The Irish Ancestral Research Association (TIARA)

The Irish Ancestral Research Association

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Meetings

Contents of this page: Upcoming Speakers
Maps and Directions
Cancellation Notices

Next Meeting

March: Saturday, March 13, 2010, 9:30 am
at New England Historic Genealogic Society

1. A Virtual Way to Tipperary: Finding Our Irish Ancestors Onlineby Marie Daly

2. Newspapers, Street Directories & Occupational Records by Eileen O'Duill

This lecture is part of the Diploma in Family History (Genealogy) taught at the Independent College in Dublin. Calling it her "mixed bag" lecture, Eileen will talk about a variety of resources that might help you in your research.

Marie Daly's travel tips for getting to NEHGS for the March 13 meeting:

From the Mass Pike. You get off at the Copley Square exit, staying to the right in the exit tunnel. When you come out, the John Hancock Garage on Stuart Street/Clarendon Street is right in front of you. It is $9/day on weekends. The Boston Common Garage on Charles Street is $11/day on weekends also.
Copley Square is on the Green Line, Orange Line and Commuter Rail.
From the North: Take the Blue Line to State Street station, and switch to the Orange Line Forest Hills train, and get off at Back Bay Station.
From the Northwest: Take a commuter rail train to North Station, switch to any westbound Green Line trolley, get off at Arlington (has an elevator) or Copley. Or take Rte 93 and park at MBTA garage in Medford, and take the Orange Line to Back Bay Station. Or drive to Lechmere Station parking lot in Cambridge and take Green Line to Arlington or Copley.
From the West: Drive to Watertown Square, and park at MBTA parking lot on Water Street next to the bus terminal. The parking lot says $5/day, but they do not collect on Saturdays (so parking is free). Take the 504 express bus, and get off at Back Bay Station. Or drive Rte 2 to Alewife Garage. Take the Red Line to Park Street station, and switch to any westbound Green Line trolley to Arlington (has an elevator) or Copley.
From the Southwest: Take a commuter train to Back Bay Station. Commuter rail parking lots located at Canton, and other towns.
From the South: Drive to an MBTA parking garage in Quincy or Braintree. Take the Red Line to Park Street station and take any westbound Green Line trolley to Arlington (has an elevator) or Copley. Or take commuter rail to South Station. Then switch to Red Line to Park Street station, and take any westbound Green Line trolley to Arlington (has an elevator) or Copley.
From South Boston: Take the #9 bus to Copley Square
From Jamaica Plain: Take the #39 bus to Copley Square
From the South End: Take the #10 bus to Copley Square
From Brookline or Brighton: Take the Green Line to Copley Square

Upcoming Speakers

April:Saturday, April 10, 2010: Joint Meeting with South Shore Genealogy Society
at the Hingham Library, Hingham MA, 66 Leavitt Street Hingham, MA 02043-2997
Time : 12 noon to 4pm

Hidden in the Vaults: Lesser Known Gems Found in New England Town Halls
Every town has records that seldom see the light of day but, if used, would illuminate a family history.
Presenter: Thomas F. Howard
Thomas Howard is a retired high school teacher and is a professional genealogist specializing in overcoming roadblocks. He has taught genealogy classes, lectured at social studies regional and national conferences and presented genealogical topics at NERGC conferences 2003 and 2009; and the 2006 FGS Conference in Boston. He has lectured on several genealogical topics to the DAR, Westchester County Genealogical Society, Descendants of the Founders of Ancient Windsor, the Connecticut Society of Genealogists, Southington Genealogical Society and the Naugatuck Valley Genealogical Club and others. He is Past President of the Connecticut Professional Genealogists Council, and of NERGC and is a former Governor and Vice President of the Connecticut Society of Genealogists. He co-chaired NERGC's 2007 Conference in Hartford. He is a member of APG, NEHGS, CT. Anc., TIARA and numerous other genealogical or historical organizations. He is a former president of the East Granby Historical Society and past president of the East Granby Land Trust. He and fellow genealogist wife Virginia have two adopted children and four grandchildren.

