Top ten tips on tracing your Irish roots - NY Irish Center’s third session shares a passion for genealogy

From searching online to talking to relatives, Bridget Bray wants to get the community asking questions about their family history

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KATE HICKEY,

IrishCentral Editor

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Bray’s own research was sparked by her great grandfather Ryan who she found had moved from Ireland to England. Having attended a “Who do you think you are?” event in London, Bray’s curiosity deepened.

In 2009, in New York she decided to continue her search.

“When I came back to New York, I thought maybe I’m not the only person out there thinking about their genealogy and you know what I wasn’t!”

Having set up “The Irish / British Genealogy Group”, on Meetup.com, Bray has now formed a community of 163 members and counting who are constantly sharing information and also meet up for events and outings. The numbers in this group are on the up and it’s not just Irish and Irish Americans but people from all ethnicities who are curious about genealogy.

Bray’s aim is to spread her own enthusiasm and get people asking questions about their family’s past and where they come from.

She said ,“As the older generations are getting older it’s important to ask questions.

“I know when I meet people in their 20s and even their early 30s I urge them to ask their parents and grandparents, or even their great-grandparents questions…They get a head start on the research”.

This October, Bray is also organizing The Genealogy Event in Chelsea, New York, where there will be stalls, talks, meetings, and events covering a mass of topics from meet ups with people who share your surname to how food can give us clues to our genealogy.

Spaces for her upcoming September session at the New York Irish Center are filling up so email Bray at Genealogy@NewYorkIrishCenter.org to attend the event taking place on Saturday, 29th September at 2pm.

Also at the New York Irish Center every Wednesday from 1pm to 4pm Joe Buggy, a professional genealogist from Ireland, is on hand to help out anyone in the community with genealogy research queries.

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