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Top 10 pointers to launch Irish genealogy search

Vintage 1953 Ireland Kodachrome slide: The featured photograph above was taken in 1953 by the late Martin J. Walsh Jr. of Murdock, Minnesota. Details of the original Kodachrome slide include:  Information written on slide: Friday May 15, 1953, tour of Liffey Valley and Blessington Lakes. Photo was taken near Curragh. The people are looking for shamrocks, County Kildare.  Learn more about the vintage 1953 Kodachrome slides at Father’s Day 2022 blog post at JannetWalsh.com.

Discover shamrocks, Irish family history

By Jannet L. Walsh
June 22, 2022
Murdock, Minnesota USA

Collection of photos from the family of Jannet L. Walsh.

If you are searching for family Irish roots, it’s likely you’ll become part historian, storyteller, and mostly a detective of family antiquities.

My late father late Martin J. Walsh Jr. of Murdock, Minnesota, captured images with his 35mm camera and Kodachrome slide film of a group of tourists searching for shamrocks in County Kildare, Ireland in 1953, photo posted above. This collection of images is now part of my family’s heritage, and a way to connect to Irish culture. He was searching for hints of our family’s origins. There are incredible resources available today my father could never imagined available from the comfort of home and a computer in his hometown in rural Minnesota.

View story at IrishCentral – My top 10 tips for beginning your Irish genealogy search
View blog, Search for Irish Canadian ancestors, Irish genealogy tips
View story at IrishCentral

It doesn’t matter if have been searching for years for origins of your family, or just starting, there’s always room for a few new pointers.  There were many resources I was not aware of when I really put my genealogy search into full swing about 2010.  I curated a free listing of about 100 resources to help search called Irish Genealogy Toolkit found at my website as a result of my genealogy search. 

Since the start of my quest to find Irish roots, many church documents from Ireland are now available for searching from your home free, along with a multitude of other resources.  Below are ten pointers and resources to help launch a family history project today.

Galway 1953 – Photo by Martin J. Walsh Jr, of Murdock Minnesota, Kodachrome slide.  Information written on slide: A small village near Galway. May 14, 1953.

1. Getting started with genealogy, church documents

It’s an overwhelming task to get started discovering family roots as you will become, without knowing, historian, storyteller, but most important, a detective searching for any artifacts ancestors left behind decades and hundreds of years ago.

  • Home and family, starting point  – The best place to start is to inquire and gather any genealogy work that’s been done previously at home and with your family.  You might be amazed, or disappointed, significant work has already been done.  If you can’t find any previous work, you might be just the person your family needs, and is calling to become the storyteller for your clan.
  • Personal family search – Read an overview about how I launched my family Irish research at my website or at IrishCentral.
  • Video, National Archives, Ireland – Watch informative video at YouTube about Irish genealogy and documents from professional genealogist Nicola Morris at the National Archives, Dublin, Ireland. Hear it from a professional on starting an Irish genealogy search. If interested, view more videos YouTube channel of National Archives, Ireland.
  • Guide, workbook – The National Archives of Ireland created a website and workbook in 2016 geared towards school children to learn about family history.  After reviewing the resources, I found many of the items apply to just about anyone with little to no knowledge of Ireland and genealogy, meaning most people starting a search for Irish roots. View the 2016 Family History website, and download a free workbook.
Video from National Archives Ireland – Researching your Roman Catholic ancestors by professional genealogist Joan Sharkey, Jan 21, 2022.
  • Irish Civil and  Church documents: Roman Catholic, Church of Ireland, Presbyterian – Irish church and civil records from Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Ireland, official Irish website, are available to search at no cost.  As of March 1, 2022, more historic births, marriages, and deaths were added to the collection by the General Register Office, Ireland. There is no cost to use website resources. Read more on the additional records at IrishGenealogy.ie. Search for church documents at IrishGenealogy.ie.
  • Understand Irish Emigration, an overview – Read Irish Emigration History by Irial Glynn, 2012, posted at the University College Cork, Ireland, website.

2. Patience, and a lot of it

Trying to find pieces of history of your family might not happen overnight. Starting a genealogy search can be exciting and exhausting at the same time. I would find bits and pieces that would connect to other bits and pieces, and sometime not a connection at all.  It’s a great task to undertake, but the results can be overwhelming. 

I was propelled to find the origins of my family in Ireland the best I could, and achieved my goal, taking about 10 years.  My real search started decades before when I was in college in the 1980s, typing term papers on an electric typewriter.  Today you can sit at home and search for family records.  We are living in an incredible time to connect the past with the present due to technology and the internet.

3. Start research at home, not Ireland

If you are thinking of flying to Ireland to start your family search, please think again.  There are incredible resources to start searching now before going to the island of Ireland.  Think of ways of putting together your story the best you can with names and dates of ancestors, cities, townlands, counties, and any details you can find before even packing your luggage, and selecting sturdy walking shoes. 

If you need help with research, hiring a professional genealogist is always an option.  There are many resources for genealogists, but look at qualifications with professional agencies, but there’s no guarantees. I’ve included several organizations to review for hiring a generalist, see heading of Professional genealogists, resources, code of ethics, at Irish Genealogy Toolkit.

A word to the wise, make sure you understand exactly what you are paying for before hiring a genealogist. Susan Riley, Ph.D., genealogist from Minnesota, notes it’s import to determine the genealogist’s credentials and experience; ask for work samples; insist on a written contract establishing goals, price of research, timetable; meet using video conferencing, such as Zoom, to clarify everything; and start a small, inexpensive project to see if the geologist is reliable.

4. Keep a notebook at hand

It’s important to keep a notebook dedicated to your search. Yes, a notebook!  Write with a pen that’s archival quality and a notebook that sturdy and can be easily transported in your pocket, purse or backpack.  Take notes of the people you meet, details of what you find.  When your computer crashes, you will have notes to look at in the future, and will be something your descendants can use to uncover future details.  I have several notebooks from search and travel, and access to family documents, such as letters, diaries, notebooks and more.  Check to see what’s available within your family.

5. Genealogy guides, tools

There are numerous genealogy guides to search for online, but look for credible sources.  If you must pay to read, move one. The National Archives in Washington, DC, has countless resources devoted to genealogy, including articles, finding aids, webinars, and other information.  View Genealogy Resources and Reference Reports for Genealogy online at the National Archives.

6. Military, vital statistics, obituaries, graves, and cemeteries

Your dearly departed relatives, and their details, will point towards your goal of putting together a family history. It’s your task to find out what’s available. I’ve spent a lot of time visiting cemeteries looking for graves of my family in the United States and Ireland.  I’ve accidentally found living relatives at cemeteries walking rows of graves searching for details on our family I didn’t know existed. Don’t be shy to spend hours walking in cemeteries, and visit with other people visiting cemeteries as you might be related, or learn something important.

7. Newspapers, state, and local archives

Old newspapers are a great source to search for anything written about your family in the past.  I found my family mentioned in numerous old newspapers stories when searching at my local historical society in Benson, Minnesota, Swift County Historical Society and Museum.

  • Newspapers at Ancestry, paid subscription, but very helpful resource
  • Listing of state archives at National Archives
  • Go local – Consider inquiring at local city and county libraries and museums about available resources for genealogy, including old newspapers.

8. Subscription, non-subscription genealogy related search websites, social media
Please check with local libraries, historical societies, and museums if they offer free access to Ancestry and other paid subscriptions for searching for genealogy. You might already have access in your city, county or state as part of public services and resources.

  • Ancestry, paid subscription, with free resources to read online
  • FamilySearch, paid subscription, with free resources
  • Non-Subscription Databases, National Archives
  • Search Facebook groups and other social media related to specific areas or counties in Ireland and topics. If your people are from County Kerry, a general themed Facebook group is Kerry is the best county in Ireland. There is an official Facebook page Ireland Family History, hosted by Tourism of Ireland, sharing tips and trivia to help find Irish family history.