American Passage: The History of Ellis Island
Presenter: Vincent J. Cannato
Ellis Island's heyday - from 1892 to 1924 - coincided with one of the greatest mass migrations of individuals the world has ever seen, with some 12 million immigrants inspected at its gates. This talk will examine U.S. Immigration policy during those years as practiced at Ellis Island. We will discuss the evolution of immigration law, the process of inspecting immigrants, and their effects on immigrants. We will learn not just what immigrants went through, but also why they had to go through such a process in the first place.
Vincent J. Cannato is associate professor of history at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, where he teaches courses on New York City history, Boston history, immigration history, and 20th-century American history. He is the author of American Passage: The History of Ellis Island (HarperCollins, 2009); The Ungovernable City: John Lindsay and his Struggle to Save New York (Basic Books, 2001); and co-editor of Living in the Eighties, (Oxford University Press, 2009). Prof. Cannato has written for numerous publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.

May: Saturday, May 8, 2010 - Writers' Workshop for the Irish Researcher
at Bentley University, Adamian Commons, Waltham MA

MANY OF US SPEND YEARS RESEARCHING AND GATHERING INFORMATION OF GREAT VALUE. SOME OF US ARE MORE ORGANIZED THAN OTHERS. SOME OF US NEED HELP WITH THAT. IT'S ALSO VITAL THAT WE SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH OTHERS. IF YOU WANT TO PUT ALL OF THAT RESEARCH INTO A NARRATIVE FORM, SO THAT OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS, PRESENT AND FUTURE, CAN SHARE IN YOUR DISCOVERIES, THIS WORKSHOP IS FOR YOU!

Schedule and Presenters

9:00am:	Registration & Welcome - Continental Breakfast is available with bakery-fresh muffins, Danish, bagels, scones and croissants, seasonal fresh fruit and yogurt. Assorted juices, coffee and tea are included.
9:30am:	Between the Lines: Writing and Illustrating Your Family History By: Marcia Melnyk
	Marcia Iannizzi Melnyk is a professional genealogist who has taught beginning and advanced genealogy courses for more than 18 years. She is the author of The Genealogist's Handbook for New England Research, Fourth Edition; The Weekend Genealogist: Timesaving techniques for Effective Research, The Genealogist's Question and Answer Book and Family History 101. Marcia is President, and a founding member, of The Italian Genealogical Society of America, a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG), former executive board member of the New England Regional Genealogical Conference (NERGC) as well as many local and national societies.
10:30am:	Question & Answer Period
11:30am:	Break for lunch (included in the cost of registration.) Basic deli buffet consisting of sandwiches, potato chips, cookies, water and assorted soft drinks.
12:30pm:	Telling the Family Story - From Blogs to Scrapbooks By: Maureen Taylor
	For the past 10 years, Maureen A. Taylor has been providing in-depth analysis of historical photos, primarily for people who are researching their family histories. In 2007, The Wall Street Journal called her "the nation's foremost historical photo detective." Maureen's books and articles focus on family photography, history and genealogy.
1:30pm:	Question & Answer Period
2:15pm:	Wrap-up

Click here for a registration form and driving directions for the Writer's Workshop.

June: Thursday, June 10, 2010, 7:30pm
Boston College, Room 511, Fulton Hall
Topic: The Last of the Donkey Pilgrims
Speaker: Kevin O'Hara

The warm-hearted story of an Irish-American who goes back to Ireland to discover his roots. Some people search for the truth of their lives in their families and in their past. Some go back to their roots in an effort to discover who were the people who helped shape their lives.

Except July and August, TIARA meets either the second Friday evening of every month at 7:30 pm, or on the following Saturday morning at various locations.
On Friday nights, the meetings are held in Room 511 of Fulton Hall on the campus of Boston College, Commonwealth Avenue (Route 30), Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.
(See directions to Boston College and map of campus.) The meetings are free and open to the public, but membership is encouraged.

The programs presented at the meetings vary, but may include general topics such as: how to do genealogical research; Irish history; resources for Irish research in the New England, Dublin, and Belfast area; and how to locate ancestors in Maritime Canada, Northern Ireland, or the Republic of Ireland.

For information about upcoming programs, write to:: The Irish Ancestral Research Association
2120 Commonwealth Ave.
Auburndale, Massachusetts
02466-1909

To receive meeting announcements by email, send a request to president1@tiara.ie.

Meeting Cancellation Notices

Meeting cancellations are given to Boston's Channel 7 or 56 by 1:00 PM in case of severe weather. Although they do not broadcast the cancellation on the television, you can sign up at Channel 7's website WHDH to receive an email with cancellation information. They also have a cellphone text messaging service for which you can sign up to be notified if there is a cancellation. See their website for more information.

And of course, check TIARA's own web site!

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