MICHAEL DWYER 200

Michael Dwyer 200 is a two-day event commemorating the 200^th anniversary of the death of the renowned “Wicklow Chief,” Michael Dwyer, leader of the 1798 rebellion. This Heritage Week event is scheduled for 23^rd and 24^th August in Glenmalure, Co. Wicklow.

Join us on Saturday, 23^rd August for a one-day seminar that explores Dwyer’s legacy. The program will feature talks focusing on his early life in the Glen of Imaal, his role in the 1798 rebellion, the aftermath of the rebellion, his exile to Australia in 1806, and his significant legacy within the Irish community in Australia until his death in 1825.

The guest speakers include:

• Carmel O’Toole, Local Historian, Glenmalure Resident, and Author
• Dr. Ruan O’Donnell, University of Limerick, who has written several historical books, including a biography of Michael Dwyer
• Dr. Perry McIntyre, Australian Historian and expert genealogist
• Dr. Joan Kavanagh, Author and Historian.

Following speeches from our distinguished guests, we will unveil a specially commissioned piece in memory of Michael Dwyer on this significant anniversary. This full-day event will take place in the grounds next to Glenmalure Lodge.

On Sunday, 24^th August we will host a guided bus tour starting in Glenmalure. This tour will explore sites associated with Michael Dwyer, including Barravore Valley, The Military Road, Dwyer/McAlister Cottage, The Glen of Imaal, Rathdangan, and Dunlavin villages. This tour is organised in partnership with West Wicklow, Rathdangan and Donard Historical Societies, providing a unique opportunity to discover locations and stories related to Dwyer, along with a “Living History” performance.

In conjunction with these events, an educational pack on the Leaders of the Rebellion has been reimagined through Wicklow County Council Archives and will be distributed to all secondary schools throughout the county.

Additionally, a recently launched four-part podcast series on the history of The Military Road, curated by Fin Dwyer and Wicklow County Council Heritage Office, offers excellent context for the Michael Dwyer 200 commemorations. This podcast is available from the Irish History Podcast at https://shows.acast.com/irishhistory/episodes/irelands-bandit-country-the-wicklow-military-road.

Cathaoirleach of Arklow Municipal District Cllr. Miriam Murphy, commented, “It is wonderful that Arklow Municipal District, Wicklow County Council, and the organising committee have coordinated this important program of events. I am grateful to all who have contributed their time and expertise to make this program a success, especially the local communities who treasure and preserve the history of their localities.”

Chief Executive of Wicklow County Council Emer O’Gorman, stated, “Wicklow County Council is proud to support the Michael Dwyer 200 commemoration program, honouring our famous 1798 Rebellion leader, Michael Dwyer, and marking this important period in our county’s history. I look forward to the events that will be held in August in Glenmalure.”

 Cllr. Pat Kennedy, Chairperson of the Michael Dwyer 200 Committee, remarked, “I am proud of the program developed to remember and honor our own Michael Dwyer. This program began with an under-13 GAA match—the inaugural Michael Dwyer Memorial Cup—and has evolved into a two-day event featuring guest lectures, the unveiling of a specially commissioned monument, a tour of Dwyer landmarks, and a re-enactment event.”

These events will be an integral part of Wicklow County Council’s Heritage Week program, and we are grateful for the funding contribution from The Heritage Council for the Sunday tour as part of the County Wicklow Heritage Plan.

To book your place, please visit the Eventbrite links below:

• Saturday, August 23rd: One Day Seminar (full day event) https://www.eventbrite.com/e/michael-dwyer-200-saturday-23rd-august-registration-1358221520129?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile
• Sunday, August 24th: Guided Bus Tour (full day event) https://www.eventbrite.com/e/michael-dwyer-200-sunday-24th-august-2025-tickets-1422035810389?aff=ebdsshcopyurl&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=organizer-profile&utm-share-source=organizer-profile

For further information, please email arklowmd@wicklowcoco.ie.

Don’t miss out on our special offer running now – 20% off a twelve month subscription!

Why take out a subscription to Roots Ireland?