9. Travel to Ireland

If you are ready to travel to Ireland, consider Ireland’s official tourism website, Ireland.com, with free resources related to maps, brochures, trip planning and more.

10.  Nonprofit, Ireland Reaching Out (Ireland XO)
There is a nonprofit organization helping welcome home Irish living in the Irish diaspora, people with ancestral roots to Ireland.  I’ve not used this agency, but find their resources intriguing.  Consider learning about Ireland Reaching Out (Ireland XO), a volunteer-based, non-profit initiative which builds vibrant, lasting links between the global Irish Diaspora and parishes of origin in Ireland. View a YouTube video about Ireland Reaching Out.

Video from Ireland Reaching Out – A Irish volunteer-based, non-profit initiative which builds vibrant, lasting links between the global Irish Diaspora and parishes of origin in Ireland.  View video at YouTube.
Crosstown Cottage, Killarney Ireland – Jannet L. Walsh, of Murdock, Minnesota, poses in front of Crosstown Cottage, near Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland, June 1, 2018, before heading to the railway station in Killarney. Walsh spent most of May 2018 living in the historic cottage researching and writing about her family’s Irish roots, connecting with local Irish culture and people. Photo by Olive Horgan.

Last bit of departing advice – Make time to get your genealogy detective work afoot. Best wishes in your searching to reconnect with your family roots!
Jannet L. Walsh

Useful Link:  A full listing can be genealogy resources can be found Irish Genealogy Toolkit found at JannetWalsh.com.  

About the author – Jannet L. Walsh, of Murdock, Minnesota, is a photographer, writer, and educator. She is the author of the forthcoming creative nonfiction quest narrative Higgledy-Piggledy Stones: Family Stories from Ireland and Minnesota, scheduled publication is 2023 by Shanti Arts Publishing.  Follow Walsh on Facebook,  Twitter, and her website. 

Subscribe – Get updates on latest blogs and news from Jannet L. Walsh and her forthcoming book Higgledy-Piggledy Stones: Family Stories from Ireland and Minnesota, scheduled publication 2022, Shanti Arts Publishing.

Featured story at IrishCentral — Directions for Ireland, travel and Irish genealogy, May 22, 2023

Ross Castle, County Kerry, Ireland, photo above — Ross Castle is located at an inlet of Lough Leane, likely built by Irish chieftain O’Donoghue Mór in the fifteenth century. Learn more about this castle, and legends, located in Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland at Heritage Ireland. Photo by Jannet L. Walsh, taken in 2018. ©2023 Jannet L. Walsh. All Rights Reserved.

What are the directions for Ireland?

View story at IrishCentral, Directions for Ireland, travel and Irish genealogy

Jannet L. Walsh
May 22, 2023
Murdock, Minnesota

I’m excited to announce my story just published at IrishCentral, Directions for Ireland, travel and Irish genealogy, May 22, 2023. Learn about Irish travel and genealogy to jump start next trip to Ireland. I also answer a few frequently asked questions about travel to Ireland.

This is a video I created in April 2011, searching for family roots in Knockanarroor Townland, located just east of Killarney in County Kerry. Knockanarroor, pronounced “knock-on-a-roar”, is an unmarked dirt road where my Foley family lived and worked before the Great Famine in Ireland. The opening views in the video are on a horse and cart ride through the Gap of Dunloe, Killarney.

Enjoy!
Jannet

View Irish Diaspora Writing Project
View online Profile, Jannet L. Walsh
Jannet L. Walsh at Port Metcalf, the foot of Wolfe Island, Ontario, Canada. Canada to the left, and right is the United States, Dec. 30, 2022, self portrait.

*Jannet L. Walsh of Murdock, Minnesota is a photographer, writer, and educator. She is the author of the forthcoming creative nonfiction quest narrative “Higgledy-Piggledy Stones: Family Stories from Ireland and Minnesota,” scheduled for publication in 2023 by Shanti Arts Publishing. Walsh is recipient of a Southwest Minnesota Arts Council Growth Grant funded by the McKnight Foundation, 2022-2024. You can follow Walsh on Facebook and Twitter, and on her other social media channels, with the hashtag #IrishFamilyHistoryDetective.

Subscribe – Get updates on latest blogs and news from Jannet L. Walsh and her forthcoming book Higgledy-Piggledy Stones: Family Stories from Ireland and Minnesota, scheduled publication 2023, Shanti Arts Publishing.

Irish weather story featured at IrishCentral, April 28, 2023

Four seasons in one day in Ireland, photo above –   Wind and rain on the Dingle Peninsula – Jannet L. Walsh takes a selfportrait at Fahan Beehive Huts, 2018, Ventry, County Kerry, Ireland.

What’s the weather in Ireland? Irish weather talk, forecasting

View story at IrishCentral, What’s the weather in Ireland? Irish weather talk, forecasting

Jannet L. Walsh
April 28, 2023
Murdock, Minnesota

I’m excited to announce my story just published at IrishCentral, What’s the weather in Ireland? Irish weather talk, forecasting, April 28, 2023.

An earlier version of the story appeared at JannetWalsh.com on March 27, 2023.

Enjoy!
Jannet

Wind and rain on the Dingle Peninsula – Jannet L. Walsh takes a selfportrait at Fahan Beehive Huts, 2018, Ventry, County Kerry, Ireland.
View Irish Diaspora Writing Project
View online Profile, Jannet L. Walsh

Jannet L. Walsh of Murdock, Minnesota is a photographer, writer, and educator. She is the author of the forthcoming creative nonfiction quest narrative “Higgledy-Piggledy Stones: Family Stories from Ireland and Minnesota,” scheduled for publication in 2023 by Shanti Arts Publishing. Walsh is recipient of a Southwest Minnesota Arts Council Growth Grant funded by the McKnight Foundation, 2022-2024. You can follow Walsh on Facebook and Twitter, and on her other social media channels, with the hashtag #IrishFamilyHistoryDetective.

Subscribe – Get updates on latest blogs and news from Jannet L. Walsh and her forthcoming book Higgledy-Piggledy Stones: Family Stories from Ireland and Minnesota, scheduled publication 2023, Shanti Arts Publishing.

What’s the weather in Ireland?

Learn a few Irish sayings for possible weather forecasting

Dingle Peninsula
Featured photo above – This is a countryside view on the Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry, Ireland, 2018. Learn more about Dingle, and planning a trip to Ireland at Ireland.com.

Subscribe – Get updates on latest blogs and news from Jannet L. Walsh and her forthcoming book Higgledy-Piggledy Stones: Family Stories from Ireland and Minnesota, scheduled publication 2023, Shanti Arts Publishing.

View story at IrishCentral, April 28, 2023, – What’s the weather in Ireland? Irish weather talk, forecasting

Jannet L. Walsh
March 27, 2023
Murdock, Minnesota USA

What’s the weather in Ireland?

“It’s a soft day.”

Irish weather talk – This refers to the good kind of rain – a gentle mist that makes our green landscape almost glow. Not to be confused with “a dirty old day” – that’s the bad rain.
View at original source, Ireland.com.
“It’s a fine, soft day. – Watch the open scene to the movie The Quiet Man, 1952.

It’s seems most people traveling to Ireland want to know about the weather while preparing for travel. Ireland can have four seasons in one day. Packing clothing to keep dry, like a coat or jacket, umbrella, waterproof boots is needed year round, along with warm layers, or a hat to keep the sun out of your eyes. Just be ready for the weather to change as the day changes, and you will be prepared for Irish weather.

I’ve recently found a page about Irish weather at the official tourism website of Ireland to help answer questions about the changing weather.

Using the Irish weather dial – Visit the weather page at Ireland.com, select the city, and the month, or day range you are interested in exploring! See photo below of the weather the Irish weather dial application.

Go to Ireland.com and find out about the weather year round in Ireland. See link below, with forecast data provided by The Irish Meteorological Service, met.ie

View current and future weather in Ireland at Ireland.com
Weather in Ireland – Go to Ireland.com to see what the weather is around the year in Ireland.
View Irish weather page at JannetWalsh.com

How to talk about weather like the Irish

“The sun is splitting the stones.” The heat from the shy Irish sun soaks into the stones and warms us from the ground up. Often followed by complaints about how it’s almost too hot.

