Genealogy & Folklore
The Kerry Homecoming Festival at Halloween is the perfect opportunity to meet your family in Kerry and experience our renowned hospitality. Our Homecoming Festival programme features talks by genealogy experts, archive tours, heritage talks and walks, spectacle and sporting events and most importantly Kerry’s renowned hospitality. From October 18th to 21st, Dingle will be part of the Irish Cultural Centre of Western New England’s ‘Sights of Western Ireland’ Tour."
Folklore & Genealogy with Tom Dillon
Join historian, educator, and journalist Tom Dillon as hosts a number of folklore and genealogy workshops during the Kerry Homecoming.
He will explores the rich folklore surrounding life's key moments—births, deaths, and marriages along or if you are keen to lean more about Samhain, Tom will explore the ancient roots of Halloween in Ireland , as he reveals the folklore surrounding Samhain—the Celtic festival of spirits, myths, and supernatural encounters.
With a deep passion for his native County Kerry's history, Tom has written and lectured extensively on local traditions and customs. As the Kerry County Council Historian-in-Residence in 2020 and 2021, Tom brings his expert knowledge to life in this engaging talk, blending folklore with history. Don't miss this unique opportunity to learn from a graduate of the University of Limerick's MA in History of the Family and a certified local historian.
All workshops with Tom are FREE but please reserve your place HERE.
| Topic | Date | Location | Time | Booking Link |
| Folklore - Births, deaths, and marriages | 25th October | Muckross School House | 12:00pm | Book |
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Folklore - Samhain In collaboration with An Feile Eile and the Archive Society. |
26th October | Sean Scoil, Killorglin | 6:30pm | Book |
| Genealogy - Researching family history and ancestral roots | 19th October | Tralee Library | 3pm | Book |
| Genealogy - Researching family history and ancestral roots | 24th October | Castleisland Community Centre | 3pm | Book |
| Genealogy - Researching family history and ancestral roots | 25th October | Muckross House & Gardens | 2pm | Book |
Kerry Library: A Tour of the Archives
Join County Librarian Tommy O'Connor for an exclusive tour of the Tralee Library archives on October 19th, from 12:00 to 1:00 PM. Learn how to trace your ancestors and uncover your family history through the library’s rich collection of historical records.
The Kerry Library Local History and Archives Department is dedicated to collecting, preserving and making available for reference, material related to the printed history of County Kerry. A Guide to Family History Sources: Download HERE
The Kerry Library reference collection includes:
- Over 7,000 titles on Kerry and by Kerry authors (searchable on the library online catalogue here)
- Áitainmneacha Chiarraí/ Kerry Place Names Survey
- Periodicals including Kerry Archaeological and Historical Society Journal, Journal of the Royal Society of the Antiquities of Ireland, Cork Historical Journal.
- Map collection including 1st edition Ordnance Survey maps of Kerry (1841- 1842), Maritime Maps of Kerry (1861-1914), Godfrey Estate Survey Maps (1750-1825).
- 19th & 20th century Commercial Directories
- Index of obituaries from Kerry Newspapers.
- Dr. Albert Casey's O'Kief, Coshe, Mang volumes
- Irish Life and Lore Collections: Oral History recordings in conversation with local historians, archaeologists, folklorists and storytellers detailing aspects of Irish life in times past. Details of available collections can be viewed on the library catalogue here.
- Local Historical Photographs including Lawrence and Eason Collections.