Ireland's Genealogical Gazette (Márta : Mis Meurth : March 2023)

Ireland’s Genealogical Gazette

(incorporating “The Genie Gazette”)

Annual Report of the GSI Board

Beannachtaí na Féile

Pádraig oraibh go léir Pádraig go léir

The following is the Annual Report of the Board of Directors of the Genealogical Society of Ireland CLG adopted by the Board at its meeting of March 2nd, 2023, under Res:23/03/1734.

As usual the Annual Report covers the period from AGM to AGM, however, the Annual Financial Report is for period ending 31th December 2022.

The 2022 Annual General Meeting elected nine Directors to the Board. There was one co-option and no resignations in the past year, however, there was one grant of leave of absence. As with the 2022 AGM, this year the draft Annual Accounts were delivered to the Society’s auditor in February, however, due a backlog at our auditors we are unlikely to have the Audited Financial Report back in time for presentation at the Annual General Meeting on March 14th 2023.

The Annual General Meeting in 2022 endorsed three important resolutions by electronic vote as follows: (1) On the need to amend the National Cultural Institutions Act, 1997, to regularise the legal status of the grants of arms issued by the Chief Heralds of Ireland from April 1943 to May 2005; (2) In support of Recommendation 22 of the ‘Report of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality’ and (3) Joining with other civil society organisations in strongly condemning the war inflicted on the Ukrainian people and supporting the humanitarian assistance provided by the Red Cross Society & the Red Crescent Society.

The Board elected at the AGM in 2022 met eleven times incorporeally throughout the year, commencing in April 2022 where the various portfolios were allocated. Each newly elected director signed the ‘Director’s Code of Conduct’ and the documents for the Companies Registration Office which were forwarded to each in advance of the meeting.

The meetings of the Board of the Society deal with the dayto-day business of the Society, policy matters, planning, corporate governance, and finance. In addition to these meetings each of the directors undertook duties associated with their various portfolios. A database of all the resolutions adopted by the Board since incorporation in 2000 is fully operational offering a fully indexed resource to the current Board on previous decisions of the Board.

In May 2022, the Board adopted the GSI Development Plan, 2022-2027 It is a very comprehensive plan covering all aspects of the work of the Society and our future objectives.

The Open Meeting schedule was delivered, once again, via Zoom and included, eleven Morning Open Meetings, twelve Evening Open Meetings with lectures and from April 2022, around forty or so weekly “Archive Drop-In” Zoom meetings for Members only. The “Archive Drop-Ins” provide Members with weekly research advice. The monthly lectures are uploaded to the Society’s YouTube channel, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The Society’s Archives and Research Centre – An Daonchartlann – at the DLR Leisure Centre at Loughlinstown, operated a very successful “appointments only” system for several months until it was relaxed as Covid-19 conditions improved.

The Society’s Outreach Programme, which was suspended during the Covid-19 restrictions, got up and running again in January 2023 with GSI Stands at the Holiday World Shows in Belfast and at the RDS, Dublin.. (contd. page 2)

MEMBERSHIP OF THE SOCIETY DID YOU KNOW?

֍ Did you know that Membership of this Society is open to all with an interest in family history, heraldry, vexillology (study of flags and emblems) and related subjects?

֍ Did you know that Membership is open to anyone living in Ireland or overseas and with Irish ancestry or with ancestors from anywhere in the world? All are most welcome.

֍ Did you know that Student Membership is also available at 50% off the subscription?