“That wind would cut you in two.” A wind so sharp and so cold, it could actually do harm. This wind often comes from the east, which may explain why so many Irish people are suspicious of the east wind.

“It’s a soft day.” This refers to the good kind of rain – a gentle mist that makes our green landscape almost glow. Not to be confused with “a dirty old day” – that’s the bad rain.

View at original source, Ireland.com.

Weather sayings from Ireland
National Folklore Collection of Ireland

Learn a few antiquated Irish sayings for possible weather forecasting

“If the cat sits near the fire it is a sign of rain.”

ARCHIVAL REFERENCE, The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0208, Page 425, Image and data © National Folklore Collection, University College Dublin. View original source.
Source: ARCHIVAL REFERENCE, The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0208, Page 425, Image and data © National Folklore Collection, University College Dublin. View original source.
  • March winds and April shower brings forth May flowers.
  •  The oak before the ash there will only be a splash. But the ash before the oak there will be a soak.
  • A January Spring is worth nothing.
  •  If the smoke goes through the house it is a sign of rain.
  • If there is a rainbow in the east on Friday it is the sign of a brittle week next week.


    Read more sayings about Irish weather at duchas.ie, National Folklore Collection of Ireland.


Jannet L. Walsh at Port Metcalf, the foot of Wolfe Island, Ontario, Canada. Canada to the left, and right is the United States, Dec. 30, 2022, self portrait.

About the writer – Jannet L. Walsh, of Murdock, Minnesota, is a photographer, writer, and educator. She is the author of the forthcoming creative nonfiction quest narrative “Higgledy-Piggledy Stones: Family Stories from Ireland and Minnesota,” scheduled for publication in 2023 by Shanti Arts Publishing. You can follow Walsh on Facebook and Twitter, and her other social media channels, with hashtag #IrishFamilyHistoryDetective.

Directions for Ireland: Travel and Irish Genealogy

Clydesdale on the Irish Countryside, County Kerry, Ireland
This horse is a Clydesdale measuring 17 hands in height, or about 5 feet 8 inches tall. There are two resident Clydesdales, Ted and Ned, at the Traditional Farm at Muckross House, Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland. Photo by Jannet L. Walsh. Photo taken 2018. ©2023 Jannet L. Walsh. All Rights Reserved.

Subscribe – Get updates on latest blogs and news from Jannet L. Walsh and her forthcoming book Higgledy-Piggledy Stones: Family Stories from Ireland and Minnesota, scheduled publication 2023, Shanti Arts Publishing.

Jannet L. Walsh
March 26, 2023
Murdock, Minnesota USA

Jannet L. Walsh – Photo at Fahan Beehive Huts, 2018, Ventry, County Kerry, Ireland. Learn more at DiscoverIreland.ie.
Jannet L. Walsh – Photo at Fahan Beehive Huts, 2018, Ventry, County Kerry, Ireland.

What are the directions for Ireland?

How might you answer this question? I might say: From North American, Ireland is just east of Gander, Newfoundland, Canada, as an airplane flies, just under 2,000 miles. It all depends your location of origin while traveling to Ireland.

Locate the Island of Ireland

Ireland – Download Map of Ireland as PDF from Irelandcom. More free publications and maps are available at Ireland’s official tourism website.

I encounter many people wanting to quickly figure out their Irish family history or genealogy back to a specific townland or county, several generations removed from migration from the Island of Ireland, yet they have little to no family details. The other group of people I encounter are interested in travel to Ireland, but just don’t know where to start, or not sure where Ireland is located. Irish travel and Irish family history are a topics I love to explore, and write about.

Island of Ireland, two countries:  Ireland and Northern Ireland

There are two countries on the island of Ireland. The country of Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom (UK), is in the northeast corner of the island. The country of Ireland, independent from British rule since 1922, occupies most of the island of Ireland, with a shared border with Northern Island. Ireland – Locate Ireland on Google Maps.

Southern Ireland not a country – It would be wise to avoid referencing the country of Ireland as Southern Ireland as there is no country by that name. The European Union lists Ireland as part of the 27 member countries. Northern Ireland, part of UK, is no longer part of the European Union, after departure on January 31, 2020, according to official Northern Ireland website.

Weather

What’s the weather in Ireland? Go to Ireland.com and find out, link below also in the weather dial. Forecast data provided by The Irish Meteorological Service, met.ie. See recommended packing list and checklist for Irish travel at Ireland.com.

Visit Irish Weather page at JannetWalsh.com
Weather in Ireland – Go to Ireland.com to see what the weather is around the year in Ireland.
Ireland – View near Kerry Airport, 2018, by Janet L. Walsh. Learn about this airport near Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland.

Travel to Ireland

I’ve written on Ireland, including essentials for travel. Ask yourself: Where and what do you wand to do when you go to Ireland? Next, start planning. Please see links below.

Ireland – Travel guides, blog at JannetWalsh.com and beyond

Travel to Ireland – Guide for Irish travel, at JannetWalsh.com
Travel to Ireland essentials, IrishCentral, by Jannet L. Walsh
Ireland, at official tourism website of Ireland
Explore Northern Ireland, Ireland.com
Belfast, Northern Ireland, Ireland.com
Where to go in Ireland, destinations
Things to do in Ireland
Planning trip, how to get to Ireland
Travel checklist for Ireland
Ireland Map at Google
Irish Public Transportation, Ireland.com
Wheelchair and accessibility, Ireland.com
Mobility difficulties, see general information , Transport for Ireland
Irish Rail, travel by train
Irish Bus, Bus Éireann, travel by bus
Irish Ferries, ferries and trains to and from Ireland
Ferries in Ireland, travel in Ireland

Dublin, Ireland

Dublin Map at Google
Dublin, at Ireland.com
Dublin in 72 hours, Ireland.com
Trinity College and Book of the Kells
EPIC – The Irish Emigration Museum, Dublin
National Library Ireland, Family History, Dublin
National Museum of Ireland, Dead Zoo, Natural History, Dublin
National Museum of Ireland, Archaeology, Dublin
St. Stephen’s Green, park in Dublin, Google Maps

Killarney and County Kerry

Killarney Map at Google
Killarney, County Kerry, at Ireland.com
Tours around County Kerry, Deros – Ring of Kerry, Dingle, Slea Head, Killarney, Gap of Dunloe, private tours
Ring of Kerry, at Ireland.com
Dingle Peninsula, at Ireland.com
Killarney National Park horse carriage rides
Jarvey Stand, horse and cart rides, Kenmare Place, Killarney, Google Map
Muckross House, gardens and traditional farms
Kate Kearney’s Cottage, at start of Gap of Dunloe
Gap of Dunloe, Google Map

Cobh, County Cork

Cobh Map at Google
Cobh Heritage Centre
Genealogical Family History Research, Cobh Heritage Centre
St. Colmans Cathedral, Cobh
Titanic Experience Cobh
Deck of Cards Houses, Cobh, Google Map
WatersEdge Hotel, Cobh
Rob Roy Bar, Cobh, home to many American Funerals
Cobh Travel Guide, visitcobh.com

Irish Family History, genealogy

Start your search for Irish ancestors at home, not in Ireland, as you will have very little time to splice together years of lost family history. It’s best to come prepared with specific details of your Irish ancestors, including dates, names and locations, if possible. I’m sharing 10 tips I used to locate family origins in Ireland.


