PHOTOS -  Guess who's incognito Irish!

The term 'Black Irish' has commonly been in circulation among Irish emigrants and their descendants for centuries. As a subject of historical discussion the subject is almost never referred to in Ireland. There are a number of different claims as to the origin of the term, none of which are possible to prove or disprove.

IrishCentral brings you the low down on the top 100 most common Irish surnames with a little explanation of where these names come from. 

This St. Patrick's Day remember this list when some asks "Are you Irish?"

Irish Derivation

Are you eager to find out more about your family history and your roots. 2013 is the year of ‘The Gathering’, and therefore is the perfect time to find out your family history using the National Archive of Ireland.

I’m not sure if any people in the world have such a passion for history as the Irish. Maybe it’s an island thing but, with the year of the Gathering Ireland upon us, it becomes increasingly apparent that the history of Ireland is completely entwined with that of the Irish abroad, the people of Irish descent who are now scattered all over this globe.

Family historians will be able to access 21 million birth, marriage, and death records free of charge, on Thursday 24th of January.

One of America’s largest Irish families the ‘McCormicks’ are being invited home to Ireland for a Clan Gathering in August 2013.

“Finally,” I remember thinking when I first heard of The Gathering Ireland.

He has a male model’s good looks, is 6 foot 2 and beloved by those who work for him because he always writes thank you notes and lets them know they are appreciated.

Couples will be offered the chance to see if they will produce redhead children. The DNA test, which will be available at the “Who Do You Think You Are?” exhibition in London, will show the depth of ancestry that can be read from a simple saliva swab.

Documentary film ‘Famine and Shipwreck: An Irish Odyssey’ tells the gripping story of a group of Irish emigrants’ flight from the famine, their fight to survive shipwreck, and to start a new life in Canada.

PHOTOS - a slideshow of old photographs from the Mount Street Club Farm

Megan Smolenyak is the expert genealogist behind such discoveries as Barack Obama’s Irish roots and the true identity of Annie Moore, the first immigrant to pass through Ellis Island. With ancestral links to Cork, Kerry, Longford and Antrim, Smolenyak is always happy to discover “surprise Irish” in her research, though her work goes far beyond traditional genealogy. We had the chance to talk to her about her most famous findings, the other aspects of her work and the best way for us amateur genealogists to begin to trace our roots. 

For Americans who have an Irish grandparent getting an Irish passport is still fairly easy. But first, you'll need to get citizenship

“There is no official reopening date for Liberty Island” are the forbidding words written on the National Park Service website. Liberty and Ellis Islands are still being restored after the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy and show no definite signs of being reopened to the public. According to NBC, the Statue of Liberty welcomed 3.7 million visitors last year and will lose out on millions of dollars because of the destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy.

Family researchers have an uncovered a link between Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton and Irish-British singer Chris de Burgh, who is most famous for his hit ‘Lady in Red.’

A great crowd gathered in Cable O' Learys, in Ballinskelligs, to hear that two Irish Americans, Ann Smith and Michele Maggi Miller, would be flown home to County Kerry to mark the season of events taking place for The Gathering. The cousins, both New Yorkers, won the competition to be flown back.

As the month of Irishness is upon us, take a look at how Irish the United States really is. The latest US Census Bureau report for Irish Americans reveals the strong Irish presence in the states. 

Britain’s Queen in waiting Kate Middleton is related to Irish warrior Brian Boru – and singer Chris de Burgh.

Intestate estates have become increasingly frequent in recent years. People who die without leaving wills unintentionally leave problems for family members to cope with. Generally, the Public Administrator seizes the assets and conserves them until all family members have been identified and their kinship proven.
 
So, what do you do when you find yourself in this situation? How do you go about meeting the requirements of the Surrogate Court? The first step is to find an attorney who is a specialist in trust and estates and has experience in kinship hearings. Not every lawyer is equipped to navigate the long and often frustrating process of reclaiming an estate from the Public Administrator. Find one you trust and provide as much information as possible.
 
You will also need the services of a probate genealogist who will assist with the research and obtain the documentation in the format which is admissible in court. In many cases, the genealogist will be called to testify at a kinship hearing to identify the rightful heirs.     
 
So, what do you do first? Since family history has become a popular activity, you may be in a position to start the research yourself or find a knowledgeable family member to assist you. Start at home with family papers. The following documents will be relevant to your research:
Birth/baptismal, marriage and death certificates, memorial or mortuary cards, obituaries, cemetery records, naturalization papers, address books, and even Christmas cards which may include the names and addresses of the senders.
 