֍ Please checkout: www.familyhistoty.ie

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Tuesday 14th March 2023 20.00hrs

AGENDA

1. Opening 20.00hrs

2. Appointment of Tellers (two)

3. Minutes of the 2022 AGM

4. Matters Arising, if any

5. Annual Report of the Board of Directors (Mar. 2022 Mar. 2023)

6. Annual Financial Statement

7. Election of New Board (2023-24)

1. Cathaoirleach (Chair)

2. Leas-Chathaoirleach (Vice Chair)

3. General Secretary

4. Director of Finance

5. Up to six other Directors.

6. Auditor

8. Guest Speaker (see page 3)

9. Q+A

10. Close 22.00hrs

Cumann Geinealais na hÉireann Cumann Geinealais na hÉireann MONTHLY

DATA PROTECTION

The European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force on May 25th 2018. The Board, under Res: 18/05/1380, advises Members that the Society holds the following records on its Members (1) Name; (2) Address; (3) Telephone Number; (4) Email Address and (5) the name of the Associate Member, if applicable, and that such records are only used for the purpose of contacting Members on Society matters and for the dispatch of the Monthly Newsletter and the Annual Journal and furthermore, that these records are only held by the Director of Membership Services and are inaccessible to all other persons and that, the Society does not share this information with any other individual or organisation. Records are also held for contractual necessity to deliver paid services.

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The AGM of the Society will be held at 20.00hrs on Tuesday 14 March 2023 via Zoom. A link will be sent by email to Members and will be available from Membership@familyhistory.ie

֍ Email: membership@familyhistory.ie

MEETINGS

EVENING OPEN MEETING (via

Zoom)

Tuesday 14 March 2023 (AGM) 20.00hrs

Tuesday 11 April 2023 20.00hrs

MORNING OPEN MEETING

(via Zoom)

Wednesday 22 March 2023 11.00hrs

Wednesday 26 April 2023 11.00hrs

Contribution €5.00 p.p. (Donations via www.familyhistory.ie)

“Cuimhnigí ar Ár Sinnsir Remember Our Ancestors”

GSI ON YOUTUBE

The Society’s lectures and some informational short videos were uploaded to our YouTube Channel. To view the videos and hopefully, to ‘Like’ and ‘Share’ them, and to ‘Subscribe’ to our YouTube channel please checkout: www.YouTube.com/c/

GenealogicalSocietyOfIrelandGSI

ON INSTAGRAM

The Society has been expanding its presence across all social media platforms and we’re on Instagram! Please checkout this link: www.instagram.com/GenSocIreland

“ARCHIVE DROP-INS”

The weekly “Drop-Ins” hosted by Eddie Gahan, FGSI, Director of the Outreach Programme, are hugely popular with our Members around the world. These informal weekly “Drop-Ins” are only for fully paid up Members and are designed to allow you to join the Zoom meeting at any time between 11.00hrs and 12.00hrs on Wednesdays.

The “Drop-In” on the 4th Wednesday is a publicly accessible ‘Drop-In’ for Members and visitors alike. Visitors can email membership@familyhistory.ie for the link to this Zoom meeting on the 4th Wednesday. Members receive an email from the Director of Membership Services each week with access details. Members can send in their research query in advance to Archivist@familyhistory.ie (Please also see page 4)

We’ll All Stay Connected Each Week via Zoom

Recently Published by Four Courts Press

‘Law and the idea of liberty in Ireland from Magna Carta to the present’ edited by Peter Crooks & Thomas Mohr and published by Four Courts Press this month. ISBN: 978-1-84682-740-2 : 244pp : H/bk : ills : Catalogue price: €55.00 : Web Price: €49.95.

Magna Carta is among the most famous documents in the history of the world, credited with being the first effective check in writing on arbitrary, oppressive and unjust rule – in a word, on tyranny. The fame of Magna Carta spread as England, and later Britain, came to girdle the globe in its power. This volume in the Irish Legal History Society series is the first to examine the importance of Ireland in the story of Magna Carta’s dissemination. Four centuries before Magna Carta crossed the Atlantic, it had already been implanted across the Irish Sea. A version of the charter, issued in November 1216 in the name of the boy-king Henry III, was sent to Ireland, where it became fundamental to the English common law tradition in Ireland that survives to the present. This volume – the proceedings of a conference marking the 800th anniversary of the transmission of Magna Carta to Ireland – explores the paradoxes presented by the reception of Magna Carta into Irish law, above all the contested idea of ‘liberty’ that developed in Ireland. Contributors examine the legal, political and polemical uses to which Magna Carta was put from the thirteenth century onwards, as well as its modern invocations as a living presence in contemporary Irish law. The volume also includes a new edition and translation of the Magna Carta Hibernie (‘The Great Charter of Ireland’) an adaptation of the 1216 issue of Magna Carta found in the Red Book of the Irish Exchequer, which was destroyed in 1922.

