IRISH GROUP SIG MEETING JANUARY 2026 Lead by  Paula Davis

Meeting Overview The EWGS (Eastern Washington Genealogical Society) Irish Special Interest Group held a comprehensive Zoom meeting focused on genealogy research strategies, organizational methods, and educational resources. 

The session brought together genealogy enthusiasts to share experiences, tools, and best practices for Irish ancestry research.

Participant Introductions

• Charlotte joined from Honolulu as a visitor

• Sharon, Janet, and others participated from the Hayden Lake Library study room

• Dick was welcomed as a new EWGS member

• Paula hosted the meeting with assistance from Ron and Julie

Genealogy Resources and Tools FamilyTreeWebinars.com

• Many webinars are free to watch live

• Free resources available in their library

Legacy Family Tree

• Online platform offering genealogy courses • Annual subscription: $50

• Janice shared positive experiences with this platform

American Ancestors

• Dick completed a 5-week genealogy course focusing on New England research ($125)

• Offers valuable resources and free consulting hours

• Particularly useful for tracing Irish and Jewish ancestors

• Features an impressive library in Boston that both Paula and Dick admired

• Paula utilized their resources for a research trip to Ireland

Ancestry Heritage Travel

• Krista Cowan's video about virtual travel options was discussed

• Janice agreed to send out the link to the group

• Paula considering booking a virtual heritage tour

YouTube Educational Content

• Ron uses YouTube to learn from genealogy experts

• Recommended experts: Krista Cowan and Connie Knox

Ancestral Findings Podcast

• Paula shared her positive experience with this resource

• Emphasizes planning and budgeting for genealogical research

Software and Analysis Tools

Family Tree Maker

• Can sync with Ancestry for backup purposes

• standalone database program not dependent on online services

• Dick uses it in conjunction with Ancestry, maintaining individual folders for 32 direct ancestors

• Marge recommended it as a reliable backup solution

Mac Family Tree 11

• Syncs with FamilySearch but not with Ancestry

• Janice shared her experience using this software

Family Tree Analyzer

• Ron uses this tool to identify and correct errors in family trees

• Helps find duplicates and incorrect dates

Ancestry Pro Tools

• Currently on sale

• Ron uses these tools to identify and correct tree errors

My Heritage

• Offers a free tree checker

• Features "My Stories" platform for creating family narratives

• Janice uses this for writing family histories

Organization Methods and Strategies

Digital Filing Systems

Janice's Method

• Uses folders organized by name and record type

• Digital filing system for easy retrieval

Ron's Approach

• Creates surname folders with individual subfolders for each person

• Includes all related documents in each person's folder

• Uses maiden names for women's files

• Relies on Ancestry to track connections between spouses

• Photographs old albums and creates detailed file systems

• Uses detailed naming system for digitized photos

• Stores files in cloud storage

Dick's System

• Syncs Ancestry with Family Tree Maker

• Maintains individual folders for 32 direct ancestors

File Naming Conventions

Julie recommended Thomas McKinty's file naming convention:

• Last name

• First name

• Birth and death dates

• Document type

Research Philosophy

• Ron emphasized focusing on one person at a time to build comprehensive family history

• Paula stressed the importance of creating research plans

• Maintaining organized locality records was highlighted as crucial

Irish Genealogy Specific Resources

Understanding Irish Records

Land Divisions and Record-Keeping

• Paula emphasized the importance of understanding Irish land divisions

• Identifying townlands is crucial for ancestral research

• Paula found her great-grandfather's townland through a baptism index

Townland Atlas of Ulster

• Paula uses this book extensively for genealogical research

• Softcover version will be available in March

• Valuable resource for understanding Irish geography and records

Research Assistance

• Paula offered to assist others in researching their Irish ancestry

• Group agreed to focus on Irish genealogy research in the next meeting

Special Projects and Writing Family Narrative Creation

• Janice uses My Heritage's My Stories platform for creating family narratives

• She researched Dublin during the potato famine for a writing project

Photo Digitization

• Ron described his comprehensive method of digitizing family photos

• Uses detailed naming system for organization

• Stores digitized photos in cloud storage for preservation and accessibility

Upcoming Events and Opportunities RootsTech

• Pam suggested waiting for the event to find discounts

• Offered to collect discount codes for interested members

Research Like a Pro Program

• 14-day mini-challenge available

• Members encouraged to participate and share results at next meeting

Action Items and Next Steps

Individual Assignments

Janice

• Send out link to Ancestry Heritage Travel video by Krista Cowan

Paula

• Inform group if she books a virtual heritage tour

• Select useful resource links from recent email for next meeting discussion

• Organize and facilitate next meeting's agenda including live research examples, resource reviews, and member presentations

Julie

• Share discount code and ordering information for FamilyTreeWebinars.com

• Share group's contact spreadsheet (names and emails) for collaborative research

Group Activities

• All interested members: Consider participating in "Research Like a Pro" 14-day mini-challenge

• All interested members: Prepare 4-5 minute presentation or specific research question for next meeting

• Monthly feature implemented: members can present specific research challenges for group input