This site maintained by Jim O'Dea jeodea@aol.com for BIGS
We have a new website - bigswny.org - please click here.
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BIGS solves the Mystery - World War I Victory Medal Reunited With Serviceman's Family - Authur Colbrook Had Entered the Canadian Army Under an Assumed Name and Was Killed in France.
See entire article here.
Saturday, October 7, 2017 was our 20th Anniversary meeting of when Kevin J. O'Brien, James R. Shine and Donna M Shine officially co-founded BIGS.
Video interview with Donna Shine by WGRZ 2news regarding BIGS and St Patrick's Day -
click here.
Here are some reminders and items for you to mark on your calendar:
* Membership Application-
Print off annual BIGS Membership Application (with dues info) or Life Membership in Adobe PDF format click here and mail it to BIGS, c/o 100 Lee St, Buffalo, NY 14210. Make checks payable to "BIGS". Note new annual ARIL 1st renewal date. If you can't print it just write the requested info on a sheet of paper and mail it in. PLEASE, send in payment as soon as possible. April 1st is when ALL membership cards expire for unpaid members. Your BUFFALO IRISH TIMES subscription will be canceled and your name will be deleted from our lists. Those who have paid, THANK YOU. For those who, for their own personal reasons, do not renew, THANK YOU for your past support. NOTE: It is not necessary to be a member of BIGS in order to attend a meeting here in Buffalo, NY. If you are looking for help, please be sure to bring all the family information you have. Newcomers are most welcome!
BIGS was established in 1997 to concentrate all of our members' resources & publications and to maintain a list of these items, thereby establishing a wealth of information that will be available to all of us and obtainable via friendly inter-member networking.
We have attained a current membership of 158 as of Jan 2020. Your are cordially invited to join us and take full advantage of all our resources.
As a highly respected non-profit organization, all membership fees, and donations, are tax deductible.
Obtain guidance no matter where you live.
Receive bi-monthly issues of: "The Buffalo Irish Times."
Submit queries that will also appear on this website.
Vote for elected BIGS officials.
Assist with special events and projects.
Gathering of the Clans -
The Buffalo Irish Genealogical Society (BIGS) host a annual "Gathering of the Clans" usually in April at the HDC (Heritage Discovery Center), 100 Lee St (between South Park and Elk streets - 5 minutes from the Buffalo Irish Center) in Buffalo, NY, from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. (A thirty minute business meeting will precede the event.) We will be hosting a GENEALOGICAL SEISIUN.
Resources:
Heritage Discovery Center LIBRARY COLLECTION
100 Lee St., Buffalo, NY 14210
For Appointments Contact: Donna Shine Dmshine @ aol.com (716) 662-1164
Listing of Library's Genealogical Resources is not currently available.
List of New York Central Railroad (NYCRR) employee cards that have been indexed and proofed -
click here. Information which may appear on these cards is
here.
Copies of New York Central Railroad (NYCRR) employee cards can be ordered, see this form 1st - click here. Cost of obtaining the records is seen here.
There are many families from Northeast Pennsylvania who came to Western New York to work in the steel
plants and on the railroads. Newspaper arcles/death noces that reference Northeast Pennsylvania
people with Western New York connecons have been put into a spreadsheet- click here.
ConferenceKeeper is an entire calendar of VIRTUAL genealogy events -- webinars and zoom meeting, most all of which are free -- hosted by libraries and societies all over North America, and available to anyone with internet access. We've also added more online volunteer projects/opportunities from several very excellent organizations, on the "Volunteer" page. here to go to ConferenceKeeper.
The Buffalo and Erie County Public Library digital local history pilot project.
A sample of the Library's Local History File has been placed on Flickr. The Local History File, located in the Grosvenor Room at the Central Library, is the B&ECPL's most comprehensive resource on Buffalo's history. It consists of index cards with citations to articles and books about Buffalo and Erie County topics. The Richardson Olmsted Complex is featured in the pilot project.
The Special Collections Division maintains and preserves the rare, unique, and locally significant holdings of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library System
The Library welcomes your feedback and invites you to enhance the projects images by adding comments and tags.
Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, 1 Lafayette Square, Buffalo, NY 14202
Point of contact for the Grosvenor Room is R. Konig at konigr @ buffalolib . org
The Buffalo Irish Center - the cultural home for the Irish American Community, by joining the GAELIC AMERICAN ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (G.A.A.A.) you become a member of the Buffalo Irish Center. Initial membership fee is $150.00 with an annual renewal fee of only $25.00. Membership may be listed as individual or husband and wife with one voting right. Your membership includes a subscription to the BUFFALO IRISH TIMES, GAAA Newsletters, reduced rental of halls, voting rights and more. Dues must be paid yearly by March 31st to maintain active membership status. For further Information Email:mary@buffaloirishcenter.com
'Against the Grain, The History of Buffalo's First Ward' History of Buffalo's First Ward', was written by author Timothy Bohen with input from several BIGS members. Copies are available at the Dog Ears Bookstore on Abbott Road, or through the website
O'Dea Clan web site with links of interest to Irish Genealogy sites Click here.
ORDINANCE SURVEY MAPS of Ireland Click here. This is a series of interactive maps beginning with the opening map of the island of Ireland and continuing with a series of more intricate maps that will allow you to see townlands and individual properties! You can select historical black and white maps, historical colored maps, aerial views etc.
GRIFFITH'S VALUATION MAPS -Ireland click here. This site gives details of Griffith's Valuation with links to the original maps showing the property occupied by each individual.
National Archives of Ireland - household returns and ancillary records for the censuses of Ireland of 1901 and 1911click here.
Irish Family History Foundation - the coordinating body for a network of county based genealogical research centres on the island of Ireland click here.
Archives of Irish America is a repository of primary research materials at New York University click here.
Irish in London: Sources for London Lives - Searchable edition of 240,000 manuscripts from eight archives and fifteen datasets, with 3.35 million names. click here.
Irish Network USA: a national network of Irish, Irish-AmericA very good and current video thru American Ancestors (NEGHS) and now seen thru YouTube. An hour long, but somewhat intense, video for those not familiar with DNA and the verbiage used and/or the multitude of companies testing DNA. With this, you can click back to hear an explanation over and over.
One other thing which most of you know is that after the video is complete, YouTube usually provides other similar videos you can view on this topic or related to genealogy... Enjoy. ans, and friends of Ireland with a shared goal of furthering ties between the United States and Ireland.
click here.
DNA Testing for Family History Research - A very good and current video thru American Ancestors (NEGHS) and now seen thru YouTube. An hour long, but somewhat intense, video for those not familiar with DNA and the verbiage used and/or the multitude of companies testing DNA. With this, you can click back to hear an explanation over and over. One other thing which most of you know is that after the video is complete, YouTube usually provides other similar videos you can view on this topic or related to genealogy. click here for DNA Testing video
If you would like to trade Links with this site please email Jim O'Dea at jeodea @ AOL . com