Family Ireland – This is a portrait of Catherine Summers Walsh (1833-1909), and her husband Michael J. Walsh Sr. (1812-1901), great great-grandparents of Jannet L. Walsh of Murdock, Minnesota. Undated photo, late 1890s to early 1900s. The couple married at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, 1857. They had eight children born in Ontario, and baptized on Wolfe Island, Ontario. Learn more about the Irish Canadian family at Walsh ‘s blog.
My top 10 tips for beginning your Irish genealogy search
Search Irish Canadian family history, genealogy
Cobh, Genealogical Family History Research

Frequently, interesting asked questions about Ireland

  • How do I get to Ireland? You will likely arrive by airplane or ferry, unless you are swimming over to the Island of Ireland. There’s many options for transportation when you arrive at Ireland.com. See locations of all airports in Ireland, not just Dublin and Shannon. If you are not sure where to start, contact a reputable travel agent in your area, and one you can visit in person.
  • When in Ireland, what is used most, Euro or US dollar? – (An actual question found on a Facebook group.) The Island of Ireland is not part of the United States, and has two countries and two currencies. In the country of Ireland, the Euro is used, while Northern Ireland uses pound sterling, as part of the United Kingdom. Learn more about currency used in Ireland at Ireland.com.
  • Flights to Ireland – I have questions about my flight, and luggage allowances? Contact your airlines directly with detail provided with your airlines. Here’s a link to Aer Lingus.
  • What can I do with my luggage when I arrive in Dublin or Shannon, and can’t check into my hotel room until later in the day? Check with your hotel or where you renting a room if you can drop your baggage off early. Look at locations you might be able to store luggage in Dublin. This is another reason to pack light with only a carry on bag to less your load.
  • What are all the modes of public transportation for Ireland? See map at Ireland.com, for car, car rental, bus, train, taxi, ferry, bicycle and airplane. Don’t forget walking, and the horses in Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland, and other locations in Ireland.
  • Where should I go when I arrive to Ireland? Start researching actives and places, and begin planning, see Ireland.com.
  • Irish movies – Where can I find locations to movies filmed in Ireland, including The Quiet Man, The Banshees of Inisherin and more? There’s a great list of movies filmed in Ireland at Ireland.com.
  • Is it difficult to drive a car in Ireland? I’d say, no, even if you are use to driving a left-side drive car than a right-side drive car in Ireland. This is something to think about. If in doubt, leave the driving to the professionals, like a taxi driver, bus driver, or train driver, or horse and cart driver. I’ve driven several times in Ireland, but the biggest obstacle to driving a car in Ireland currently is the sky-high rental prices. United States citizens with a valid license, read details at US Embassy Ireland.
  • My grandparents are from Ireland. Can I get an Irish Passport? Find out details at the Department of Foreign Affairs Ireland.
  • What is the weather in Ireland? There is no bad weather or season for travel to Ireland, only poor clothing. Come prepared with rain coat, umbrella, waterproof boots, and layers to keep you warm. Go to Ireland.com, see latest updates on weather.
  • What currency, credit cards, clothing and electronics do I pack for Ireland? See packing checklist by Tourism Ireland.
  • How do I plan for travel to Ireland? Planning, packing, weather, electrical adaptors and more, see travel blog and guide for Ireland. See official travel website to Ireland.
  • Can I get married in Ireland? Find out directly from the official website from the Government of Ireland. See more details on weddings on Ireland.
  • Is Scotland part of Ireland? No, Scotland is not located in Ireland, and is a country part of the United Kingdom, located on the island of Great Britain, not the Island of Ireland. Visit the official travel website of Scotland.
  • How do I find leprechauns in Ireland? I’m not sure, but please let me know, or visit the National Leprechaun Museum, Dublin. There’s no doubt visitors to Ireland are now searching for leprechauns as you read this blog, and trying to catch them!
What fills my 💚 about Ireland?
Jannet L. Walsh at Port Metcalf, the foot of Wolfe Island, Ontario, Canada. Canada to the left, and right is the United States, Dec. 30, 2022, self portrait.

Jannet L. Walsh of Murdock, Minnesota is a photographer, writer, and educator. She is the author of the forthcoming creative nonfiction quest narrative “Higgledy-Piggledy Stones: Family Stories from Ireland and Minnesota,” scheduled for publication in 2023 by Shanti Arts Publishing. Walsh is recipient of a Southwest Minnesota Arts Council Growth Grant funded by the McKnight Foundation, 2022-2024. You can follow Walsh on Facebook and Twitter, and on her other social media channels, with the hashtag #IrishFamilyHistoryDetective.

Luck of the Irish – Tracing the Lineage, Wolfe Island, Ontario, Canada

Irish Canadian American – First born generation in United States
Photo above â€“ Living room, November 1948 Murdock, Minnesota: The late Martin J. Walsh Sr.,(1887-1988) about age 61, at home in Murdock, reading newspapers. He was photographed by his son Martin J. Walsh Jr.,(1924-2008). Martin Sr. is first generation born in the United States. His father, Michael J. Walsh Jr.,( 1858-1929) was born on Wolfe Island, Ontario, Canada, 1858, son of Michael J. Walsh Sr. and Catherine Summers, both of Ireland.  The Walsh family originates from County Kilkenny, Ireland, arriving in Canada, 1842, before migrating to De Graff, Minn., 1877.  The is a copy of original black and white photograph, originally created on black and white negative film. View image at Flickr.

Subscribe – Get updates on latest blogs and news from Jannet L. Walsh and her forthcoming book Higgledy-Piggledy Stones: Family Stories from Ireland and Minnesota, scheduled publication 2023, Shanti Arts Publishing.

TRACING THE LINEAGE – March 18, 2023, West Central Tribune, view story at WCTRIB.com

Jannet L. Walsh
March 18, 2023
Murdock, Minnesota

I’m excited to announce a story written by Brian P. Johnson, retired Captain of the Wolfe Islander III, of Kingston, Ontario, Canada, published today, March 18, 2023, at the West Central Tribune, Willmar, Minnesota. It’s another story about my adventures to Kingston and Wolfe Island, Ontario. This is the first publication of the story in the United States, with earlier versions published in Canada.

Read the story – The story TRACING THE LINEAGE, Murdock’s own’Irish Bard’ finds family roots on Wolfe Island, Ontario by Brian P. Johnson is about searching for my Irish Canadian roots, mid December 2022 to early January 2023. View the story directly at the West Central Tribune, or in document viewer below.

Read TRACING THE LINEAGE at the West Central Tribune, hyperlink
Read TRACING THE LINEAGE at the West Central Tribune, PDF
View previous versions of the ‘Irish Bard’ story published in Canada
Search for your own Irish and Canadian roots, view blog post
March 18 2023 Tracing the Lineage Wolfe Island EDownload
Jannet L. Walsh at Spoor Cottage, Wolfe Island, Ontario, Canada. Walsh spent the Christmas season exploring her family’s forgotten history on Wolfe Island located in the archipelago of the Thousand Islands, near the mainland city of Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Learn about this cottage, and other historic places to stay at Hotel Wolfe Island. (Self portrait by Jannet L. Walsh)

Brian P. Johnson is a past president of the Wolfe Island Historical Society, and an author and storyteller. His family goes back five generations, mid 1840s, on Wolfe Island. Researching his family history is a labor of love as historian and storyteller. He recently retired after 35 years as a captain of the Wolfe Islander III Ferry, and after 40 years with the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, Eastern Region Ferries. Brian has spent more than 50 years as a mariner, and is a certified Master 500 Near Coastal certificate of competency. You should be prepared if you ask him about ferries and Wolfe Island as he has a countless stories to tell.

“When Jannet told me, ‘the whole house was shaking, even my bed,’ it planted a seed. Then trudging through deep snowdrifts to attend Christmas Eve Mass by candlelight, that was the beginning. She also told me about a lady calling out from a porch, ‘Don’t get lost in the forest!’
Here’s a story all right!”

Brian P. Johnson, Facebook page
Brian P. Johnson is a retired captain of the Wolfe Islander III Ferry from Kingston, Ontario, Canada. His forthcoming book Ferry Tales from Wolfe Island is due out in 2023. Connect with Brian at his Facebook page to follow his writing, and book updates.
Brian Johnson: Ferry Tales of Wolfe Island – Watch video about Wolfe Island’s ferry’s by retired ferry captain Brian Johson. Recorded at Fulford House, Brockville, Ontario. Ferry Tales from Wolfe Island. February 2015.

