The Hard Shoulder Looking up your family Tree
Aug 20, 2025
Marais O'Sullivan, a passionate genealogy enthusiast and Producer of Talking History on Newstalk, dives into the fascinating journey of tracing Irish ancestry. She shares personal anecdotes about connecting with her grandmother and utilizing tools like Ancestry.com. Marais discusses the excitement of discovering family dynamics through historical records and DNA testing. Additionally, she highlights the challenges of accessing Irish records while stressing the importance of preserving family histories and engaging with the community to keep ancestral stories alive.
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Childhood Start Sparked Lifelong Hobby
- Marais O'Sullivan started genealogy aged about 12 by recording memories from his great-granduncle Jimmy.
- That early family chart led him to expand records later on Ancestry and official sources.
Start With What You Know And Verify
- Do input the information you already know and then verify it against multiple sources.
- Use both free records and paid databases like Ancestry to confirm details.
Family Tales Tested Against Census Records
- Jimmy told Marais about two sets of triplets and three sets of twins, which he then checked in the census.
- Looking at the 1901 and 1911 census helped separate family fact from family lore.