For Janelle Asselin, it started with 10 pages of family records, tales of ancestors that spanned Ireland, Canada and the United States.
After a decade of research, she eventually found that John O’Rourke, her second great-grandfather, was not actually the ancestor who emigrated from Ireland as the family lore said. That was actually his father.
So it goes in the world of genealogy, specifically Irish ancestry, where starts and stops are common as official records were burned during wartime, forged due to families hiding their religious affiliations, and also lost during the regular and unrelenting passage of time.
The Ulster Historical Foundation will be coming to Minnesota as part of their national lecture series in order to help those just starting to unearth their Irish and Scottish ancestry, and also those years deep into discovering fourth cousins and relatives decades in the past.
“It is always interesting to dive deeper into the family history. It’s a wonderful way to connect with those roots and get the help to connect directly with those roots,” Asselin said. She serves as the marketing chair of Irish Genealogical Society International, the group that worked to bring the Northern Ireland-based Ulster Historical Foundation to the Twin Cities.
“The Irish records can be really daunting because there is so much about the history of Ireland itself that can be hard to track down,” Asselin said. “The Ulster Foundation will fill in some of those blanks for people who maybe don’t know where to start, or what records might be available.”
Irish Genealogical Society International Co-President Walt Rothwell said the Ulster Historical Foundation tours the U.S. every few years, and is seen as a premier authority in terms of Irish genealogy research.
On March 11, the program will involve sessions related to “Irish Heritage Day 2025,” and researching ancestors and family history in Ireland. On March 12, the program will consist of one-to-one research consultations.
Rothwell also hopes that armchair genealogy researchers realize that the Minnesota Genealogy Society in Mendota Heights offers services for many other cultures other than Irish. The center has a reference library that is open to the public for a fee, $10 per day.
Donna Jones, co-president of Irish Genealogical Society International, said finding out the relatives and places is only the beginning; once that is established the true history starts to unfold.
“It’s not just names and dates. It’s more the context of their lives, and answering, ‘What were their lives like?’” Jones said. “I think it’s just fascinating.”
If you go
What: Interested in finding out more about your heritage and relatives? The Ulster Historical Foundation, seen as one of the premier Irish research groups, will offer Irish and Scottish genealogy workshops on Tuesday, March 11 and Wednesday, March 12.
Where: Irish Genealogical Society International will host “Irish Heritage Day 2025: Researching Ancestors and Family History in Ireland” on Tuesday, March 11, at Lost Spur Golf and Event Center, 2750 Sibley Memorial Highway, in Eagan.
Cost: In person $100 non-members, $85 IGSI members. Virtual on Zoom costs $55 for non-members, $45 IGSI members.
Also: One-on-one research consultations are set for Wednesday, March 12, at the Minnesota Genealogy Center, located at 1385 Mendota Heights Rd., Suite 100, in Mendota Heights. Cost: $60 per 30 minute consultation.
Questions? For more information, call 651-330-9312 or visit ulsterhistoricalfoundation.com/portfolio/lecture-tour-2025.
Interested in local history, too? Sign up for our free, weekly newsletter, “From the Archives,” by following the prompts at twincities.com/newsletters.
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