Panoramic view of the village of Marysville on Wolfe Island, Ontario, Canada
by Aerosnapper Kingston.

View this panoramic view of the village of Marysville on Wolfe Island, Ontario, Canada by Aerosnapper Kingston. Here is a direct link to this image.

About Wolfe Island – Wolfe Island is in St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario, almost four miles from the port of Kingston, accessible by ferry, the largest island in the archipelago of the Thousand Islands. 

This 48-square-mile island has been home to several European ethnic groups, cheese factories, and dairy farms, along with a history of fur trading. Wolfe Island is the native homeland of the Tyendinaga Mohawk, kawehnóhkwes tsi kawè:note, meaning Long Island Standing. Wolfe Islanders are completely dependent on access to mainland Canada by the Wolfe Island Ferry III to Kingston, soon to be replaced by a zero-emission ferry, Wolfe Island Ferry IV. Locals reference the journey the ferry takes in the St. Lawrence River as a water road, or Highway H20.

Historic Kingston City Hall, December 22, 2022 – This is a view of the public ice skating rink outside of the Kingston City Hall, listed as a Canadian designated heritage site. Learn more about this historic location at the City of Kingston, Ontario, Canada website.
Family from Canada and Ireland – This is a portrait of Catherine Summers Walsh (1833-1909), and her husband Michael J. Walsh Sr. (1812-1901), great great-grandparents of Jannet L. Walsh of Murdock, Minnesota. Undated photo, late 1890s to early 1900s. The couple married at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, 1857. They had eight children born in Ontario, and baptized on Wolfe Island, Ontario.

This activity is made possible by a grant from the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council with funds from The McKnight Foundation. Learn more about this project writing project, and more details about this grant.

Learn more about the McKnight Foundation
Jannet L. Walsh at Port Metcalf, the foot of Wolfe Island, Ontario, Canada. Canada to the left, and right is the United States, Dec. 30, 2022, self portrait.

Jannet L. Walsh of Murdock, Minnesota is a photographer, writer, and educator. She is the author of the forthcoming creative nonfiction quest narrative “Higgledy-Piggledy Stones: Family Stories from Ireland and Minnesota,” scheduled for publication in 2023 by Shanti Arts Publishing. Walsh is recipient of a Southwest Minnesota Arts Council Growth Grant funded by the McKnight Foundation, 2022-2024. You can follow Walsh on Facebook and Twitter, and on her other social media channels, with the hashtag #IrishFamilyHistoryDetective.

St. Patrick’s Day 2023

Gap of Dunloe, near Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland

Photo above – This is one of ponies that takes passengers through the Gap of Dunloe on a trap or cart in an area called Black Valley, near Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland. Photo taken Christmas day, Dec. 25, 2018 near an old stone barn. Photo by Jannet L. Walsh. Learn more about Shamrock Cottage at their website.

Jannet L. Walsh
March 15, 2023
Murdock, Minnesota

Ireland 1980 – This is Jannet L. Walsh in Killarney, Ireland, standing near Aghadoe Heights Hotel with a view of Innisfallen Island in Lough Leane, part of the Lakes of Killarney. Photo by Paul M. Walsh

The world wants to be Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. The patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick, was born in Britain, or maybe another location, but not Ireland, and is reputed to have driven all the snakes out of Ireland. He’s also famous for using a shamrock to convert the Irish to Christianity. The parts that are fact or legend might never be known. I do know for fact my family has deep Irish roots.

View top 10 tips for Irish genealogy search
View Irish Diaspora Writing Project
Search Irish Surnames, johngrenham.com
Travel to Ireland

In 1980, likely July or August, I was about to be a sophomore at Litchfield High School, Litchfield, Minnesota, on the swimming team, and played the French Horn and Cornet. I posed for a photograph in Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland, standing near Aghadoe Heights Hotel with a view of Innisfallen Island in Lough Leane, part of the Lakes of Killarney. My brother Paul M. Walsh, a college student at St. Cloud State University, snapped the photograph while I was wearing sporty Irish hat, very similar to one I own today. It’s likely the hat came from the nearby Mucros Weavers in Killarney. I know my brother and I both got Aran sweaters at Blarney Woolen Mills during our trip to Ireland.

Walsh Family – Jannet L. Walsh stands at the graves of her Irish born Great Great-Grandparents, De Graff, Minnesota, September 29, 2022. Her Walsh family lived at least 35 years in Kingston and Wolfe Island, Ontario, Canada, after departing Ireland, and before settling as pioneers in Dublin Township, Swift County, Minnesota. Other branches of her Irish family also lived in Canada before migrating to the United States.

Photos from my first trip with family have recently been recovered, and I’ve received a photograph I was not first able to determine the exact location around the Lake of Killarney, first thinking the location was at the Europe Hotel where my family stayed. I even reached out to numerous local Irish folks including McCarthy’s Killarney Carriage Rides for help to determine that exact location. In 2014, I had made a video with Martin McCarthy around Killarney National Park, Irish Jaunting Tour, certainly a jaunting driver could help me locate a scenic location in Killarney!

The photo was taken a life time ago, and I’ve since visited Ireland a total of five times, and found my family’s origins in County Kerry. Where I was standing in 1980 near the Aghadoe Heights Hotel, I’d learn in 2018, I was approximately three miles from were my family lived in Dromkerry Townland, with a view of the Gap of Dunloe.

Gap of Dunloe, January 2019

My late father visited Killarney in 1953, the first known member of our family to return to Ireland, but didn’t have the change to see where our family lived in the 1800s. Read his story, and view vintage Kodachromes.

IrishCentral – This story is featured at IrishCentral, June 27, 2022. View Seeing Ireland through my father’s vintage Kodachrome images at IrishCentral.

In 2018, I stayed at Crosstown Cottage, with the Horgan family near Killarney. They would join me in my adventure to connect with Ireland, and the Irish people in ways I could only dream about. The family joined me when I discovered my family’s origins in remote County Kerry.

The Horgan family near Killarney – View their cottage.

Irish travel – If you are interested in travel to Ireland, here’s my travel page.

Irish Genealogy – Searching for your Irish roots? Here’s my top 10 tips blog!

Irish Canadian Genealogy – Did your Irish ancestors stop in Canada before migrating to the United States or beyond? Read blog on resources for searching for Irish Canadian ancestors.

IrishCentral Stories – See my stories published at IrishCentral on Irish travel, culture, and genealogy.

Wishing you a happy St. Patrick’s Day 2023!

Jannet L. Walsh

About Video – This is a guided tour by jaunting car, a traditional horse drawn carriage, by Martin McCarthy of Killarney, Ireland. McCarthy is called a jarvey, a jaunting car driver. He gives visitors guided tours in the Killarney National Park, area lakes, Muckross House and more, sharing history and folklore in the traditional Irish taxi. The jaunting car is pulled by Jessie, a gelding Gypsy Vanner Horse. McCarthy also operates a bed and breakfast at his home called Shepherds Lodge. The commute to work is easy as he keeps his horses at his home and drives his jaunting car to Killarney’s jaunting car center where tourists can take a ride or can also be picked up at their hotels. Family photographs are included of my Irish family, originating from Killarney. Video shot Jan. 29 to Feb. 8, 2014 Killarney, Ireland Dublin, Ireland. Learn more about McCarthy’s Killarney Carriage Rides at Facebook.

Jannet L. Walsh at Port Metcalf, the foot of Wolfe Island, Ontario, Canada. Canada to the left, and right is the United States, Dec. 30, 2022, self portrait.

Jannet L. Walsh of Murdock, Minnesota is a photographer, writer, and educator. She is the author of the forthcoming creative nonfiction quest narrative “Higgledy-Piggledy Stones: Family Stories from Ireland and Minnesota,” scheduled for publication in 2023 by Shanti Arts Publishing. Walsh is recipient of a Southwest Minnesota Arts Council Growth Grant funded by the McKnight Foundation, 2022-2024. You can follow Walsh on Facebook and Twitter, and on her other social media channels, with the hashtag #IrishFamilyHistoryDetective.