If you are internet savvy, you can search for Census returns in America and Ireland. The 1920 and 1930 Census of the United States are available and now, the 1940 has been released. The 1901 and 1911 Irish Census are available on line at: www.nationalarchives.ie .
 
Assemble as much information as you can. Interview your elderly relations who knew the family here and back home in Ireland. Be careful not to build up any false expectations in the people you interview. The possibility of inheritance can create tensions within the family so use discretion and tact with your relatives!
 
You can begin to construct a family tree yourself or engage the services of a probate genealogist to prepare your case. The more you can do yourself, the lower the fee the genealogist will have to charge the estate. The most successful cases are those in which the family and the genealogist work together to present the most comprehensive documentation possible.
 
Documents submitted from outside Ireland require an apostille or authentication stamp to make them acceptable in court. The apostille for Irish documents is issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin under the terms of the Hague Convention (1961). There is a charge, payable in Euro, for each apostille.
 
Notary public fees in the United States are a very reasonable $3 per documents. U.S. Notaries are very easy to find in banks and lawyer’s offices.  This is not the case in Ireland. Notaries public are only solicitors and in most counties they are few and far between. In County Cavan, for instance, there are only 4 notaries whose signatures and seals can be apostilled for the United States. Because they are such an elite group, they charge significantly more than American notaries. The fee per document averages between Euro 50 and Euro 75 and if travel is required, it can be much more. Although the term “notary public” is used in both the USA and Ireland the fee structure is very, very different.      
 
So, if it all sounding likes a bit too much hassle, don’t be discouraged. Each year huge sums of money are deemed “unclaimed funds” and revert to the state coffers. An industry of “heir finders” has grown up providing service to unknown heirs. As in all businesses, some are better than others. Most firms work on a no- win, no- fee basis.  If they succeed in proving your kinship, they take a percentage of the net funds recovered. Percentages vary between 10% and 40% depending on the complexity or size of the estate.
 
How can you tell the good firms from the cowboys? Check the reputation of any firm that approaches you. Firms that have been in business for many years are justly proud of their good reputations. Heir locating has become extremely competitive in recent years. You and your family may be approached by several firms. Choose the best deal in terms of fee and services provided. Be wary of any fees that appear to be very “reasonable”. Some firms offering 8%-10% fail to complete the case so you will receive nothing if they abandon your claim. Better to receive 75% or 80% of an estate that is actually completed within a reasonable amount of time.
 
Once you choose a company to represent you, provide as much family data as you can and then, be patient. The average claim takes between 2 to 3 years but can take longer if complications arise. Remember that both sides of the family have to be accounted for, not just yours. You may know nothing about the other side of the decedent’s family. This is exactly why you need to rely on a genealogist to research and prepare both family trees. 
 
Patience is a virtue and very necessary when dealing with intestate estates. With 23 years’ experience in this field, I have encountered countless cases of “inheritance fatigue”; people just get tired of waiting. Potential heirs, particularly elderly ones, can become impatient and frustrated and the process becomes an irritating experience. My advice would be to try to forget about it and be grateful for the check when it comes, whenever that might be!
 
* Eileen M. Ó Dúill, CG, Research Director, HeirsIreland
 
Certified Genealogist and CG are service marks of the Board for Certification of Genealogists®,
used under license by the Board's associates after periodic evaluation.
 
HeirsIreland is a probate genealogy firm based in Dublin, Ireland. With 23 years’ experience in over 800 estates, it provides comprehensive kinship research, expert testimony and documentation services. In addition to staff in Dublin, we have contacts with a network of genealogists throughout the United States, Great Britain and Europe.

Click here for IrishCentral's St. Patrick's Day section

Elvis Presley fans have received a late St Patrick’s Day surprise – the King was Irish according to new claim.

The Irish government has relaunched their genealogy website, which offers visitors a new portal that includes historical records from multiple sites. It is a major breakthrough in bringing together all genealogy sources in one site.

A Philadelphia medical center is offering free tests for a fatal neurodegenerative disease among those of Irish descent. The blood test will screen those of Irish heritage for the fatal neurodegenerative disease that can be passed on to children when both parents are carriers of an altered gene.

Since Ireland was the first European country to adopt inherited paternal surnames it should come as no surprise that the Irish lead the way in using DNA, surnames, and place names to literally pinpoint precisely where one’s direct male Irish ancestor lived approximately 1,000 years ago.

