Really Useful Family History Show 2025

The VRTI is joining the North of Ireland Family History Society for the biggest Family History Show in the North of Ireland!

Bigger and better than last year, with more than 15 exhibitors attending, this show is sponsored by the Family History Federation and the Public Record Office (PRONI — 2 Titanic Boulevard Titanic Quarter Belfast BT3 9HQ), where it is being held from 10am – 4pm.

Entry will be free and no need to book.

The event will feature Brian Gurrin and Ciarán Wallace presenting about the VRTI’s newly released Population Portal, as well as the following exhibitors:

• ABC Family History Association
• Ballinascreen Historical Society
• Cardinal O’Fiaich Library & Archive
• Eddies extracts
• Family History Federation
• Federation for Ulster Local Studies
• History Hub Ulster
• Irish Family History Society
• Libraries NI
• North of Ireland Family History Society DNA
• North of Ireland Family History Society Research
• Presbyterian Historical Society of Ireland
• Public Record Office of Northern Ireland
• Strathclyde Institute for Genealogical Studies
• Tower Museum, Derry~Londonderry
• Ulster Historical Foundation

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The event schedule is as follow:

11am The Population Portal

A presentation from the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland who have just released The Population Portal, which brings together tens of thousands of names, and detailed census reports, from Ireland between the 17th and 19th centuries, allowing you to search them as one collection. Come along and find out what it is all about.

12.00 pm Prize Draw

Some wonderful prizes – be there before midday to go in the draw.

12.30 The Incredibly Useful Introduction to PRONI’s Family History Records

Discover some of the records that are available at PRONI and how to access them.

2pm We know who you are, John Linehan!!

John is a Belfast actor and comedian and absolute icon, having appeared in panto for over 30 years as May McFettridge.

He is our latest celebrity to agree to have his DNA tested and to allow the North of Ireland Family History Society to analyse it and create his family tree. He has not been given any access to the information so come along and see what happens when we reveal everything to him for the first time.