Subscribe – Get updates on latest blogs and news from Jannet L. Walsh and her forthcoming book Higgledy-Piggledy Stones: Family Stories from Ireland and Minnesota, scheduled publication 2023, Shanti Arts Publishing.

Search for Irish Canadian ancestors, Irish genealogy tips

Irish Canadian Roots

Photo above –Jannet L. Walsh at Port Metcalf, the foot of Wolfe Island, Ontario, Canada. Canada to the left, and right is the United States, Dec. 30, 2022, self portrait. Read related stories about Jannet’s Irish Diaspora writing project.

Jannet L. Walsh
March 14, 2023
Murdock, Minnesota

I’m sharing a listing of resources for searching for Irish Canadian ancestors. If you are searching for your roots in Ireland, here are my top 10 tips for Irish genealogy to help get you started.

View top 10 tips for Irish genealogy search
View Irish Diaspora Writing Project
Search Irish Surnames, johngrenham.com

Enjoy!

Jannet

Resources to search for Irish and Canadian ancestors

* Irish Immigration to Canada, learn more at The Canadian Encyclopedia online

* Google Search – Simply do a Google search, or use another search engine, to locate Canadian genealogy documents, and see what you find. Try to be specific, with names, dates, location and other details. Here is the search for the Wolfe Island documents I found using key terms of Wolfe Island, Ontario, Canada, and Baptism Records.

Wolfe Island, Ontario, Canada – Jannet L. Walsh waves to passersby from Spoor House built about 1870, located on Main Street in Marysville village on Wolfe Island, Ontario, Canada. Walsh spent the Christmas season exploring her family’s forgotten history on Wolfe Island located in the archipelago of the Thousand Islands, near the mainland city of Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Learn about this cottage, and other historic places to stay at Hotel Wolfe Island. (Self portrait by Jannet L. Walsh)

* FamilySearch – Start searching at FamilySearch.org for genealogy records. This is the site I found marriage records to my Great Great-Grandparents in at the Cathedral in Kingston dating back to 1857, and baptism records on Wolfe Island, Ontario. You might be able to search, but will need a free account to view and download documents.

* Free resources – You will find numerous non-subscription databases at the National Archives, Washington, DC. Look at listing for state archives offering free access to paid resources. You might already have access in your city, county or state as part of public services and resources.

* Irish Genealogy Toolkit by Clair Santry, has impressive and comprehensive resources of Canadian immigration resources, view her website.

* Ancestry is a very helpful resource for searching for genealogy, and requires a paid membership. Check with your local libraries, historical societies and museums offering free access in your local area.

Archives, Canadian immigration

Irish Canadian Family – This is a collection of Irish Canadian family photographs by author Jannet L. Walsh. Learn more about the photo in the center of the collection of Catherine Summers Walsh (1833-1909), and her husband Michael J. Walsh Sr. (1812-1901), great great-grandparents of Jannet L. Walsh of Murdock, Minnesota. Undated photo, late 1890s to early 1900s.

Canadian Provinces, search by locations – See FamilySearch, select Places within Canada, and see listing by topics. Searching by location is to find detail to a specific location, see search at FamilySearch website, sign in to search.

Library and Archives Canada – Learn how to begin genealogy search, research by topic and place, research tools, links, and how to get help. Read details at Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

National Archives Ireland – Genealogy services free in person in Dublin and online, census records, resources, glossary, digitized collections and more. Read details at website of National Archives Ireland.

Nova Scotia Immigrants to 1867, Volume 2 – Available for download at Google Books, and other resources. View details at FamilySearch.com.

Ontario, Canada Roman Catholic Records – Search records by counties at FamilySearch for church records from 1760 to 1923, view search.

Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec, Canada, 1832-1837, search records at Library and Archives Canada.

The New Brunswick Irish Portal, listing of databases from the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, Canada, search website

Victoria Harbour – Author Jannet L. Walsh, standing on upper level of city parking building with Victoria Harbour in background, Victoria, BC, Canada, Aug. 17, 2019. | Photo by Bethany Schmidt, used with permission.

Census Records, Canadian

Canadian Census records at FamilySearch, 1881 to 1901, search collection.

Canadian Census records, 1825 to 1926, search records at Library and Archives Canada.

Canadian Births and Baptism, 1661-1959, search at FamilySearch

Canadian Marriages 1661-1949, search at FamilySearch

Canadian Deaths and Burials, 1664-1955, search at FamilySearch

Passenger Lists

The Ships List, Irish passenger lists from Ireland to Canada, 1823 – 1825, see Peter Robinson Setters from Cork to Canada.

Passenger lists for Port Quebec City and other Canadian Ports, 1865-1922, search records at Library and Archies Canada.

Canadian Passenger Lists, 1881-1922, search at FamilySearch

Immigrant Ships Transcriber Guild, listing of ships dating be the 1700s, search listing

Wolfe Island and Kingston, Ontario

Wolfe Island Historical Society, view website, and learn more this society devoted to the preservation and promotion of Wolfe Island history.

History of Wolfe Island, Wolfe Island’s roots date back to 1675 by Floyd Patterson, The Kingston Whig Standard.

Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Wolfe Island, Ontario Canada – Index to baptisms, 1833 to 1910, see The Island: Sacred Heart baptisms, Wolfe Island website.

Wolfe Island, Frontenac County, Ontario index cemeteries, census records, church records, genealogy, history, land and property, see FamilySearch Catalog, keywords Canada, Ontario, Frontenac.

Church records, Ontario and including Kingston, see Frontenac County, at FamilySearch

This activity is made possible by a grant from the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council with funds from The McKnight Foundation. Learn more about this project writing project, and more details about this grant.

Learn more about the McKnight Foundation
Jannet L. Walsh at Port Metcalf, the foot of Wolfe Island, Ontario, Canada. Canada to the left, and right is the United States, Dec. 30, 2022, self portrait.

Jannet L. Walsh of Murdock, Minnesota is a photographer, writer, and educator. She is the author of the forthcoming creative nonfiction quest narrative “Higgledy-Piggledy Stones: Family Stories from Ireland and Minnesota,” scheduled for publication in 2023 by Shanti Arts Publishing. Walsh is recipient of a Southwest Minnesota Arts Council Growth Grant funded by the McKnight Foundation, 2022-2024. You can follow Walsh on Facebook and Twitter, and on her other social media channels, with the hashtag #IrishFamilyHistoryDetective.

Subscribe – Get updates on latest blogs and news from Jannet L. Walsh and her forthcoming book Higgledy-Piggledy Stones: Family Stories from Ireland and Minnesota, scheduled publication 2023, Shanti Arts Publishing.

‘Irish Bard’ finds family roots on Wolfe Island by Brian P. Johnson, Thousand Islands Life

Wolfe Island – Looking for lost Walsh Farm, Lot A, 100 acres, 1850-1877

Photo above – Jannet L. Walsh, of Murdock, Minnesota, walks at the entrance to a farm her family once called home about 1850 to 1877, on Wolfe Island, Ontario Canada. Walsh explored her Irish Canadian roots during the Christmas season 2022, and early January 2023, on Wolfe Island, the largest island of the archipelago of the Thousands Island located in the St. Lawerence River and Lake Ontario. Self portrait taken December 28, 2022.

View related story with resources for searching for Irish Canadian Roots!

Subscribe – Get updates on latest blogs and news from Jannet L. Walsh and her forthcoming book Higgledy-Piggledy Stones: Family Stories from Ireland and Minnesota, scheduled publication 2023, Shanti Arts Publishing.

Jannet L. Walsh at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Wolfe Island, Ontario, Canada, December 28, 2022.

