Talk

Family history: tracing your Irish ancestors

Join experts from The National Archives and the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland to start tracing your Irish ancestry.

Date: 21 April 2026
Location: Online

About this image

Reproduced by kind permission of the Director of the National Archives, Ireland; 1841 Census form for Bawn, Killeshandra Civil Parish, Co. Cavan

In 1922, millions of Irish census records were lost when the Public Record Office of Ireland was destroyed in a catastrophic explosion and fire. This presents a major obstacle for anyone tracing their Irish ancestors prior to 1901. Now, The National Archives is a leading partner in the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland (VRTI), a project working to track down surviving copies of the records destroyed a century ago.

Family history specialists Jessamy Carlson (The National Archives) and Brian Gurrin (VRTI) will explain how family historians can use newly identified census transcripts, and earlier census records in the VRTI, as well as how to combine them with other collections, to help you find your Irish ancestors.

Date: 21 April 2026, 19:30 to 20:30
Price: Free
Location: Online, Live-streamed on Vimeo
Part of series: Getting started with family history

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Dates for this event

21 April 2026

19:30 to 20:30

How to join online

What you need to join

This event will be live streamed on the website of our streaming service, Vimeo.

When you book, you will receive an email that includes the link you need to join the event. This link will also be shared with you in a reminder email in advance of the event.

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For the best experience we recommend using either a laptop or desktop computer.

Help during the event

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If you have a query that has not been answered above, please email us at whatson@nationalarchives.gov.uk

Watch after the event

This talk will be available to watch after the event, using the same link you will receive to join it live. It will remain available for a limited period of 48 hours after the event has finished, unless otherwise stated.