Thanks, SantaFor reasons I won’t bore you with, I had occasion this month to open a box of Christmas ornaments that had been stashed away for 18 years. My husband and I oohed and aahed over some of them such as the White House Historical Association ornaments my… Dec 22 20December 22, 2020Article at Megan Smolenyak
Best Babyhood EverAs the rest of the world commemorates what would have been John Lennon’s 80th birthday, I celebrate my 60th. More or less confined at home. Not the circumstances I would have chosen, but just about all of us are apt to have pandemic-impaired… Oct 10 20October 10, 2020Article at Medium
In Remembrance of Col. George C. SmolenyakCol. George C. Smolenyak He would wake us on Saturday mornings whistling reveille. This was usually accompanied by a glass of OJ and quick, vigorous back rubs to “get the blood pumping.” It was time to do chores and you weren’t going out to play… Nov 30 20November 30, 2020Article at Megan Smolenyak
Jersey Boys: Irish Soldiers in World War IBy Megan Smolenyak, Contributor April / May 2015 America entered World War One on April 6th, 1917, and though the execution of the leaders of the Easter Rising in Dublin in 1916 greatly angered the influential Irish-American community on America’s… Article at Irish America
From Ellen to EileenMany of us have a particular ancestor who calls to us louder than others, one with whom we feel a special kinship. For me, this is one of my great-great-grandmothers, Ellen Nelligan. Perhaps it’s because my own grandmother — her granddaughter — told… Mar 17 21March 17, 2021Article at Medium
There’s Always a Kernel of TruthSolving a Long-held Family History Mystery Leads to an Enigmatic Playwright I couldn’t understand it. My nana had an amazing memory. As a professional genealogist, I’m more aware than most that we should take our family lore with a grain of salt.… Mar 03 20March 03, 2020Article at Medium
Letter to Ireland Answered — 28 Years LaterNot long ago, I received a response to a letter I wrote to a stranger in Ireland — in 1984. Making the experience more peculiar still is the fact that the gentleman I contacted had passed away in 1990. Perhaps I should explain. I’ve been obsessed… Mar 05 13March 05, 2013Article at HuffPost
The Spy in the CastleBy Megan Smolenyak, Contributor February / March 2016 David Neligan, a member of the Dublin Metropolitan Police, acted as a valuable agent for Michael Collins by passing on vital information during the Irish War of Independence (1919–21). He… Article at Irish America
Celebrating the End of an Era: 222 Seton Shields Genealogy Grants in 20 Years!Well, that was fast. I got into genealogy young – around the age of 10. It was and still is my passion, but back when I finished with my education, the notion of making a living at it seemed foolish, so I embarked upon a career as a management… Jul 01 20July 01, 2020Article at Megan Smolenyak
How I Found my Elusive John MurphyMy earliest American-born ancestor was my great-great-grandfather, Edward Murphy. It took a while to figure this out as the skimpy traces he left claimed both New York and Ireland as his birth place, but then I stumbled across his baptism. To my… Mar 08 24March 08, 2024Article at Medium
Trace Your Roots with DNA: Using Genetic Tests to Explore Your Family TreeWritten by two of the country’s top genealogists, this authoritative book is the first to explain how new and groundbreaking genetic testing can help you research your ancestry. According to American Demographics, 113 million Americans have begun to… Oct 30 22October 30, 2022Article at Megan Smolenyak