Tom Cruise was presented with an Irish heritage certificate yesterday at an official Government ceremony to celebrate his ancestry.

ScotlandDNA, an ancestry testing company, has recently discovered a DNA marker that strongly suggests that ten percent of Scotsmen are directly descended from the Picts, the Gaels’ fierce neighbors who battled the Romans.

IrishCentral are delighted to announce another winner. Maureen Feeney Roser and her friend Diane Doyle are planning to hook up with friends in Ireland and see everything it has to offer this summer having won a free trip on our recent Facebook competition.

Many American celebrities have traced their roots and have found a nugget of Irish blood somewhere in their ancestry, at which point they are welcomed by the Irish with open arms and bombarded with invites to visit again soon.

PHOTOS - Dr. Kevin Cahill on the powerful pull of Irish roots and family history - slideshow

Being Irish not just an Irish thing, of the 70 million people worldwide who claim Irish ancestry, only about 5 million are actually Irish citizens. This year, anyone with the slightest connection to Ireland has been invited home for The Gathering 2013. Some have viewed the initiative cynically, as a way for a bankrupt state to haul in a few extra tourist dollars. However, in the hands of ordinary people, the Gathering may yet prove to be a profound thing.

The Gallagher Clan has launched a detailed itinerary of the second Gallagher Global Gathering, which is being held in Co. Donegal from 6th – 14th September 2013. They also launched the search for nominations for the Gallagher Global Award, which will be presented at that event to the Gallagher who gives most reason for Gallaghers to be even prouder to be named Gallagher.

Ireland Reaching Out (Ireland XO) wants to find the most local person in Irish communities, defined as the person in the community who has the highest number of great, and great grandparents in the area.

Irish redheads can thank a lack of sunlight for the look that has made them so distinctive according to new DNA research.

Hundreds of Irish people stand to inherit millions of British pounds according to the British Treasury, which keeps a list of unclaimed estates. The largest unclaimed case is that of an Irish woman who left an estate worth $12.3 million in London.

James Watson (85) one half of the legendary Watson and Crick pairing who discovered the structure of DNA, made the front pages this week, but not for a new discovery, instead he caused uproar when he savaged Irish intellects.

A Connecticut university will host the symposium, “Exploring the Legacies of the Great Hunger: The Cultural, Spiritual, Psychological and Political Consequences for Today’s Ireland from Centuries of Colonization” on May 17.

After years of research Dr. Noel Buckley has traced legendary singer and actor Bing Crosby’s lineage back to his great-great-grandfather’s home in West Cork. 

A unique Monaghan-focused family history initiative is being organized as part of The Gathering 2013. It will provide two four-day training courses within the county for tourists tracing their Monaghan ancestors.
 
The project is entitled ‘County Monaghan Genealogy – home to the little hills.’ It will give participants information on the genealogical sources available, the cultural history of County Monaghan and the diversity of origin of its people. The courses will take place in North Monaghan from Monday to Thursday, 14-17 October, and in Carrickmacross from Monday to Thursday, 21-24 October. The courses are designed for individuals and groups with Monaghan ancestry living overseas and members of Irish societies and social clubs abroad.
 
This project is organized by Clogher Historical Society/Cumann Seanchais Chlochair, Monaghan County Library and the County Monaghan Heritage Gathering Committee. The project is also being supported by the County Monaghan Fund and Monaghan Genealogy. The project will be delivered by Ancestor Network Ltd, a professional genealogy company.
 
Substantial funding for the project has resulted in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for overseas visitors to come to Monaghan to trace their roots, experience the warmth of a Monaghan welcome and explore its rich culture and history.
 
If you are a native of Monaghan or know someone who might be interested, contact: John Hamrock, info@ancestor.ie, Tel: +353 87 0505296, Twitter: @ancestornetwork, or on Facebook.
 
About the Training Courses

Reckon Oliver Cromwell stole your family’s land back in Ireland – now you can find out thanks to Trinity College in Dublin.

The Sunday Independent reports that a ‘staggering’ collection of maps at TCD reveals the exact ownership of the lands plundered by the Cromwellian Plantation of 1670.

The Connemara country house and sporting lodge, the Delphi Lodge, is taking responsibility for its part in Famine deaths by participating in the annual commemorative famine walk. During the Famine, Delphi Lodge turned away hundreds of people who later perished from hunger, cold and disease.