Jannet L. Walsh
February 14, 2023
Murdock, Minnesota

I’m excited to announce a story written by Brian P. Johnson, retired Captain of the Wolfe Islander III, of Kingston, Ontario, Canada, published today online at Thousand Islands Life, Feb. 15, 2023. It’s another story about my adventures to Kingston and Wolfe Island, Ontario.

Read story – Go to ‘Irish Bard’ Finds Family Roots on Wolfe Island and start reading. You can also view story below in the document reader if needed. Please read more about the online Thousand Islands Life publication at their website, and view additional stories.

Irish Bard Feb 15 2023 Thousand Islands Life, Family Roots on Wolfe IslandDownload

About the story, writer Brian P. Johnson – The story ‘Irish Bard’ Finds Family Roots on Wolfe Island is about my visit to Kingston and Wolfe Island, Ontario, and the search for my Irish Canadian roots, mid December 2022 to early January 2023.

View “Irish Bard’ story By Brian P. Johnson at Thousand Island Life website.
Brian P. Johnson stands at the Irish cross at An Gorta Mor Park, memorial for the Irish Famine, located on the shores of the St. Lawerence River, Kingston, Ontario, December 22, 2022. Learn about Kingston’s Irish Famine victims at the website of Kingston General Hospital.
Brian P. Johnson, author of forthcoming book Ferry Tales from Wolfe Island, 2023. Connect with Johnson at Facebook.

Brian P. Johnson is a past president of the Wolfe Island Historical Society, and an author and storyteller. His family goes back five generations, mid 1840s, on Wolfe Island. Researching his family history is a labor of love as historian and storyteller. He recently retired after 35 years as a captain of the Wolfe Islander III Ferry, and after 40 years with the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, Eastern Region Ferries. Brian has spent more than 50 years as a mariner, and is a certified Master 500 Near Coastal certificate of competency. You should be prepared if you ask him about ferries and Wolfe Island as he has a countless stories to tell.

Read more of Johnson’s writing at Thousand Islands Life, and additional back issues, along with his short stories. He edited the book Growing up on Wolfe Island with Sarah Sorensen, a collection of oral histories, and is working on a forthcoming book Ferry Tales from Wolfe Island. Connect with Brian at his Facebook page to follow his writing, and book updates.

Old Sacred Heart Catholic Catholic Cemetery on Wolfe Island is the burial place to Bridget Moran, family member of Jannet L. Walsh. Bridget died in 1857, and was second wife of Michael J. Walsh Sr., great-great grandfather of Jannet. Photo taken December 27, 2022.

About Wolfe Island – Wolfe Island is in St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario, almost four miles from the port of Kingston, accessible by ferry, the largest island in the archipelago of the Thousand Islands. 

Wolfe Islander III Ferry – December 27, 2022, at Dawson’s Point, Wolfe Island, Ontario, Canada.

This 48-square-mile island has been home to several European ethnic groups, cheese factories, and dairy farms, along with a history of fur trading. Wolfe Island is the native homeland of the Tyendinaga Mohawk, kawehnóhkwes tsi kawè:note, meaning Long Island Standing. Wolfe Islanders are completely dependent on access to mainland Canada by the Wolfe Island Ferry III to Kingston, soon to be replaced by a zero-emission ferry, Wolfe Island Ferry IV. Locals reference the journey the ferry takes in the St. Lawrence River as a water road, or Highway H20.

Queen’s University – This is a view of the the W. D. Jordan Rare Books and Special Collections in the historic Douglas Library at Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Archival copies of Wolfe Island’s newspaper The Island Gazette rests in a special book book cradle for viewing, December 20, 2022. Learn more about the Douglas Library online.
Jannet L .Walsh, left, with Shauna Kingstone, president of the Wolfe Island Historical Society, January 1, 2023, Kingston, Ontario.

Wolfe Island Historical Society – There has been tremendous support from the Wolfe Island Historical Society for this writing project starting in 2022. You can read more about the historical society on Wolfe Island at their website.

Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Wolfe Island, Ontario Canada – The Rev. Fr. James Quirk, pastor of the Roman Catholic church on Wolfe Island, extinguishes candles at Sacred Heart after daily Mass while ladies from the parish pray the Rosary, December 27, 2022.
Looking for Walsh Farm, Lot A – Wolfe Islander Brian McDonald, resident genealogist with the Wolfe Island Historical Society, walks on 7th Line Road and north of Baseline Road, Wolfe Island, trying to located the northern and southern borders of what was once called the Walsh farm, Lot A, 100 acres. The farm was leased by Michael J. Walsh Sr., great-great-grandfather of Jannet L. Walsh, about 1850-1877. Photo taken December 21, 2022.

This activity is made possible by a grant from the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council with funds from The McKnight Foundation. Learn more about this project writing project, and more details about this grant.

Learn more about the McKnight Foundation
Jannet L. Walsh at Port Metcalf, the foot of Wolfe Island, Ontario, Canada. Canada to the left, and right is the United States, Dec. 30, 2022, self portrait.

Jannet L. Walsh of Murdock, Minnesota is a photographer, writer, and educator. She is the author of the forthcoming creative nonfiction quest narrative “Higgledy-Piggledy Stones: Family Stories from Ireland and Minnesota,” scheduled for publication in 2023 by Shanti Arts Publishing. Walsh is recipient of a Southwest Minnesota Arts Council Growth Grant funded by the McKnight Foundation, 2022-2024. You can follow Walsh on Facebook and Twitter, and on her other social media channels, with the hashtag #IrishFamilyHistoryDetective.

Subscribe – Get updates on latest blogs and news from Jannet L. Walsh and her forthcoming book Higgledy-Piggledy Stones: Family Stories from Ireland and Minnesota, scheduled publication 2023, Shanti Arts Publishing.

‘Irish Bard’ finds family roots on Wolfe Island by Brian P. Johnson

Subscribe – Get updates on latest blogs and news from Jannet L. Walsh and her forthcoming book Higgledy-Piggledy Stones: Family Stories from Ireland and Minnesota, scheduled publication 2023, Shanti Arts Publishing.

Christmas snow storm, blizzard on Wolfe Island, Ontario Canada, photo above – Jannet L. Walsh waves to passersby from Spoor House built about 1870, located on Main Street in Marysville village on Wolfe Island, Ontario, Canada. Walsh spent the Christmas season exploring her family’s forgotten history on Wolfe Island located in the archipelago of the Thousand Islands, near the mainland city of Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Learn about this cottage, and other historic places to stay at Hotel Wolfe Island. (Self portrait by Jannet L. Walsh)

Jannet L. Walsh
February 11, 2023
Murdock, Minnesota

I’m excited to announce a story written by Brian P. Johnson, retired Captain of the Wolfe Islander III, of Kingston, Ontario, Canada, published today in The Kingston Whig-Standard newspaper, Feb. 11, 2023.
Read story – Click to download and read story as PDF, below in document viewer, or as a photo at bottom of this blog post.



Direct link to Kingston Whig-Standard: Read story at Kingston Whig-Standard

Irish Bard Story by Brian Johnson Feb 11 2023 Kingston Whig-StandardDownload

Irish Canadian genealogy resources

Note: Searching on FamilySearch requires registration for free account.

Canadian Census Records
Grosse-Île Quarantine Station, 1832-1937
Irish Canadian ancestors, passenger lists and more – see related blog post
Canada Online Genealogy Records – Birth, marriage, death, immigration, military, naturalization, newspapers, obituaries, periodicals, probate, taxation, voter lists
1760-1923 Ontario, Canada, Roman Catholic Records
Frontenac County, Ontario – Kingston, Wolfe Island and more

Brian was very kind and offered to picked me up at the VIA Rail Canada train station in Kingston, December 19, 2022, and helped me find my footing in Canada. He had no idea I’d have a lot of luggage for my expedition, and I came packed with a lot of enthusiasm to discover my roots on Wolfe Island during one of the worst recorded snow storms on the island in forty years. I wanted an authentic Wolfe Island Christmas, and that’s exactly what I received. I was cut off from mainland Canada and the United States when the ferry was taken out of service, and most of the island lost power.

