In October 2021, the skeletal remains of an unknown individual wearing a one-piece jumpsuit/fleece longjohns (likely an undergarment for a scuba diving dry-suit or a survival suit) were found after becoming entangled in a fishing net just beyond the boundaries of California's Monterey Bay. The remains were given to the Monterey County Coroner's Division in Moss Landing, California. Investigators determined that the remains were likely a man who was 35 to 50 years old. He was likely between 5'8" and 6'3" tall. He was found with five keys and two coins, but no identification.

Despite an extensive investigation, including a thorough search by the Missing and Unidentified Persons Section of the California Department of Justice, the man could not be identified and the case went cold. Details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP99784.

In 2022, the Monterey County Cold Case Taskforce, which is comprised of the Monterey County District Attorney's Office, Sheriff-Coroner's Office, Monterey Police Department and is assisted by the California DOJ Bureau of Forensic Services, teamed with Othram in The Woodlands, Texas to determine if advanced DNA testing could help identify the man.

Forensic evidence was submitted to Othram’s laboratory, where scientists used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the unknown man. Othram's casework costs for the case were provided by the Roads to Justice (RTJ) program. Othram’s in-house forensic genetic genealogy team then used the profile in a genetic genealogy search to develop new leads in the case. These new leads were provided to investigators with the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office.

Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to potential relatives of the man. A reference DNA sample was collected from a relative and tested using KinSNP Rapid Familial Relationship Testing, which allows investigators to infer kinship in both closely and distantly related individuals. This comparison led investigators to identify "Sandholdt Doe" as Jeffrey Lyndon Hulliger, who was born on May 30, 1960.

Hulliger was 36-years-old when he was lost at sea with a friend while fishing in Monterey Bay on January 14, 1997. His friend and boatmate, Greg Mitchell, has never been found. After the duo sent out a distress signal from their boat, “The Salmon Patty”, the Coast Guard attempted to locate the vessel, which was reported to have been taking on water.

According to newspaper accounts at the time, the Coast Guard launched a multi-day search with volunteers, two Coast Guard cutters, a helicopter and an airplane in an effort to rescue the men. Their boat was equipped with a life raft, two survival suits and an electronic satellite beacon. No signal from the beacon was ever received. Only debris was found, and both men were presumed drowned, but neither the boat nor their remains were located in the search.

Two years after Jeffrey Hulliger disappeared, his brother, who was also a fisherman, said in a newspaper interview that he tried to convince Jeffrey Hullger to not go out fishing for black cod that day because the weather was so bad. John Hulliger said he believed that his brother and Greg Mitchell drowned when their boat capsized in 18-foot waves off Point Reyes.

When it was discovered that Jeffrey Hlliger's remains had been floating around Monterey Bay for 24 years, he also became known as the "Ancient Mariner" a reference to the famous poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" which recounts the experiences of a sailor who has returned from a long sea voyage. Hulliger's identification is also featured by the Cold Case Project of Monterey County, a non-profit dedicated to raising funding to solve cold cases.

Individuals who have taken a consumer DNA test can aid ongoing forensic investigations by joining the DNASolves database. Expanding the pool of available DNA data increases the likelihood of successful identifications, helping to reunite families with their missing loved ones and resolve cases that have remained unanswered for years. This identification represents the 64th case in the State of California where officials have publicly identified an individual using technology developed by Othram.

The following is a press release written by the Yiddish Book Center:

After nearly a decade in development, a groundbreaking new initiative—the Universal Yiddish Library (UYL)—has launched as a public beta, bringing together the Yiddish book collections of four major institutions: the Yiddish Book Center, the National Library of Israel (NLI), the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, and the New York Public Library (NYPL). For the first time, more than 60,000 Yiddish book records can be searched in a single catalog, offering unprecedented access to the world’s Yiddish literature.

The Universal Yiddish Library’s platform allows users to search across the combined collections and link directly to the owning institutions’ catalogs. Of these 60,000+ records, nearly 20,000 books have already been digitized, and over 18,000 are currently fully searchable via OCR (optical character recognition)—making this the largest digital collection of searchable, full-text Yiddish books ever created. With the platform now live, partners will continue identifying and scanning additional titles. The catalog also allows participating libraries to determine which books are unique, helping guide future preservation work and digitization.

“We estimate we’re about halfway to our goal of scanning the complete Yiddish holdings,” said Amber Kanner Clooney, the Yiddish Book Center’s director of web development and the Digital Library project lead. “This collaboration ensures we’re not duplicating efforts and can focus our resources on what matters most: safeguarding what hasn’t yet been digitized and making it available to everyone.”

The initiative was first envisioned by Aaron Lansky, founder of the Yiddish Book Center, in a conversation with Oren Weinberg, director of the National Library of Israel. The Universal Yiddish Library marks the culmination of the Center’s years-long effort—combining preservation, technology, and collaboration—to make Yiddish literature more widely available.

“Forty-five years ago, when the Yiddish Book Center began, many believed that Yiddish literature was on the brink of extinction,” said Aaron Lansky, founder and president of the Yiddish Book Center. “Now thanks to new technology—and a new spirit of collaboration—Yiddish is well on its way to becoming the most accessible literature on earth. As I approach my own retirement, it’s hard to imagine a more fitting culmination of everything we hoped to accomplish.”