Contributors: Paul Brand, Ian Campbell, Peter Crooks, Coleman Dennehy, Adrian Empey, Patrick Geoghegan, James Kelly, Colum Kenny, John Larkin, Thomas Mohr, Bláthna Ruane. Peter Crooks is Senior Lecturer in Medieval History at TCD, and a fellow of the Royal Historical Society. He is co-editor of The Geraldines and medieval Ireland: the making of a myth (Dublin, 2016). Thomas Mohr is Associate Professor at the School of Law, UCD. He is honorary secretary of the Irish Legal History Society and the author of Guardian of the Treaty: the Privy Council appeal and Irish sovereignty (Dublin, 2016). (FCP website)

NEXT MONTH’S REVIEW ‘Soccer and Society in Dublin A History of Association

Football in Ireland’s Capital’ by Conor Curran and published by Four Courts Press last month. ISBN: 978-1

The Society’s is very grateful to Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council for the level of grant aid provided to the Society to assist with running costs of the Society. The Society continues to campaign for the establishment of an ‘Irish Institute of Genealogical and Heraldic Studies – incorporating a Centre for Migration and Diaspora Studies’ in Dún Laoghaire in conjunction with the Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

The Society’s Annual Journal was produced by a Select Committee for the second time in 2022 and as this collaborative method of productions was so hugely successful, a Select Committee was established for the 2023 Annual Journal.

In addition to the Annual Journal, which is published in electronic format, the Society published twelve issues of its newsletter ‘Ireland’s Genealogical Gazette’ and its readership figures continued to be very strong throughout the year especially on-line where it was available in pdf format. It is Ireland’s longest running monthly genealogical newsletter and it is fully indexed online in the “Hall’s Index” on the Society’s website.

The Board elected two new Vice Presidents of the Society, Ms. Fiona Fitzsimons, MA, FGSI, and Amb. Francis M. O’Donnell, FGSI, and appointed Dr. Antonio Salmerón Cabañas, SHA, FGSI, of Madrid, Spain, as Honorary Herald of the Society

The College of Fellows, on the recommendation of the Board, elected new Fellows – James Scannell, FGSI, Fiona Tipple, FGSI, Clare Tuohy, FGSI, Francis M. O’Donnell, FGSI and Gerard Hayden, FGSI.

On legislative matters, the Society continued its endeavours to have section 13 of the National Cultural Institutions Act, 1997 amended to regularise the position of heraldic grants made in Ireland prior to May 2005. The Society’s two branches, Vexillology Ireland and Heraldry Ireland, continue to deal with these specific aspects of the Society’s many and varied activities. The Society is Ireland’s only member of FIAV – the International Federation of Vexillological Associations

84682-039

4 : 366pp : H/bk : ills : Catalogue price: €35.00 : Web Price: €31.50. Although, this work was previously flagged as one to look forward to in the April 2022 issue of this newsletter (Vol. 17 No. 4 – see https://www.familyhistory.ie ) the prices given have been updated. This is an absolute gem for the lover of the ‘beautiful game’ and the family, local or social historian. It is the first full-length history of soccer in Dublin city and environs. Conor Curran is an adjunct lecturer in the School of Education, Trinity College Dublin, who has published extensively on the history of sport and society.

FOUR COURTS PRESS

Irish History, Genealogy, Local History and much more. Checkout the extensive online catalogue for 2023 and the wonderful special offers at www.fourcourtspress.ie note the “back-in-prints” too!!

GSI BOARD NEWS

The Board of Directors held its monthly meeting on Thursday 2nd March 2023 at 11.00hrs via Zoom with nine in attendance.

