Family Searcher
By Nina Brawn
I was reading the latest issue of the New England Historic and Genealogical Society’s online newsletter, “The Weekly Genealogist” and was excited to read of a program called “Ireland XO – Ireland Reaches Out.”
Also called the Diaspora Project, (“diaspora” is from the Greek word for “scattering”) this is Ireland’s attempt to reach out to the children of Irish emigrants all over the world, to bring them back to Ireland either virtually, or in reality.
Before Ireland XO, it was left up to the descendants of Irish emigrants to make the effort to trace their roots and attempt to establish an Irish connection. Ireland XO reverses that process. Volunteers work at the townland, village, and parish level to discover who left in the last 200 years, try to trace their descendants and actively invite them to re-connect with the homeland, either through the XO website; or by actually meeting and connecting with them in Ireland. The program already has projects in over 2,500 parishes throughout Ireland, and is looking for volunteers among Irish citizenry to continue to expand its efforts.
If you already know where your people came from in Ireland, you can register on the website. Then local volunteers will do local research for you, and will meet with you on your “return to the homeland.” For instance, my daughter-in-law Tracy has a fabulous obituary which outlines the town from which her Irish ancestors immigrated to America. Knowing this, she could go to the website and register, and volunteers from that area would do local research, which might include property records, wills, family histories, and/or photos. She would be able to join a “virtual community” from her ancestor’s homeland, and if ever lucky enough to visit Ireland, would have a living contact waiting to meet and greet her.
Not to say I’m jealous, or anything, but … at least there are message boards on the website for those not fortunate enough to already know from where in Ireland they hail. Here, as with other message boards one can post names and queries and requests, and hope that someone who knows something will find it and make contact.
The website is worth a visit either way. They have some interesting information for the visiting genealogist, beginner or otherwise. There are many links, with information on topics as diverse as traditional historic buildings, to the geology of Galway. Anyone with interested in Ireland will enjoy a visit to: http://www.irelandxo.com/
Many New England towns, including Dover; every year invite long-lost children to return and celebrate a homecoming. Often it is those who left the area who truly come to treasure a place. I know it is true for me with Ireland. It has an almost mystical presence in my mind, as the home of my ancestors. I know my grandmother and her siblings wanted to “go back to the place they were never born.” I too, long to make that pilgrimage. Perhaps one day I will receive that long-awaited invitation from Ireland XO.
Editor’s note: Columnist Nina Brawn of Dover-Foxcroft, who has been doing genealogy for over 30 years, is a freelance genealogy researcher, speaker and teacher. Reader e-mails are welcome at ninabrawn@gmail.com. The Aroostook County Genealogical Society meets the fourth Monday of the month except in July and December at the Cary Medical Center’s Chan Education Center, 163 Van Buren Road, Caribou, at 6:30 p.m. Guests and prospective members are always welcome. FMI contact Edwin “J” Bullard at 492-5501.
