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The First World War would bind their names not to profit or loss, but to memory, and to the families still tracing their stories today. This is the story of the very first Pals battalion – the 10th (Service) Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers, City of London Regiment. Your country needs you: Better known as the Stockbrokers’ Battalion, the 10th Royal Fusiliers was raised in August 1914 during those first urgent weeks of the First World War when Britain called for volunteers.…

When Findmypast’s research specialist and expert genealogist, Jen Baldwin, began tracing her 4x great‑grandfather Archibald MacKenzie, she uncovered a story rooted in two places profoundly shaped by the Great Famine: Macroom, County Cork and Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. Through family history records like census returns and newspaper reports, Jen stitched together a picture of what the Famine felt like to the communities who lived through it. One town’s catastrophe became another’s transformation. This is their shared story. Before the Famine took:

Billed as a Succession-esque historical drama, Netflix’s House of Guinness dives into the saga behind one of Ireland’s most famous dynasties – the Guinness family, who founded the Guinness Brewery way back in the mid-1700s.Like a pint settled just right, the Guinness story balances bitterness and sweetness, heritage and change. But how much of this dramatic eight-episode series is grounded in fact? Were the Guinness siblings really as divided as the series suggests?Let’s delve into the records and…

There is a perception among many that Ireland has always been an entirely Roman Catholic country. Certainly, in 1961, 95% of the population of the Republic of Ireland stated they were Catholic. This connection had been consciously reinforced by the fledgling Irish Free State following independence in 1922.It was underlined by the partition that divided the country in two, leaving a rump province of Northern Ireland within the United Kingdom, defined as much by its Protestant faith as by its loyalty to…

Over Ireland’s history, famine and hardship has forced countless families to make heartwrenching goodbyes, as loved ones travelled overseas to chase new fortunes in foreign lands.  The Irish story is one of migration and resilience. This is reflected in a fact that may surprise you: more people of Irish heritage live outside of Ireland than within it. Over 80 million people worldwide claim Irish ancestry.  Whether they fled the devastation of the Great Famine or sought out religious freedom overseas, your…

Bitter religious conflict. Economic hardship. Land dispossession. A thriving literary and musical culture, and the endurance of strong family ties. Ireland’s history is made up of dramatic episodes and strong community spirit alike.   Our Irish ancestors' lives were full of ups and downs – from the joyous baptism of a new family member to wartime deaths and looming poverty, they lived through life events, big and small.   Although less than seven million people live in Ireland, more than 90 million people globally…

In the modern age of Google and Wikipedia, taking a book out of the library to find the answer to your burning questions may seem like a thing of the past. However, whilst online genealogical resources are great, sometimes a good family history book is all you need. From establishing a clear timeline and a pedigree chart to tracing female ancestors with changing surnames, all manner of tricky challenges face genealogists and family historians when they begin building the branches…

Perhaps it’s a sibling enthralled by tales of battlefield strategy, or a friend already immersed in the labyrinthine alleys of family history. Whatever the case, this Christmas, you can give more than a gift: you can give a key to the past.With Findmypast’s treasure trove of records, your gift can spark journeys that thread through generations. Who knows what secrets, surprises, or long-lost relatives are waiting to be discovered?To help you in your hunt for the perfect Christmas…

The Irish War of Independence raged from January 1919 until July 1921. It pitted the Irish Republican Army (IRA) against British soldiers and ultimately ended with the Anglo-Irish Treaty and the formation of the Irish Free State.Some of the most famous names in Irish history were at the forefront of the struggle for independence - Michael Collins, Arthur Griffith and Eamon De Valera. But everyday people also became embroiled in the conflict.Was your family involved? What was life like for them?…

As a first-generation Australian on my father's side, I grew up not knowing my Irish family history. In my late twenties, I eventually met some Irish cousins and discovered that our grandfather had been murdered. It was the first I had heard of it. Information was sketchy and it was another 30 years before I discovered all the detail in Findmypast's online Irish newspapers. Search for stories in our newspapers and publications: Explore millions of digitised pages of newspapers and other…