Ireland Reaching Out
I had no idea that I possessed any Irish heritage until a few years ago when I discovered through Ancestry.com that in 1825, my great-great-grandfather Samuel Carlton Green was born in Dublin. Using this bit of information to search further online at Ancestry and FamilySearch I was able to discover Samuel’s parents, father Samuel Sr., and mother Mary Tongue through their marriage at St. Paul’s Church in Dublin.
While the Samuel Green Sr. line ended there I was able to discover that his father-in-law Thomas Tonge was baptized in October 1756 at Dublin’s Saint Michael the Archangel. I was able to go back one more generation to the marriage of my 5th great-grandparents, Edward Tonge and Susanna Humphreys in Dublin during 1753. Susanna died five children and eight years later in Dublin. Edward died 54 years later at Summerhill, Meath, Ireland.
That is the entire story of my Irish family as I know it. I have faced that brick wall time and time again without a clue appearing about this forgotten family line.
Recently, while browsing through The British Columbia Genealogist booklet of June 2013 I came across a plan that I am hoping will help me learn more about the Greens, the Tonge’s and their kin. If you are stuck at an end in Ireland this could be great news for you too!
The program, Ireland Reaching Out, from the government of Ireland was created to help people of Irish ancestry reconnect with their family place of origin in Ireland.
Through joining any of the more than 2,500 parish communities online puts the user in contact with local people in the area. This is a free service fueled by local volunteers.
Once you register you can discover your parish, join parish forums, and post questions. If you ever do decide to visit your home parish, you may even be able to meet team members in person.
Discover More About The Ireland XO Programme:
Ireland Ancestry & History at Amazon
Discover More
Irish Ancestry Weblinks – St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner and the perfect time to discover your Irish genealogy. Get started with this weblinks library of online resources.
Irish History on Video – A selection of informative films and documentaries covering the ancient to more recent history of the Emerald Isle.
Geneastar Genealogy – Have you ever wondered if you are related to a famous person or ancestor?
Cluster Genealogy – Don’t ignore the bigger picture in your family research as you may find the link through a non-direct ancestor which will allow you to break through to the other side!
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Resources Consulted
Ireland Reaching Out
by Ed O’Connor,
The British Columbia Genealogist
June 2013,
British Columbia Genealogical Society
