The following announcement was written by the North of Ireland Family History Society:

This September sees the return of the popular DNA School run by the North of Ireland Family History Society and this time it is online. Previously it was held in-person at the society’s research library near Belfast and the society frequently got comments from people living overseas wishing they could attend. The society hopes that the new online DNA School will attract the Irish and Scots-Irish diaspora or indeed anyone wanting to make the most of the opportunities that DNA research allows. There is huge interest these days in using DNA to help with genealogy research and the aim of the school is to make the whole subject more understandable by helping attendees improve their skills and knowledge.

A spokesperson said that the society is very pleased that Jonny Perl, the developer behind the popular DNA Painter tool, will be a speaker this year. Jonny has family roots in Northern Ireland where the society is based so he is an ideal instructor. American genealogist David Allen Lambert recently said:

“What Jonny has done for genealogy and DNA analysis never ceases to amaze me”.

Classes will last for around 90 minutes – usually a one-hour talk followed by a question and answer session. All four types of DNA will be covered (X, Y, mitochondrial and autosomal). Classes will provide practical advice to allow concepts to be understood and new skills to be learned. There will be a focus on making progress on DNA research within Ireland, however, classes are suitable for anyone using DNA research to trace their roots. There are two sessions each day, at 3pm and at 7pm BST, so 10am and 2pm ET for anyone wishing to “zoom” across the Atlantic.

As a bonus, attendees will be invited to the NIFHS monthly DNA interest group, where a wide range of DNA topics are discussed. These meetings are a great way of keeping up to date with DNA developments throughout the year and are an opportunity to ask questions.

The DNA School will be held from Monday 6th to Friday 10th September. The full class list is:

· Achieving Success with DNA
· Using DNA Painter
· Using X Matches in your DNA Research
· The Advantages of Y-DNA
· The Advantages of mtDNA
· The Leeds Method
· The DNA Family Matching Tool
· Stories from the Ballycarry and Islandmagee DNA Projects
· Using the Chromosome Browser Effectively
· Ethnicity Estimates

The classes are £10 each or all 10 classes can be booked together at a discounted rate of £80.

To book online and to find more details, please visit www.nifhs.org/courses