The General Secretary, as Company Secretary presented the Annual Report of the Board of Directors to the meeting for considering. The Board adopted the report under Res: 23/03/1734 and instructed that it be published in the March issue of the ‘Gazette’

The Annual Board Meeting Attendance Record presented by the General Secretary is attached to the Minutes of the Board Meeting held on March 2nd 2023 and is available on request.

Lua Ó Scolaí, MGSI, Director of Finance, confirmed that the Annual Financial Report for the period ending 31st December 2022 was forwarded to the auditor last month, however, it is unlikely that the audited accounts will be available for the AGM. The unaudited accounts will be presented at the AGM and once the audited accounts have been received from the auditor they will be submitted to the Companies Registration Office. They will be publicly available via the CRO website https://www.cro.ie Eddie Gahan, FGSI, Director of the GSI Outreach Programme, advised the Board that the Society will have a stand at the Active Retirement Ireland event to be held at the Clayton White’s Hotel, Wexford, on Wednesday 15th March 2023. Eddie calls for more

volunteers for the GSI Stand at Wexford.

Shane Wilson, MGSI, Director of Internet Services, provided an update on the development of the facility for the recording of images and information for the Society’s ’National Heraldic Survey’. It was agreed to conduct a limited trial of the facility this month before its formal launch as Ireland’s first heraldic survey.

Gerard Corcoran, MGSI, Director of Archival Services & Education, proposed that the remaining Covid-19 restrictions and measures required for visiting An Daonchartlann be lifted. The Board agreed to do so under Res: 23/03/1735 with immediate effect.

Eddie Gahan, FGSI and Paula Jones, MGSI, advised the Board that they will not be seeking re-election at the AGM, however, both will continue to be active in the Society. The Board praised both for their outstanding contributions to the Society and for the commitment and diligence to their duties and responsibilities at Directors of the Society.

Laura Price, MGSI, will succeed Paula Jones, MGSI as chairperson of the 2023 Annual Journal Select Committee. Paula will remain on the Select Committee

The next Board Meeting will be held on Thursday April 6th 2022 at 11.00hrs via Zoom, at which, the Board will allocate portfolios to those elected at the AGM.

General Secretary

Work is continuing to host a Members Only Section on the Society’s website and to greatly expand the range of archival holdings available online, including access to the GSI publications. Electronic voting for the Annual General Meeting was added to our website in 2022 and is available now for the 2023 AGM. The Facebook page and Twitter account continue to be valuable components in the promotion of the activities of the Society, its legislative campaigns and Irish genealogy in general. The Irish DNA Atlas Project operated in conjunction with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), continues to provide very exciting and ground-breaking data from this unique academic genetic genealogy research project was welcomed by genealogists, geneticists, historians, and others from around the world.

In addition to the above, the Board dealt with matters relating to the Society’s membership of the Federation of Family History Societies, The Wheel, DLR PPN, INAR and FIAV. The Board also complied with its statutory obligations in respect of the Companies Act, 2014, Register of Beneficial Ownership (SI 110/2019), the Charities Act, 2009, the Charities Regulatory Authority, the EU GDPR and as a Nominating Body for Seanad Éireann.

The Board requested the Society’s President, Mr. Stuart Rosenblatt, PC, FGSI, to remain in office until March 2024 and he has very graciously agreed to do so. In December 2022 the President donated twenty-two volumes of his magnum opus on the archival heritage of the Irish-Jewish Community to the National Library of Israel which will now form the ‘Rosenblatt Collection’ at the library.

The ‘Presidential Forum on Funding’ was not convened as planned in 2022, however, we are endeavouring to host this important forum during 2023.

In September 2022 the Board assigned the oversight of this forum to An Daonchartlann Foundation which was reconstituted in July 2022. The newly reconstituted body will have three non-Board Member Trustees (appointments pending) in addition to three appointed by the Board.

Finally, our thoughts are with all those who were bereaved by the loss of family, friends, or colleagues due to Covid-19 and we wish all those still struggling with this disease a speedy and full recovery. Furthermore, our thoughts are with the families of Members and friends of the Society who passed away since our last Annual General Meeting.

Michael Merrigan, MA, FGSI, General Secretary

In Brief….

