Echoes of the Famine: Understanding the Emotional Landscape of Irish Research

In this reflective RootsTech 2026 session, Mary McKee of Findmypast explores the emotional landscape of Irish family history through the lens of the Great Famine. Rather than offering technical research methods, she guides viewers into a deeper understanding of how trauma, silence, and cultural memory shape the genealogy of Irish families. McKee provides historical context covering pre-famine Ireland, the catastrophic years of 1845–1852, and the long shadow the famine cast on recordkeeping, migration, and family storytelling. She highlights how widespread loss, displacement, and social upheaval created gaps in the historical record—and how these silences are themselves meaningful evidence.

Through examples, scholarship, and thoughtful guidance, Mary encourages researchers to slow down, reflect, and incorporate emotional awareness into their genealogical practice. She offers strategies for trauma‑informed research, ways to honor ancestors whose names may not survive in official documents, and methods for reconstructing historical context through estate papers, folklore collections, census reports, and more. This session invites family historians to recognize that while records may be incomplete, the human experiences behind them can still be understood, remembered, and honored.

Sponsored by Findmypast