Claire Bradley is a Dublin-based genealogist specialising in Irish ancestry
One of the great things about genetic genealogy is how fast the field is growing. It’s changing and improving all the time. We can do all kinds of things now that 5 years ago were impossible. There’s so much to learn. I’ve written previously about clusters on my blog and I’m still periodically reviewing my…
If you’re thinking about taking a DNA test, then Ancestry is offering 25% off at the moment for Mother’s Day. If you’d like some reasons to take a DNA test: It’s €69 plus shipping in Ireland. This offer lasts until 14th March. If you buy one through this link, I will get a tiny commission,…
I’m delighted to announce 2 genealogy workshops during March in conjunction with Fingal Libraries. Many people don’t know where to start with researching their family history. Fingal Libraries has an array of available subscription sites that you can use in all their branches and the local archives. This series of workshops (the same in each…
I’ve been using newspapers a lot recently to look for death notices and obituaries. There are two main types of notice to look for: This is an example of the former. It’s my 3x great-grandmother, Mary Lawless, née Swan, who died on the leap day in 1936. I wrote about her previously here. This is typical…
This year for Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d take a look at how often Irish people were called Valentine in February. St Valentine was a 3rd century CE Roman martyred clergyman who is also the patron saint of beekeepers and asthma. I didn’t know illnesses could have saints, but there you go! He has an…
It seems here to stay on this side of the Atlantic, so why not avail? I’ve collected a few of the best offers going. They range from DNA tests to newspaper archives & general subscriptions to commercial sites. Some of these offers run out soon so don’t wait if you’re interested. Ancestry DNA tests are…
How often have we followed a hint in someone else’s tree to see they’ve got some additional information? It’s exciting, right? The potential for new cousins, new discoveries and maybe some photos. But how do we determine if the other person’s tree is accurate? I’m always reminding my students that you have to do your…
I’ve launched a YouTube channel. The plan is to have videos on Irish genealogy and DNA testing. I have a few taster videos up already but more will come over the weeks and months. If you have any ideas for content, please do leave a comment. If you enjoy, please do like, share and subscribe!
I’m giving a talk next Saturday, 9th July for the Irish Genealogical Research Society on Irish Quakers. It’s free and online. You can register here. Some of you will know that I wrote my MA dissertation on Irish Quakers, who are a fascinating and quite distinct community. I’ll sharing some historical insights, talking about their…
Ancestry has released a new ethnicity feature which separates your DNA by parent. I’ve just looked at mine and, well, it’s not what I expected. So what is surprising me is that I have known Scottish and Welsh ancestry on my mother’s side, and no known from either on my father’s side, which due to…