RootsIreland have the most complete and most accurate set of Roman Catholic church records online, as well as millions of Protestant records, civil records, census records, headstone inscriptions and census substitutes. Our index is easily searchable and has features such as standardised surname and forename searches which make your searches even more user-friendly.
We hold over 23 million records, and our database is being added to continually. In 2025 alone, we have added over 107,000 records from Antrim, Down, Kerry, Tipperary, Monaghan and Cork. In 2024, we added over 154,000 records from Monaghan, Kerry, Armagh, Mayo, Clare and Tipperary. 
Together, our 32 genealogy centres have an unparalleled amount of local knowledge which can be invaluable to those tracing their ancestors, a service which no other website or company can provide to such a high standard. By taking out a subscription with RootsIreland, you are helping these centres to continue to provide a world-class service and securing many Irish jobs.
If you have any questions please check our Help section and if this does not provide an answer, then you may contact us or one of the county centres. You can check what is available on our site for each county here.

*Offer applies from 1 July 2025 to 12 midnight Irish time on 16 July 2025 only. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.

Ulster Historical Foundation is delighted to announce that the Townland Atlas of Ulster is once again available to purchase from their online bookstore

This landmark publication has been in high demand, and Ulster Historical Foundation are thrilled to make it accessible once more to researchers, genealogists, and local history enthusiasts.

The Townland Atlas of Ulster maps all 16,000 townlands in the 9 counties of Ulster and the administrative units of church and state into which they have been organised. In an attractive and easily understood layout, these units are shown in the context of land ownership in the 17th century, a pattern clearly recognisable until a century ago when the Land Purchase Acts broke up the estates and facilitated tenant farmers buying their own land. By using the maps and index, family and local historians can easily grasp the essentials of their ancestors’ lives – where they worked, paid their rent, went to church and market, etc.

This is an essential reference guide for both newcomer and serious researcher, showing exact locations and where to look for related records.

Don’t miss your chance to secure this essential reference guide and invaluable family history resource — stocks may not last long

Click here for more information 

Read what others have said about the Townland Atlas of Ulster 

“Today, as Ireland becomes increasingly urbanised and new housing estates proliferate, authentic townland names are in danger of disappearing. A wonderful book such as this is, therefore, invaluable in maintaining a record of a rich shared heritage and a culture, north and south, that speaks to everyone.”

Prof. Terence Dooley, Maynooth University Department of History

“The design of such an ambitious undertaking has been undertaken with consummate care, skill and deftness and contributes significantly to a work which not only shows researchers the precise location of their areas of interest but also suggests other primary sources and their location that may well help them develop their search.”

Trevor Parkhill, editor Familia: Ulster Genealogical Review

“To have mapped and provided such comprehensive detail for each of Ulster’s 16,000 townlands is an achievement that will stand the test of time. It (the Townland Atlas of Ulster) will or should become a standard reference book for those people tracing their Ulster roots. I now know that if I’m seeking a visual representation of townlands, parishes and estates in a particular area I will be straight to your maps; and if seeking, for a particular townland, details of church registers (CoI and RC) and 17th and 19th century landlords my first port of call will be the Index of Townlands.”

Brian Mitchell, Derry Genealogy

“I received the Townland Atlas of Ulster this morning and am delighted with it. The quality of the book is exceptional and the content fascinating. As someone who is fascinated by maps, and loves the townlands where I grew up in County Down, it unexpectedly made me feel quite emotional to see them memorialised so beautifully. It will certainly be a big help to my research, especially as I pursue DNA matches who relate to my unknown great grandfather in County Antrim, territory unfamiliar to me. I just wanted to congratulate everyone on its production and of course particular thanks go to Andrew Kane.”

Lyn from Encinitas

“What a marvellous resource it is! Please congratulate Andrew. I’ll be using it all the time as my (never-ending) Irish research continues.”

Michele from NSW

“The beautiful atlas has arrived. It is a magnificent publication.”

Ann from Canberra

“I received my pre-ordered copy today and must say it’s an incredible piece of work to have. A great reference book. Well done to all involved !!!”

Paddy from Gweedore

“A magnificent achievement – I look forward to delving into the vast array of resources beautifully arranged and presented.”

Larry from Maynooth

“My copy of the Townland Atlas of Ulster arrived safely yesterday. To say that I am thrilled with it is an understatement. It’s a wonderful book with superb production values, packed with information. I probably will not get much work done this weekend as I explore it in more detail.”

