Did your family come from the mountains of Mourne or Killarney’s lakes so blue? Are you baffled by Irish spelling of names? Did your ancestors come through Ellis Island or another US port? What insights about your ancestors’ daily lives can you learn from the 1901 and 1911 census information?
You can find answers to these questions and more at the Genealogy Event.

Irish and Irish-American family historians and genealogists will be on hand to help answer your questions on November 2, at The Genealogy Event, at the Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 West 18th Street (bet 6th and 7th Avenues, from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm).

This one-day event follows last year’s highly successful inaugural show, which attracted close to 900 attendees. The 2013 show promises to be even more successful, covering a wide variety of topics and resources for genealogical research. 

“There was a great energy last year as genealogists of all experience levels interacted together,” states Bridget Bray, organizer of The Genealogy Event.

“It was a day filled with genealogy enthusiasm.  Many attendees walked away with new resources, contacts and, in some cases, solved mysteries at the event.”

Meet Leaders in Irish Genealogy and Culture

Many organizations with a particular focus on Irish and Irish American genealogy and culture will be on site to provide advice and guidance on family research in Northern Ireland and in the Republic. Among those will be the:

- Irish Ancestry Research Centre, a major provider of research, education and genealogy training in Limerick, Ireland

- Long Island-based Irish Family History Forum

- New York Irish Center, a vibrant community center in Long Island City, Queens.

Attendees with specific genealogy-related questions may also partake of the “Experts Lounge,” where in casual, 15-minute, private consultations, they can receive free guidance and recommendations.

Informational Sessions Offer Something for Everyone

Beginner genealogists will find inspiration and information needed to get started on family research; while more advanced genealogists can brush up on current trends and techniques.

Attendees will be able to select from more than 20 separate informational sessions, conducted by leading experts on a variety of topics, including:

- Immigration Mysteries. Lou Szucs, Vice President of Community Relations for Ancestry.com and author of numerous books, including Ellis Island: Tracing Your Family Through America’s Gateway, will explore immigration myths and mysteries.

- Local New York City and State Resources. Sachiko Clayton, librarian from the Milstein Division of U.S. History at the New York Public Library, will provide a comprehensive overview of the resources available at the 42nd Street Library.

- Christopher C. Child, from the New England Historic Genealogical Society, will demonstrate how to interpret the information in the New York State census.

- Marcia Kirk, Curator at New York’s Municipal Archives of the New York City Department of Records and Information Services, will explain how beginning genealogists can add depth to their research using the information housed at the New York City Department of Records and Information Services.

- NARA Public Programs Director Dorothy Dougherty will explain how to access naturalization records and other resources through the National Archives in New York City.

- Preservation of Documents and Photographs. In four separate sessions, photo detective Maureen Taylor and Mary Oey from the Library of Congress will demonstrate what one can learn from old photographs and provide guidance on the best way to preserve your memories.

- Surname Variations. Terry Koch-Bostic, with the National Genealogical Society, will provide useful techniques for dealing with the confusion often caused by misspellings.

- Writing Family Histories. For those writing family histories, Nancy and Biff Barnes will provide tips on organizing materials to create a compelling narrative for generations to come.

In addition, leading genealogy companies and organizations will be exhibiting on the show floor, among them, Family Tree Magazine, the New England Historic and Genealogical Society, Family Tree DNA, Maia’s Books, RumbleSoft, Inc., Shipindex.org, and The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society.

To Learn More or Buy Tickets

For more information or to purchase advance tickets to The Genealogy Event, visit www.thegenealogyevent.com. Tickets may also be purchased on site, on the day of the event.