GSI MEMBERSHIP

Join on-line at www.familyhistory.ie

Please note that GSI Membership is open to all interested in genealogy and related subjects.

Discounted membership rates available for under 25s and students at recognised genealogy courses. (proof required)

Full details on the new Membership Package for 2023-2024 were published in the November 2022 issue of this newsletter. For back issues of the ‘Gazette’ see the Society’s website.

Barry O’Connor, FGSI, Director of Membership Services. Email: membership@familyhistory.ie

GSI OPEN MEETINGS

Society’s Monthly Open Meetings are held via ZOOM to allow the fullest access by Members from Ireland and overseas.

Tuesday March 14th Evening Open Meeting 20.00hrs (Zoom) - Annual General Meeting Speaker: Dr. Edmund Gilbert (RCSI) on ‘Newfoundland and Labrador: A mosaic founder population of an Irish and British diaspora from 300 years ago’.

Wednesday March 22nd Morning Open Meeting 11.00hrs (Zoom) Informal discussion on family history and related matters.

Tuesday April 11th Evening Open Meeting 20.00hrs (Zoom) - Speaker: James Scannell on ‘'Rough Justice - Crime and Punishment in early 19th century Dublin'.

Wednesday April 26th Morning Open Meeting 11.00hrs (Zoom) Informal discussion on family history and related matters.

Tuesday May 9th Evening Open Meeting 20.00hrs (Zoom) - Speaker: Martin Goldstraw on ‘Do it Yourself Heraldry The design, assumption and registration of armorial bearings’.

Wednesday May 24th Morning Open Meeting 11.00hrs (Zoom) Informal discussion on family history and related matters. Talks will be posted on YouTube.

ZOOM MEETINGS

Membership Director, Barry O’Connor, FGSI, will email Members to log in to Zoom for the two Open Meetings.

The lectures are open to the public and the access details are available on request by email from Membership@Familyhistory.ie

Suggestions on the Monthly Lecture Programme to: eolas@familyhistory.ie

Members may send their research queries in advance for the Morning Open Meeting by email to Archivist@familyhistory.ie

The Lecture Programme is recorded for the GSI YouTube Channel as a free, publicly accessible educational resource.

We endeavour to have each lecture up as soon as possible after the event

IRISH DNA ATLAS

Checkout the short video and the lectures on the Irish DNA Atlas project on YouTube Channel www.youtube.com/ c/GenealogicalSocietyOfIrelandGSI

James Scannell Reports...

CLONTARF HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Dennis McIntyre will present ‘From Customs House to Howth - A Guide to the Dublin Bay Area’ at 19.30hrs on 15 March in The Resource Centre, St. John the Baptist Church, Clontarf Road, Dublin 3. All are welcome – admission is €5.00

DUN LAOGHAIRE BORO HIST SOCIETY

John McCann will present ‘Deansgrange Cemetery’ at 20.00hrs on Wednesday 15 March in The Royal Marine Hotel, Marine Road, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin. All are welcome - admission is €5.00

WICKLOW COUNTY LIBRARIES

Wicklow Local Studies will host a ‘Drop-in Genealogical Advisory Evening’ with a visiting genealogist from 18.30hrs to 20.30hrs on Thursday 16 March in Salthouse Lane, Wicklow Town. All welcome - admission free - further information is available from 087-2683724 or email: wicklowlocalstudies@wicklowcoco.ie

BRAY CUALANN HISTORICAL SOCIETY

James Scannell will present ‘The International Hotel, Bray: from beginning to end’ at 20.00hrs on Thursday 16 March in the Royal Hotel, Main Street, Bray, Co. Wicklow. All are welcome - admission is €8.00 for nonmembers. The AGM will precede this lecture.

