Genealogy cruises seem to be popping up all over the place, and for very good reasons: they are great fun, educational, and reasonably priced for the most part. The Irish Ancestral Research Association, a non-profit genealogy society often referred to as TIARA, is now organizing an Irish genealogy cruise to be held about a year from now. The time to start planning this vacation is right now.
The Irish Genealogy Cruise will feature leading presenters from the U.S. and Ireland. All the presenters are experienced speakers at national genealogical conferences.
The presenters will include:
- Valerie Adams, from the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, Belfast
- Mary Ellen Grogan, TIARA, Boston
- George Handran, Boston (expert on Griffith's Valuation)
- Michael J. Leclerc, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston
- Gregory O’Connor, from the National Archives of Ireland, Dublin
- Eileen and Sean O’Duill, from Dublin
The cruise will feature two simultaneous tracks. Track 1 will have lectures on basic resources and techniques for Irish research. Track 2 will focus on more advanced topics and is intended for those with experience in using Irish records.
The Irish Genealogy Cruise will depart from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on January 10, 2009. Attendees will spend eight nights in the eastern Caribbean, on board the Independence of the Seas, a Royal Caribbean ship, and then return to Fort Lauderdale.
You do not have to be a TIARA member to join the cruise. The first thirty registrants will receive a one-hour private consultation with one of the professional genealogists who are presenters.
Prices range from $900 per person for an inside stateroom to $1725 per person for a Junior Suite with a balcony. Registrations must be received by February 3, 2008, to guarantee the special cruise rate.
Fore more information, keep an eye on the TIARA web site at http://www.tiara.ie and click on “Trips,” or go to the direct URL of http://home.netcom.com/~megrogan/irishgenealogycruise.
