Irish settlers rallied to the patriot cause and fought for independence. Some Irish remained loyal to the crown, drawn by economic ties and imperial identity, and served in a variety of provincial military units. Yet other Irish-born soldiers served in the British Army. These perspectives together reveal the Revolutionary War as a transatlantic story of Irish identities, migrations, and loyalties that helped to shape the character of the colonies and the revolution.
Registration will open later in 2026
Saturday, November 14
Irish Saturday ("Irish Saturday")
Hoffman Research Library - Minn. Genealogy Center, 1385 Mendota Heights Rd near the MSP airport
Stop by from 10 an until closure at 4 pm to receive help Irish research or visit with our volunteers. Check this link on the day you plan to visit to confirm the library is open; short-notice closures are highlighted on this linked page. Directions are available at this link.
Saturday, November 21
Presentation to be announced (Webinar - online)
A virtual presentation on Zoom
10:30 AM - Noon CST (UTC-6)
Presented by Dr William Roulston from Ireland
$15 for IGSI members (with Discount Code); $20 for non-members Click here to see the current time in Minnesota
Forthcoming.
Registration will open later in 2026
Saturday, December 12
Irish Saturday ("Irish Saturday")
Hoffman Research Library - Minn. Genealogy Center, 1385 Mendota Heights Rd near the MSP airport
Stop by from 10 an until closure at 4 pm to receive help Irish research or visit with our volunteers. Check this link on the day you plan to visit to confirm the library is open; short-notice closures are highlighted on this linked page. Directions are available at this link.