FOXROCK LOCAL HISTORY CLUB

Donal O’Sullivan will present ‘Researching Dún Laoghaire harbour - some recollections and personal observations’ at 20.00hrs on Tuesday 21 March in Foxrock Parish Pastoral Centre, Foxrock, Co. Dublin. All are welcome - admission is €5.00

THE OLD DUBLIN SOCIETY

Rosemary Raughter will present ‘The Cowan/Harrison Family of Fitzwilliam Square: a unionist household in pre-independence Ireland’ at 18.00hrs on Wednesday 22 March in The Conference Room, Dublin City Library & Archive, 144 Pearse Street, Dublin 2. All are welcome - admission is free and no booking required.

RATHMINES, RANELAGH & RATHGAR

Declan Warde will present ‘Anaesthesia in Ireland: a History’ at 20.00hrs on Thursday 30 March in Rathmines Town Hall, Rathmines Road, Dublin 6. Members free / visitors €4.00 - Swan Car Park - Evening Rate: €3.00 from 17.00hrs to Midnight.

DUBLIN

CITY LIBRARIES

James Scannell will present ‘Rough Justice in 1800s Dublin’ at 18.30hrs on Monday 03 April in Terenure Library, Templeogue Road, Dublin 6W. Admission free but booking required via www.onedublinonebook.ie. Dr. Mary Muldowney will present ‘ Social conditions in Dublin in the late nineteenth century as Robert Tressell (author of The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists) was growing up’ at 13.00hrs on Wednesday 05 April in the Ilac Centre, Henry Street, Dublin 1. Admission is free but as places are limited booking is required - book in the branch, ph. 01-2228300 or email: centrallibrary@dublincity.ie.

KILMACANOGUE HISTORY SOCIETY

Thérèsa Hicks will present ‘The Kennedys of Newtownmountkennedy’ at 20.00hrs on Monday 03 April in Kilmacanogue Parish Hall, adjacent to St. Mochonog’s R.C. Church, Kilmacanogue, Co. Wicklow. All are welcome - admission is €5.00 for non-membersattendees are requested to wear a mask/face covering.

RATHMICHAEL HISTORICAL SOCIETY

www.eneclann.ie

Finola Finlay will present ‘The Story of Stained Glass in Ireland: Beyond Harry Clarke’ at 20.00hrs on Wednesday 05 April in Rathmichael National School, Stonebridge Road, Shankill, Co. Dublin, and on Zoom.

All welcome to attend - admission/Zoom fee is €5.00

SOUTH DUBLIN LIBRARIES

Liz Gillis will present ‘One Dublin Many Women’ at 19.00hrs on Thursday 06 April in Lucan Library, Lucan Shopping Centre, Newscastle Road, Lucan. Admission free but booking required via www.onedublinonebook.ie.

MALAHIDE HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Eamonn Madden will present ‘Aspects of Historic Feltrim’ at 20.00hrs on Tuesday 11 April in St. Sylvester’s Church Parish Centre, Malahide, Co. Dublin.

All are welcome - admission €5.00

PUBLICATION:

‘Champagne, Cocktails and Crêpes Suzette - Wining, dining, and dancing in Dún Laoghaire through the ages’ by Eileen O’Duffy, h/b, 142pp, ills, ISBN 978-1914488-77-1.

This fascinating and excellently illustrated book recalls the golden age of the Dublin Riviera when local inhabitants and visitors wined and dined in yacht clubs, restaurants and hotels all dotted along the coast between Blackrock and Dalkey where they were able to dance the night away into the wee small hours of the morning in numerous ballrooms and nightclubs with the Pavilion in Kingstown/Dún Laoghaire being the top spot until it later became a cinema. Through the pages of this engrossing book the reader is brought back to a gracious and leisurely era that has long since vanished with the text supported by a tremendous selection of photographs, menu cards, dance programmes, and numerous newspaper cuttings recalling events and people. Information is provided on the numerous hotels, clubs, places of entertainments, that residents availed of in the late 19th and early 20th century but are no longer around today for a variety of reason including changes in lifestyle and how people holidayed, all supported with a great array of photographs and other illustrations which recall this golden period.