Angela from Dublin

We are delighted to announce the addition of almost 9000 new Roman Catholic baptismal and marriage records from South Tipperary to the Roots Ireland database! They are as follows:

• 6,393 baptisms, 1834-1905 (Knockavilla RC parish);
• 2,404 marriages, 1834-1905 (Knockavilla RC parish).

For an up to date list of sources for South Tipperary and to search these records, go to tipperarysouth.rootsireland.ie and login or subscribe as required.

We are delighted to announce the addition of 69,272 records from Counties Antrim and Down to our database at Roots Ireland. They are as follows:

Hertford Estate Rent Roll, 1728 (1,329 records)

Sir Fulke Conway was granted the manors of Killultagh and Derryvolgie in South Antrim in the early seventeenth century. The land passed through his brother Edward to the Hertford family. The 1728 rent roll for the manors covers much of the land in the parishes of Blaris [including the town of Lisburn], Lambeg, Derriaghy, Magheragall, Magheramesk, Aghalee, Aghagallon, Glenavy, Camlin and Tullyrusk and contains over 1300 names of tenants.

Electors of the Borough of Belfast, 1832 (1,685 records)

This database comprises a register of those qualified to vote in Belfast in the general election of 1832 and was compiled from the printed source, Electors of the Borough of Belfast Registered at the Special Sessions under the Reform Act Distinguishing How Each of Them Voted at the First Election, which was published in Belfast in 1833. The source includes the name, occupation and address of the elector and the names of the candidates for whom he voted.

Electors of the Borough of Belfast, 1865 (3,508 records)

This database comprises a register of those qualified to vote in Belfast in the general election of 1865. The register lists electors alphabetically by ward (Dock, St Anne’s, St George’s, Smithfield and Cromac), giving street and indicating the candidates that each person voted for.

Anti-Repeal Declaration, 1848 (2,895 records)

In the late 1840s, opposition to the campaign to repeal the Act of Union resulted in the creation of a number of petitions in support of maintaining the connection with Great Britain.

This database is taken from a printed volume held in the Library of the Oireachtas, Dublin, containing the names of individuals from Counties Antrim and Down who subscribed to one of the anti-repeal declarations in the spring of 1848.

Typically, for each signatory there is also an occupation and an address (often the townland of residence and its nearest town or village).

Index to 1796 Flaxgrowers Bounty List for Counties Antrim and Down (4,187 records)

This database is based on the information contained in the Flax Growers’ Bounty List which was published by the Irish Linen Board in 1796. It is a valuable substitute for non-existent census material for this period in Ireland. The list includes (for Counties Antrim and Down) the first name and surname of the farmer, the civil parish and the county location plus details on the number of spinning-wheels or looms awarded

Royal Irish Constabulary Registry of Households in Sub-District of Knocknacarry, County Antrim, 1881-1901 (4,522 records)

This is a very useful substitute for the lost censuses of 1881 and 1891 and contains over 4,500 names. What makes it so interesting is that numerous comments were added to the list to indicate such events as death, marriage and emigration, as well as ‘gone to sea’, ‘joined RIC’ or ‘joined army’. 

Census Of Protestant Householders, 1740 (5,888 records)

The so-called ‘Census of Protestant Householders’ was compiled in 1740, apparently at the behest of the Irish Parliament. The original records of this survey were destroyed in Dublin in 1922, but transcripts made by the genealogist Tenison Groves are available in PRONI. Parishes covered in this census were:

County Antrim – Ahoghill, Armoy, Ballintoy, Ballymena [Kirkinriola], Ballymoney, Ballyrashane, Ballywillin, Billy, Clough [Dunaghy], Culfeightrin, Derrykeighan, Drummaul, Duneane, Dunluce, Finvoy, Kilraghts, Loughguile, Manybrooks [Grange of Ballyscullion], Ramoan, Rasharkin and Rathlin.

County Down – Kilbroney and Seapatrick (Loughbrickland Walk).

The Ulster Muster Roll, c.1630, Counties Antrim & Down (5,678 records)

A muster roll was a list of able-bodied men who were capable of military service. The most important of the muster rolls of the early seventeenth century period was that compiled between the spring of 1629 and the spring of 1633 by Lieut. William Graham, the muster-master of Ulster. This database comprises an index to the muster roll. Along with the name of the settler, the index includes the name of the owner of the estate and, if recorded, the barony (or sometimes the town or lordship). 

