In this special Irish family history episode we take two letters from our Green Room members. We chat about the approach they should take to uncover more about their respective Irish ancestral homelands.

The first letter comes from one of our members in Australia and shares the story of her Irish Irish ancestors. She wonders how to go about discovering the actual origin for these ancestors in Ireland. Mike shares his approach - and comes up with a target destination!

In the second letter we chat about how people often jump back to the Irish records too soon - and often jump to incorrect conclusions. Mike takes a letter from a member from the USA. They are sure that their ancestor originated in County Cork - but Mike points out that some of the evidence just does not stack up. He shows how it is worthwhile going back to basics to find the real origin for your Irish ancestry.

We also have Irish songs of emigration to provide some (additional) entertainment along the way.

• "Shores of Botany Bay" performed by The Irish Rovers.
• "Thousands are Sailing" performed by The Pogues.
• "Galway Bay" performed by Bing Crosby.

Thank you for listening to the Letter from Ireland show. To support the podcast, get lots of member-only features and follow Mike and Carina behind the scenes as they travel around Ireland go to ALetterfromIreland.com/plus .

In this special episode we choose one of our Green Room members (see more about the Green Room here) and accompany them on a genealogical trip back to County Cork.

Cathy Abraham lives in Boston, USA and her great-grandparents arrived there in the 1870s from County Cork. They were Timothy O'Callaghan and Ellen Richardson. The story went that Timothy was a poor farm-hand on Ellen's parents farm just outside Cork City. They eloped to America as Ellen's parents did not approve of a match between them.

Cathy was keen to dig a little more in this story as well as finding and visiting the places associated with the Richardson and O'Callaghan families back in Ireland.

So, we decided to get involved! We commissioned Pam Holland (one of our Green Room genealogists) to research the couple and their families - and then produce a report.

And she found out some really interesting facts!

So, join us as we accompany Cathy to some of the places mentioned in that report in County Cork - we think you'll enjoy coming along for the ride!

Thank you for listening to the Letter from Ireland show. To support the podcast, get lots of member-only features and follow Mike and Carina behind the scenes as they travel around Ireland go to ALetterfromIreland.com/plus .

In this episode we look at a very difficult time in Ireland - one that triggered a time of death across the population of the island as well as emigration for many generations afterwards. I'm talking, of course, about "An Gorta Mór" - also known as "The Great Hunger" or "The Great Famine" of the mid 1800s.

The first letter looks at a particular landless class in Ireland - who formed a sizeable percentage of our population - but who were, more or less, wiped out during the Famine.

I wrote the second letter when I came across an account from 1847 which profiled particular families in a townland in West Cork. That account was all about my own O'Regan ancestors of that townland. It certainly stopped me in my tracks!

We also have Irish songs of emigration (and one on optimism for the future) to help us focus on this time.

• "Spancil Hill" performed by The Wolfe Tones.
• "The Emigrants Farewell" performed by Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh.
• "The West's Awake" performed by Lumiere and Damien Dempsey.

Thank you for listening to the Letter from Ireland show. To support the podcast, get lots of member-only features and follow Mike and Carina behind the scenes as they travel around Ireland go to ALetterfromIreland.com/plus .

In this episode we look at two of the major family surnames of Ireland - O'Neill and O'Connor.

The first story asks if you have Niall of the Nine Hostages DNA?. This Niall was the patriarch of the O'Neills of Meath and Ulster and there are a surprising number of people on the planet today who have a direct link back to this one individual.

We then move on to the O'Connors - who provided us with the last two High Kings of Ireland. Using the first and second name of the late, great, singer - Sinéad O'Connor - we look at the origins of his Irish girls name and surname.

We also have lots of wonderful Irish songs and music to help us along the way - so do enjoy!

• "O'Neill's Cavalry March" performed by Seán Ó Riada.
• "The Flight of The Earls" performed by Carlos Nuñez.
• "The Foggy Dew" performed by Sinéad O'Connor.

Thank you for listening to the Letter from Ireland show. To support the podcast, get lots of member-only features and follow Mike and Carina behind the scenes as they travel around Ireland go to ALetterfromIreland.com/plus .

In this musical episode we look at a very personal choice of the eight most unique Irish MALE singing voices.

I wonder will you agree? Maybe it will introduce you to a new talent that you have not heard before - or maybe you feel I have left out one or two of your own favourites! Either way, I hope you enjoy this selection of beautiful Irish songs and voices.

• "Samhradh, Samhradh" performed by Iarla Ó Lionáird and The Gloaming.
• "Bodenstown Churchyard" performed by Frank Harte.
• "Rare Aul Times" performed by Luke Kelly.
• "Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears" performed by The 3 Irish Tenors.
• "Nothing but the same Old Story" performed by Paul Brady.
• "Sally McLennane" performed by Shane McGowan and The Pogues.
• "Continental Céilí" performed by Christy Moore.
• "Red is The Rose" performed by Liam Clancy.