It's often forgotten that Dalkey was once a popular holiday destination. The chapter ‘Dalkey Seaside Hotels’ recalls all these venues in text and pictures, many of which sadly over time have vanished and have been replaced with apartment blocks on their sites. The chapter ‘Crepês Suzette’ recalls the era of fine cuisine and their providers in the while ‘Dancing, Discos and Clubbing’ recalls the various locations associated with these activities.

All in all, an excellent social history of the area down the decades, superbly illustrated supported by a very informative text. This book was carefully researched and its shows in the text which contains all the relevant information about venues mentioned and in the selection of the illustrations used.

An essential book for those who have an interest in social history or the local history of the area.

This excellent book is available from Dalkey News, Castle Street, Dalkey, Hewett Newsagent, Monkstown, the Irish Design Gallery beside the dlr Lexicon, or online at https://lettertecbookstore.com

James Scannell, FGSI

TRACING YOUR IRISH ANCESTORS by John Grenham, MA, MAGI, FIGRS, FGSI

The Society strongly recommends to anyone embarking on their family history quest that one essential piece of kit must be, without doubt, a copy of the FIFTH edition of ‘Tracing Your Irish Ancestors’. Please checkout the website www.gillmacmillan.com Price €24.99 [RRP].

Some of the Archival Collections in An Daonchartlann, Loughlinstown. (Photo: Tom Conlon)

PRÉCIS OF THE FEBRUARY LECTURE

Tuesday February 14th Evening Open Meeting 20.00hrs (Zoom) - Speaker: John Goodwillie, MGSI on ‘The Stoney family of Tipperary and Offaly: life and descendants’. The speaker had a Stoney grandmother.

The Stoneys were a family of gentry in Tipperary and Offaly who arrived in Ireland in the 1690s. The talk outlined the various branches of the family, and mentioned other local families they intermarried with, and included pictures of individuals and houses. While the basic genealogy of the family is established, there are still several genealogical problems. Most of the family estates were built up by George Stoney (1713-1787) and excerpts from his diaries and letters illustrated his Patriot political views and the life of the family. The talk mentioned various notable members of the family, including the man described in a book by Wendy Moore as “Georgian Britain’s worst husband”. There was also information on several acknowledged “natural” children, and what seems to have been a marriage too embarrassing to be included in the established sources.

As was usual for the landed gentry, many sons entered the Army and the Church, but the Stoneys also produced many engineers and doctors. The family estates were lost in the 19th and early 20th centuries, but descendants such as George Johnston Stoney and Bindon Blood Stoney achieved their own distinction, and less well-known members included a magistrate who was sentenced to imprisonment for a drunken assault and a clergyman who supported a miners’ strike. People with Stoney mothers included Alan Turing and the “Nun of Kenmare”. There are numerous descendants of the family scattered through the English-speaking world. Check out the full lecture coming soon on the Society’s YouTube Channel (see top left of page 2)

GSI ANNUAL JOURNAL 2023

The Board of the Society, under Res: 22/12/1716, established a Select Committee for the production of the 2023 Annual Journal . The Select Committee is under the chairpersonship of Laura Price, MGSI. Members and readers wishing to submit items for publication in the 2023 issue of the GSI Annual Journal are advised to make contact with the Select Committee. The Select Committee will advise on the word count, format and the procedures regarding any images accompanying the article. Please email: JGSI@familyhistory.ie

YOUR SOCIETY NEEDS YOU!

The Annual General Meeting of the Society will be held via Zoom on Tuesday 14th March 2023 at 20.00hrs (Irish Time). The AGM Agenda is shown on page 1 of this newsletter. The Members will be asked to adopt theAnnual Report of the Board and the Annual Financial Statement as presented to the Society’s auditors. All the current Directors stand down at the AGM, but they are eligible for re-election. The number of Directors on the Board is capped at ten. This year, two of the current Directors (Paula Jones & Eddie Gahan) have indicated that they are not seeking re-election, however, they’ll assist with various projects. Have you ever considered volunteering to serve on the Board of the Society? It can be a very rewarding experience and given that the Society has numerous activities and objectives, member-

ship of the Board provides an opportunity for you to help shape the future of your Society. The Board meets eleven times a year for approximately two hours on the first Thursday of each month, except August when there is no meeting and January, when it is on the second Thursday. The meetings are held via Zoom at 11.00hrs. Each Director has a specific portfolio covering an aspect of the Society's work and therefore, the Board operates with a "cabinet style" form of governance with the Board Meetings mainly concerned with policy, finances, and the co-ordinated implementation of the Society's Development Plan 2022-2027. So, if you have the time and would like to put your name forward for election - you would be most welcome. Any queries please contact the General Secretary on eolas@familyhistory.ie