Old Age Pension Proof of Age Extraction Claim Forms 1841, 1851 (4,312 records)

The Census Search Forms or ‘Green Forms’ were completed by the staff of the Public Record Office of Ireland from information supplied by applicants for the Old Age Pension seeking evidence of their age. The Old Age Pension was introduced in 1908 and the ‘Green Forms’ were made between 1910 and 1922. Civil Registration of Births, Marriages and Deaths was not begun in Ireland until 1864 and birth certificates were not therefore available for persons of eligible age (70 years). Proof of age could be obtained in a variety of ways including searches in parish registers, army records and the census. The ‘Green Forms’ were used as an internal office record of the search made in the census. 

Census of Bangor parish, 1861 (7,026 records)

The 1861 census for the parish of Bangor, County Down, is available as in copy among the local authority records for Bangor. This provides the names of residents in each household by townland, with the name of the landlord and other remarks. Note: only about 88 per cent of the total number of inhabitants in Bangor parish reported by the census are named in the transcription. It seems likely that some pages have gone astray.

Ulster Directory 1900 (11,716 records)

This database contains a list of the inhabitants of Ulster in 1900, listing individual names, occupations and addresses.

1803 Agricultural Census of Parishes in Co. Antrim and Co. Down (16,525 records)

Scares about the threat of an invasion of Great Britain and Ireland by Napoleonic France recurred periodically during the late 1790s and the early years of the nineteenth century. During a scare in 1803 about an invasion of Ireland, resulting from the planned but abortive insurrection of that year, returns were made of ‘live’ and ‘dead’ (i.e. crops) stock in the possession of farmers.

The 1803 Agricultural Census was created in response to a scare about an invasion of Ireland; the surviving returns relate to many parishes in County Down and the northern parishes of County Antrim.

This database includes almost 15,000 names and locations for individuals living in Co. Antrim and Co. Down at the time of the census. Approx. 7,170 entries relate to parishes in Co. Antrim, and over 7,700 entries relate to parishes in Co. Down.

To search these records, go to  rootsireland.ie/antrim and rootsireland.ie/down  and Login or Subscribe as required. Click on ‘Census Substitutes…’ and you can select an individual Source. Most of these records are in County Antrim and some are in County Down.

Are you wishing to find out more about your Irish ancestors? Have you been thinking of what to do or where to go for your 2025 Summer holiday?

Unlock your family story with one of Ulster Historical Foundation’s 2025 research programmes!

With their research-focused format and limited capacity, you’ll enjoy dedicated support from expert researchers to delve even deeper into your Irish and Scots-Irish heritage.

From now until 31 May register for one of these programmes with just a £100 deposit! (normally £200).*

The Foundation staff have also looked at ways to improve upon the previous programmes (taking the recommendations and suggestions of previous delegates) and hope that the programme’s devised for 2025 will better improve your research experience and visit to Ireland.

Places are filling up fast, with both the June 2025 programme and September 2025 programme almost at capacity. Reserve your place today and let Ulster Historical Foundation help you find your elusive Irish and Scots-Irish Ancestors!

*Note: Deposit is non-refundable

26th October – 29th October 2025

This research programme gives you the chance to spend three days researching in the archives – being guided and supported by our team of researchers each day. It is the ideal programme to compliment a longer holiday or research trip that you might already have planned.

Register now with just a £100 deposit! (full price £649.99).

Click here for more information 

Conferences Almost Sold Out

22nd June – 25th June 2025 (less than 3 places remaining)

This research programme gives you the chance to spend three days researching in the archives – being guided and supported by our team of researchers each day.

It is the ideal programme to compliment a longer holiday or research trip that you might already have planned.

Register now with just a £100 deposit! (full price £649.99).

Click here for more information

31st August – 05th September 2025 (less than 5 places remaining)

This enhanced research programme gives you the chance to spend a whole week researching in the archives – being guided and supported by our team of researchers each day. It offers you a great opportunity to break down any genealogical brick walls and unlock your family history.

Register now with just a £100 deposit! (full price £949.99).

Click here for more information