Wolfe Islander III Ferry – December 27, 2022, at Dawson’s Point, Wolfe Island, Ontario Canada

About the story, writer – The story ‘Irish Bard’ finds family roots on Wolfe Island is about my visit to Kingston and Wolfe Island, Ontario, and the search for my Irish Canadian roots, mid December 2022 to early January 2023.

Brian P. Johnson, retired Captain of the Wolfe Islander III, of Kingston, Ontario, Canada, at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Kingston.

Brian Johnson is a past president of the Wolfe Island Historical Society, and an author and storyteller. His family goes back five generations, mid 1840s, on Wolfe Island. Researching his family history is a labor of love as historian and storyteller. He recently retired after 35 years as a captain of the Wolfe Islander III Ferry, and after 40 years with the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, Eastern Region Ferries. Brian has spent more than 50 years as a mariner, and is a certified Master 500 Near Coastal certificate of competency. You should be prepared if you ask him about ferries and Wolfe Island as he has a countless stories to tell.

Read more of Johnson’s writing at Thousand Islands Life, and additional back issues, along with his short stories. He edited the book Growing up on Wolfe Island with Sarah Sorensen, a collection of oral histories, and is working on a forthcoming book Ferry Tales from Wolfe Island. You can connect with Brian at his Facebook page to follow his writing, and book updates.


Brian P. Johnson, retired Captain of the Wolfe Islander III, of Kingston, Ontario, Canada, at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Kingston.

About Wolfe Island – Wolfe Island is in St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario, almost four miles from the port of Kingston, accessible by ferry, the largest island in the archipelago of the Thousand Islands. 

This 48-square-mile island has been home to several European ethnic groups, cheese factories, and dairy farms, along with a history of fur trading. Wolfe Island is the native homeland of the Tyendinaga Mohawk, kawehnóhkwes tsi kawè:note, meaning Long Island Standing. Wolfe Islanders are completely dependent on access to mainland Canada by the Wolfe Island Ferry III to Kingston, soon to be replaced by a zero-emission ferry, Wolfe Island Ferry IV. Locals reference the journey the ferry takes in the St. Lawrence River as a water road, or Highway H20.

Wolfe Island Essentials

Hotel Wolfe Island is a venue for live music. Learn more at Hotel Wolfe Island for live music events.
Christmas Eve 2022 at Spoor House, Wolfe Island, Ontario Canada

The island is known for human smuggling in the 1800s, part of the Underground Railroad helping enslaved African American find freedom. There were numerous smuggling schemes between Canada and the United States; while today a Wind Farm of 86 wind turbines generate energy for use beyond the island.

Irish Canadian Roots – My Walsh family, originally from County Kilkenny, Ireland, departed in 1842 before the Great Famine of 1845-1852. They traveled first to Canada, before settling in the northern United States. Also factoring into their departure were anti-Irish sentiments, religious discrimination, and loss of culture and language that riddled the island of Ireland by British invasion and rule for several centuries.

The island of Ireland today includes the country of Ireland, achieving independence in 1922, and Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom.  My extended Walsh family migrated by ships, often disease-infested, across the Atlantic Ocean to Ontario, Canada, before heading to Minnesota. They settled in the Swift County farming community in Dublin Township, where I now reside.

Johnny O’Shea is the storyteller of Wolfe Island, referred to as a bard. His family ran a dairy and cheese factory on the island, and originally from County Kerry, Ireland, arriving about 1846 to Wolfe Island.

I am the first known member of my family in 146 years to return to Wolfe Island, Ontario (December 18, 2022, to January 2, 2023). My Great Grandfather Michael J. Walsh Jr., born on Wolfe Island in 1858, arrived with his family in De Graff, Minnesota, on his 19 birthday, Oct. 14 or 15, 1877. He was part of a Minnesota colony designed to help disenfranchised immigrants become farmers. The late Archbishop John Ireland of the Catholic Diocese of St. Paul, Minnesota, selected my family – one of 4,000 immigrant families — to live in the first of his ten colonies. Nativist prejudice, including anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic sentiments, were common then, especially on the East Coast of the United States. The rural setting helped my family to thrive; my family is honored to say we are Archbishop Ireland’s people.

This activity is made possible by a grant from the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council with funds from The McKnight Foundation. Learn more about this project writing project, and more details about this grant.

Learn more about the McKnight Foundation
Jannet L. Walsh – View from Port Metcalf, the foot of Wolfe Island, Ontario, Canada, Dec. 30, 2022. Self portrait taken with trigger and travel Gitzo tripod. Canada is located to the left, and United States to right, standing on the edge of Canada.

Jannet L. Walsh of Murdock, Minnesota is a photographer, writer, and educator. She is the author of the forthcoming creative nonfiction quest narrative “Higgledy-Piggledy Stones: Family Stories from Ireland and Minnesota,” scheduled for publication in 2023 by Shanti Arts Publishing. Walsh is recipient of a Southwest Minnesota Arts Council Growth Grant funded by the McKnight Foundation, 2022-2024. You can follow Walsh on Facebook and Twitter, and on her other social media channels, with the hashtag #IrishFamilyHistoryDetective.

Subscribe – Get updates on latest blogs and news from Jannet L. Walsh and her forthcoming book Higgledy-Piggledy Stones: Family Stories from Ireland and Minnesota, scheduled publication 2023, Shanti Arts Publishing.

Irish Canadian story featured at IrishCentral, October 6, 2022

Wedding 1915 – Irish, Canadian and American, photo above – A formal wedding photograph of Mary Jannet “Jennie” Foley Walsh, left seated, with husband Martin J. Walsh Sr., Murdock, Minnesota, standing left. They are joined by Mary Ann “Maime” Foley Walsh, sister of the bride, and Henry L. Walsh, brother of the bride. The wedding was Nov, 4, 1915, Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Murdock, Minnesota. Mary Ann and Henry married Jan. 8, 1919.

Searching for my 150-year-old Irish family records in Ontario, Canada

Read story at IrishCentral:
Searching for my 150-year-old Irish family records in Ontario

Jannet L. Walsh
October 6, 2022
Murdock, Minnesota

I’m excited to announce my story just published at IrishCentral, Searching for my 150-year-old Irish family records in Ontario. My story is featured on the Home, Roots, and Genealogy pages of IrishCentral, October 6, 2022.

An earlier version of the story appeared at JannetWalsh.com on Aug. 16, 2022.

View Irish Diaspora Writing Project

Irish Diaspora Writing Project – The online nonfiction quest narrative genre writing project of Jannet L. Walsh, of Murdock, Minnesota, entitled Nonfiction Quest Narrative Genre Writing Project – Family Stories: Minnesota and Irish Diaspora . Walsh is a recipient of a Southwest Minnesota Arts Council, SMCA, Artist Growth Grant, 2022 – 2024. Funding for this program is provided by the McKnight Foundation. Minnesota thrives when its artists thrive. The McKnight Foundation supports working artists to create and contribute to vibrant communities. Learn more about this project at the project page, Irish Diaspora Project at JannetWalsh.com.

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Project Hashtags

  • #IrishDiasporaSMACMcKnight 
  • #IrishFamilyHistoryDetective  

Jannet L. Walsh of Murdock, Minnesota is a photographer, writer, and educator. She is the author of the forthcoming creative nonfiction quest narrative “Higgledy-Piggledy Stones: Family Stories from Ireland and Minnesota,” scheduled for publication in 2023 by Shanti Arts Publishing. Walsh is recipient of a Southwest Minnesota Arts Council Growth Grant funded by the McKnight Foundation, 2022-2024. You can follow Walsh on Facebook and Twitter, and on her other social media channels, with the hashtag #IrishFamilyHistoryDetective.

Subscribe – Get updates on latest blogs and news from Jannet L. Walsh and her forthcoming book Higgledy-Piggledy Stones: Family Stories from Ireland and Minnesota, scheduled publication 2023, Shanti Arts Publishing.

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