For those with Kell(e)y blood, you can check to see if we're related at my Kelley Web site. If you see something you recognize, please write. If you don't, please realize that I've posted all the information I have on these Kell(e)ys.

My other two close Irish lines are on my mother's side: Finlay and Presley. I suspect that both immigrants came from Northern Ireland because of family tradition, but I've been unable to prove any connection so far. Presley is an uncommon name in Ireland, which is a blessing, and I've been gathering all the Presleys/Priestleys I find in case some might connect. I'm hoping for a breakthrough any minute, so if you have Irish Presley connections, check out my Presley Web page.

If you're a Finlay descendant and your ancestors settled in Markham Township, York County, Ontario, check out my Finlay page. Maybe this St. Patrick's Day we'll experience the luck of the Irish together! But please keep in mind that each of these Web sites is a work in progress.

For the rest of us who are still in search of our Irish ancestors, I have some news you might be able to use. The first very exciting piece of information is that Kyle Betit and Dwight Radford have put out a brand new book on Irish research called A Genealogist's Guide to Discovering Your Irish Ancestors (Cincinnati: Betterway Books, 2001). This book is even better than their previous work, Ireland: A Genealogical Guide.

I like the way these lads put together a book because they give you all the information and ideas you need to go in search of that ancestor's origins. The book has separate sections on the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, and the British West Indies. The book's other chapters cover specific types of records that are of use in Irish research, including church records, estate records, and taxation records. The book is so new that I'm not sure where you can purchase it, but it is for sale from my Ancestor Detective Web site.

If you live in the Washington, DC area, you might want to attend the National Archives seminar "Beginning Irish Genealogical Research in U.S. Sources," which features Marie Varrelman Melchiori, CGRS, CGL, and Kyle Betit. The seminar is today (March 15) from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. For more information, visit the National Archives Web site.

If you live in the vicinity of Akron, Ohio, you might want to attend my Irish seminar on St. Patrick's Day at the Massillon Public Library, about 23 miles south of Akron. You can get more information on the seminar at the Massillon Public Library Web site. Part of the seminar focuses on Irish oral tradition and is based on an article I wrote for Ancestry Magazine called "Fact or Blarney: Proving the Legacies Left by Irish Storytellers."

If you can't make it to either of these seminars, you still have time to plan your trip to Dublin in September. The Fourth Irish Genealogical Congress will take place 17-23 September at Trinity College. The Congress happens every three to four years in Ireland and features lectures by prominent Irish genealogists and historians. The conference is run in the same fashion as conferences in the United States, with three lectures to choose from each session. Topics include military records, church records, land records, photography, library sources, computer and Internet sources, and local history. The provisional program is posted on the Congress Web site.

If you're interested in attending, you need to send in a registration form with a non-refundable fee. You'll pay the balance at a later date. Those registering from the United States can send personal checks drawn on U.S. banks for the registration fee. Don't miss this opportunity to hear Irish experts talk about the records they know so well!

But even better, if you find that you have an hour or two that you don't want to attend lectures, you can stroll over to the National Library of Ireland and do some research! The library is within walking distance of Trinity College, as are the General Register Office, the Valuation Office, and (a bit further) the National Archives of Ireland. If you already know the area where your ancestors came from, you can plan a side trip to locate the family homestead. I've had the pleasure of visiting two ancestral homes on my husband's Irish lines and it's an indescribable experience. But that's another story . . .

Elizabeth Kelley Kerstens, CGRS, CGL, is the managing editor of Genealogical Computing, editor of the Board for Certification of Genealogists' newsletter OnBoard, the creator of Clooz—the electronic filing cabinet for genealogical records, co-creator of the new family health history program GeneWeaver, and a frequent contributor to Ancestry Magazine. She can be reached via e-mail at liz@ancestordetective.com or gceditor@ancestry.com.