“We were so happy we did this at the start of our trip.” That line from Skylar Anderson says plenty. Within hours of landing in Dublin for their honeymoon, she and her husband David uncovered family ties they didn’t know they could trace so clearly, thanks to EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum and its on-site genealogy service.
The couple began their visit at the Docklands museum, where interactive exhibits explore the story of the Irish diaspora and the millions who left these shores. But it was their appointment at the Irish Family History Centre that turned a museum stop into something far more personal. Working through historical records and digital archives, a genealogist helped pinpoint branches of their family story with striking detail.
A museum visit that changed their itinerary
During their consultation, David learned that his four-times-great-grandfather came from Daingean in County Offaly. Skylar discovered that her great-grandmother had lived outside Coleraine in Northern Ireland before emigrating to Nova Scotia in 1912.
That gave the rest of their honeymoon a new shape. Instead of simply seeing Ireland as visitors, they could travel through places tied to their own family history.
- David’s newly identified link led them toward County Offaly
- Skylar’s research connected her to the Coleraine area
- The findings helped them plan meaningful stops across the island
Skylar put it simply: “It was so cool to walk in the same place they would have walked so many years ago.”
EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum has become a starting point for many visitors hoping to understand not just broad Irish history, but their own place in it. The museum’s family history consultations are available in person, and virtual sessions can also be arranged in advance.
For David and Skylar, EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum was more than an early honeymoon stop. It helped turn a holiday into a homecoming of sorts, with old names, old places, and one very good reason to keep exploring. Image Courtesy: IrishCentral