Checkout the Society’s website www.familyhistory.ie

Our Society is a Registered Charity

During the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, many charities in Ireland and overseas are finding it difficult with reduced funding streams. This Society is funded largely by its Membership Fees and the kind donations received from Members and friends at home and overseas, without which, it simply couldn’t exist.

The Society is a Registered Charity in Ireland and always considers options for fund raising and grant applications. The possibility of crowdfunding for specific projects is being considered. However, in the meantime it was decided to appeal to our Members,

friends and social media followers around the world.

Donations can be made via the Society’s website or by cheque to the Genealogical Society of Ireland and forwarded to the General Secretary: 11, Desmond Avenue, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, Ireland, A96 AD76

If you have already donated Many Thanks!

EXCLUSIVE OFFER FOR GSI MEMBERS

Members wishing to avail of this Exclusive Offer from Three.ie please contact FreePhone: 1800 944038 or email ExclusiveOffers@Three.ie NOTE: Conditions apply

IRELAND’S

GENEALOGICAL GAZETTE is published by the Genealogical Society of Ireland

Company Limited by Guarantee

11, Desmond Avenue, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, A96 AD76, Ireland

E-mail: GAZETTE@familyhistory.ie

Charity Ref: CHY 10672 : No: 20027551

Company Registration (CRO): 334884

The Society is a Nominating Body for Seanad Éireann (Irish Senate)

Board of Directors (2022-2023)

John Goggins (Cathaoirleach : Chairperson; Oifigeach na Gaeilge) James Walsh (LeasChathaoirleach : Vice-Chairperson; Group Projects Coordinator) Michael Merrigan (General Secretary, Company Secretary, ‘Gazette’ Editor; & Irish DNA Atlas); Lua Ó Scolaí (Finance & ADF, Philanthropy); Paula Jones (Deputy General Secretary, GSI Lecture Programme, Diaspora Outreach & Oversight of Development Plan); Eddie Gahan (Outreach & Zoom Drop-Ins); Shane Wilson (Internet Services & Online Publications); Barry O’Connor (Membership Services & Cemetery Projects; Building & Utilities, Health & Safety); Gerard Corcoran (Archival Services & Education; Genetic Genealogy & ADF ) and Laura Price, (Special Collections, Research & Specialist Groups, Vexillology & Heraldry).

“HALL’S INDEX”

The “Gazette” is Ireland’s longest running monthly genealogical newsletter and it is read by thousands each month around the world.

The past issues of the Society’s newsletter from 1996 to 2016 had been fully indexed by the late Brendan Hall, MGSI. The “Hall’s Index” now includes all issues right up to date and is available on www.familyhistory.ie

Although we’re not members of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), the team at the “Gazette” always endeavour to operate in accordance with the NUJ Code of Conduct www.nuj.org.uk/about/nuj-code/ and in line with the 'National Policy Statement on Ensuring Research Integrity in Ireland' which was endorsed by the Genealogical Society of Ireland back in June 2014 soon after its launch at the Royal Irish Academy. (see the June 2014 issue of the “Gazette” at www.familyhistory.ie)

GENEALOGY HELP CENTRE

An Daonchartlann, the Society’s Archive and Research Centre is located at the DLR Leisure Centre, Loughlinstown, Co. Dublin. The use of our extensive archival resources is reserved for fully paid-up GSI members, however, day research membership is always available on request.

The facility is normally open each Wednesday from 10.30hrs to 16.00hrs contact the GSI Archivist on Archivist@familyhistory.ie