Thank you for listening to the Letter from Ireland show. To support the podcast, get lots of member-only features and follow Mike and Carina behind the scenes as they travel around Ireland go to ALetterfromIreland.com/plus .

In this episode we tell the story of not one, but two, Irish families that came out of the area surrounding the town of Bantry in West Cork, Ireland.

The first story shares the story of Francis O'Neill who emigrated to the USA and Chicago - eventually becoming a chief of police. More importantly, he became an avid collector and preserver of traditional Irish music. The healthy state of Irish traditional music today owes a lot to the efforts of this one man.

We then follow the Keohane family who left the area in the early 1800s. On arrival in the USA, their name changed to "Cohan" and their grandson is the broadway composer we know today as "George M. Cohan".

We also have lots of wonderful Irish songs and music to help us along the way - so do enjoy!

• "Chief O'Neill's Favourite Hornpipe" performed by Willie Clancy.
• "City of Chicago" performed by Christy Moore.
• "Yankee Doodle Dandy" performed by Jimmy Cagney and Bob Hope.

Thank you for listening to the Letter from Ireland show. To support the podcast, get lots of member-only features and follow Mike and Carina behind the scenes as they travel around Ireland go to ALetterfromIreland.com/plus .

In this musical episode we look at a very personal choice of the eight most beautiful Irish femail singing voices.

I wonder will you agree? Maybe it will introduce you to a new talent that you have not heard before - or maybe you feel I have left out one or two of your own favourites! Either way, I hope you enjoy this selection of beautiful Irish songs and voices.

• "This is to Mother You" performed by Sinéad O'Connor.
• "No Frontiers" performed by Mary Black.
• "Mystic Lipstick" performed by Maura O'Connell.
• "Galway Bay" performed by Dolores Keane.
• "Leaving Limerick" performed by Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh.
• "My Lagan Love" performed by Lisa Hannigan.
• "Na Laetha Geal M'Óige" performed by Enya.
• "The Holy Ground" performed by Celtic Woman.

Thank you for listening to the Letter from Ireland show. To support the podcast, get lots of member-only features and follow Mike and Carina behind the scenes as they travel around Ireland go to ALetterfromIreland.com/plus .

In this episode we travel to that fascinating county at the north-east of the island of Ireland - County Antrim. We explore it's rich heritage and history as well as the most numerous surnames in the county.

We then go to the south-east of the county to the city of Belfast and again, explore it's rich history and heritage.

A "must-listen" if your Irish ancestor came from this beautiful and fascinating part of the island of Ireland.

We also have some wonderful Irish songs and music to help us along the way - all with an attachment to County Antrim and Belfast!

• "The Green Glens of Antrim" performed by Paddy Reilly.
• "Carrickfergus" performed by Brian Kennedy.
• "My Lagan Love" performed by Lisa Hannigan and The Chieftains.

Thank you for listening to the Letter from Ireland show. To support the podcast, get lots of member-only features and follow Mike and Carina behind the scenes as they travel around Ireland go to ALetterfromIreland.com/plus .

In this episode we celebrate 10 years of the Letter from Ireland! In the summer of 2013, we started to write, and send out, a weekly letter from Ireland. Two years later we started the Letter from Ireland podcast.

Today, the letter goes out every Sunday to 60,000 people of Irish descent all around the world and continues to thrive - all due to the support and feedback we get from our wonderful listeners and readers. Thank you one and all!

We share two letters entitled - "10 Years of The Letter from Ireland" and "Why I write the Letter from Ireland".

We also have some wonderful Irish music to help us along the way supplied by Sharon Shannon and friends. I do hope you enjoy!

• "Magic Foot" performed by Sharon Shannon.
• "Galway Girl" performed by Sharon Shannon and Steve Earle.
• "Love, Love, Love" performed by Sharon Shannon and John Prine.

Thank you for listening to the Letter from Ireland show. To support the podcast, get lots of member-only features and follow Mike and Carina behind the scenes as they travel around Ireland go to ALetterfromIreland.com/plus .

In this episode we look at two different Irish races - one from the 18th century and one from the early 20th century. Our first story charts the origins of that iconic horserace - the Steeplechase - between two towns in County Cork.

We then go on to look at an early motorcar road race that took place in Ireland in 1903 and gave rise to the iconic colour of British Race motoring - "British Racing Green" - which was not actually British in origin at all!.

We also have some Irish sporting music to help us along the way. I do hope you enjoy!

• "The Steeplechase" performed by James Keane.
• "Chasing the Fox" performed by The Chieftains.
• "The Gordon Bennett Race" performed by Richie Kavanagh.

Thank you for listening to the Letter from Ireland show. To support the podcast, get lots of member-only features and follow Mike and Carina behind the scenes as they travel around Ireland go to ALetterfromIreland.com/plus .