This is part two in a series of articles on "Searching for Your Irish Ancestors" written by Ireland-based professional genealogist Nicola Morris of Timeline Genealogy. You can…

In our genealogy classes, we often investigate the origin of the surname.  In one case, this led to an interesting historical fact about the phrase “The Real McCoy.”

McCoy: “A common surname of Scottish origin in…

Except for brief periods during and after times of war, passports were not required of U.S. citizens traveling outside of the country until 1941. Many Americans, however, obtained one for their own security. Passports were and still are issued by the Department of the State, and…

The mention of Irish land and property records causes many people to switch off and say that their people never owned property in Ireland. Indeed, it is true to say that very few people in 18th and 19th century Ireland owned their own property!

However, a wonderful…

I sent the below message in to Facebook today and it is only as I read through the replies that I realise people don't actually think about these maps.

I was asked a question about the relevant size of them - it is 1:50,000

On Friday, the day before Janet arrived in this area, I dropped dogs with June my wonderful dog minder and then I drove to Dublin because I…

Technically, the sister of one of your grandparents is your grand-aunt. “Grand” shows that it is one generation away; “great” is supposed to be added to generations beyond “grand.” But like so many other words in the English language, there’s the dictionary definition and then there’s how it’s commonly used.

Reverend Adam Boyd’s, (b1650 Scotland), son Robert Boyd (b1678 Ulster), died in Chester County, PA. Robert’s son George (b1691 Ulster) died in Pennsylvania, his son Patrick Harrison Boyd (b1711 County Antrim) died in Virginia, was the GGGGGrandfather of William Lawrence Boyd, (b 6-6-1894 Cambridge, Ohio) lists himself on his WW1 draft registration in 1917 as “farmer”. In 1918,…

To help mark Memorial Day, we're providing a place here for all members of The Wild Geese community to record the name(s) of friends and family members who have died in service as members of the armed forces of The United States of America in any era.

In the comments section…

Where does the surname Wayne come from? Isaac Wayne was born in County Wicklow, Ireland in 1699 to Captain Anthony Wayne, veteran of the Battle of the Boyne. Isaac married Elizabeth Iddings of Philadelphia and had four children: one of whom was Brigadier General Anthony “Mad” Wayne…

The terms “first cousin once removed” and “second cousin” are often confused. When the term “removed” is used, it indicates that the two people are from different generations.  Second cousins have the same great grandparents but not the same grandparents.…

Your ancestors who immigrated to the United States filled out form SS-5 for their social security card. They were required to put full place of birth – not just country. They were also required to put the mother’s maiden name. Look for a social security number on…

This is part one in a series of articles on "Searching for Your Irish Ancestors" written by Ireland-based professional genealogist Nicola Morris of Timeline Genealogy. You can…

Orphan trains were a social experiment which transported the unwanted child and street kids from New York City, Boston, Chicago, and other crowded Northeastern cities to the Midwest U.S. for adoption. The genealogy of many of these 200,000 orphaned and abandoned kids who were moved…

While searching for your “ancient” roots, remember to write your own story. If you are not good with the written word, tape your story – record on your computer.  Start at the beginning of your youth, your relationship with your parents and siblings, where you went to grammar…

Maps ... I love them.  My grandfather instilled a tremendous appreciation for the art / science of cartography, and the essentiality of being proficient in geography.  He was neither a professional cartographer nor an expert geographer, but he studied maps on a regular basis.  I…

The morning sun pressed through my window and pried open my eyes at half past six. Since breakfast wouldn't be served until half past eight, I decided that a short walk to explore the area around Dundrum House of Tassagh would do me some good. I spent an hour and a half…

We in The Wild Geese social network, now 13 months old, are experiencing a swell of interest and passion in exploring Irish ancestry among our growing membership. No surprise, considering that we as a community have already produced thousands of pages of content -- articles,…

Where in Ireland are you from? Trace your Irish heritage and find out where your Irish surname originated or is most dominant in Ireland on the map below.

I so enjoyed my interviews and interactions with US Genealogist Megan Smolenyak I thought you might enjoy them too. Last year we transferred them from the old website. Below are the links to my articles as well a  a promotional video for her book "Hey America Your Roots our…

The family homestead -- still in use and productive to this very day!

One of my most magnificent or poignant 'Great Irish Spots' would certainly have to be finding my 7 times Great-Grandfather's homestead where he settled in America after imigrating from Ireland.  In 1755, Robert Steen of The…