In September 2015, over 2.5 million images of Irish births, deaths and marriage records from the General Register Office (GRO), were released online for the first time. The images, available on www.irishgenealogy.ie, date back as far as 1864. Among the records are the birth, marriage and death register for Tom Crean, the Antarctic explorer. Crean’s grandson Brendan O’Brien joined the Irish Government Ministers Heather Humphreys and Leo Varadkar at the release launch event at the National Library. The online database also includes death register entries for the Leaders of the 1916 Rising, including James Connolly, Thomas Clarke, Padraig H Pearse, and Eamonn Ceannt.
Mullingar has been selected as the venue for Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2020, Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann announced on Saturday. The event will take place from August 2nd-9th next year. This year’s event in Drogheda, Co Louth attracted around 400,000 visitors to the town with up to 10,000 musicians taking part. Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann founded the event in the Co Westmeath town in 1951 but the event has not been hosted there since 1963. “We are very proud to be part of this mammoth endeavour and have pledged that all necessary resources will be made available to the organising team,” said Pat Gallagher, chief executive of Westmeath County Council. Chairperson of […]