“Researchers, students, and readers can now explore a critical mass of Yiddish literature through a single search,” said Susan Bronson, executive director and incoming president of the Yiddish Book Center. “This transformative resource creates new opportunities for engagement with Yiddish culture.”

The Universal Yiddish Library is open to additional institutional partners with Yiddish book collections. By contributing records and scans, new collaborators can help grow what is already the most comprehensive digital resource for Yiddish books ever assembled. If you are interested in discussing potential partnerships, please contact Amber Kanner Clooney at aclooney@yiddishbookcenter.org.

To explore the universal Yiddish Library and search the collections, visit universalyiddishlibrary.org.

Major support for the Universal Yiddish Library has been generously provided by the David Berg Foundation, the Abby J. and David Cohen Family Foundation, the David and Barbara B. Hirschhorn Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities, Michael (z”l) and Linda J. Schmelzer, Robert and Nina Schor, and Josh Weston.

About the Yiddish Book Center: 

The Yiddish Book Center recovers, preserves, teaches, and celebrates Yiddish literature and culture to advance a fuller understanding of Jewish history and identity. Over the span of 45 years, the Center has launched an extensive array of bibliographic, educational, and cultural initiatives and programs. For additional information, visit yiddishbookcenter.org.

The following was written by MyHeritage:

June was a landmark month at MyHeritage — we’ve just added a staggering 1.25 billion historical records across 21 collections! While many are updates to existing collections, the real treasure lies in the new additions, especially in newspapers and census records. From Australia to Estonia, France to the U.S., these updates span a wide range of countries and record types, including: France, Names & Stories in Newspapers — now totaling over 818 million records Canada, Names & Stories in Newspapers — 70 million new records added France, Tables of Successions and Absences, 1890–1970 — expanded to over 47 million records Search all the records NOW These enhancements mean that you have unprecedented access to resources that could help you uncover new family connections, break through brick walls, or add rich context to your ancestors' lives. You can explore the full update on our blog.

Sarasota County officials hosted a groundbreaking Monday for a significant expansion of the Fruitville Library, which will feature a new history center.

Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources’ new center will open up residents and visitors to the county’s extensive collection of local and regional history materials and genealogy.

The center will also feature a do-it-yourself digitization lab, public meeting spaces for classes and workshops and a local history exhibit gallery.

Its vast archives, including photos, maps, film, personal records and more, will be stored in an area designed to archival and museum-quality standards.

“As a librarian, it is rewarding to see our Fruitville Library integrated into this project,” said Dr. Renee DiPilato, the county’s director of libraries and historical resources. “The library will be refreshed, expanded and modernized to include a makerspace, a dedicated area for teens and several additional meeting spaces.”

The new center is slated to be complete in the fall of 2026.

The following is a press release written by the National Genealogical Society:

8 July 2025, Louisville, Kentucky—Leaders from the family history and aging communities gathered in May to identify collaborative approaches that enhance healthy aging. The National Genealogical Society, Vivid-Pix, FamilySearch, and other genealogy organizations joined experts in AgeTech, home and facility healthcare, and healthy aging for a first-ever symposium designed to explore how family history activities can support America’s aging population and its caregivers in promoting longevity and mental health in aging. Highlights from the event, as well as the full symposium, can be viewed at https://Vivid-Pix.com/NGS-Symposium.  Panelists from the healthcare sector discussed research on SuperAgers, healthy aging, and the brain, concluding: The average American lifespan is 79 years, making healthy aging today vastly different from 1965 when Medicare was established and American lifespans were less than 70 years.[i] The population aged 65 and older is the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population.[ii] Technology is essential to older Americans. According to AARP, the average person aged 50 and older owns seven technology devices.[iii] The single highest risk factor of avoidable dementia is hearing loss.[iv] Over 75 percent of people age 70 and over are in good health;[v] however, loneliness increases the risk of dementia by more than 30 percent.[vi] Dr. Charlotte Yeh of Yeh Innovation and past-Chief Medical Officer at AARP Services, Inc., stated, “There are three things that really matter for healthy aging and lower healthcare costs. One, having a sense of purpose is associated with better health outcomes. Number two, social connection. That is one of the most powerful things for healthy aging, and what do you do in genealogy? You join a community of like-minded people while you recreate your family. And the third is a positive view of aging. And because you dive into family histories, you learn how growing older brings wisdom, experience, and resilience.” Two panels with family history leaders explored how purpose, social connection, and a positive outlook on aging are fostered through genealogy and family history pursuits. Some key observations included: If we listen to and let older adults share their stories, look at photos, and research their family history, it can help provide seniors with a sense of purpose.  An Ancestry research project referenced during the symposium described that 80% of seniors will share their stories when asked.  We can enhance social connection and reduce loneliness by fostering relationships through storytelling.  Researching genealogy is similar to using puzzles, which makes connections and keeps the brain young. Reflecting on the past can evoke fond memories and enhance older adults’ perspectives on aging. Grandchildren can encourage older adults to open up and share more of their stories than they might have otherwise done with their children. Collaborating with caregivers can provide families with opportunities to share stories and learn more about their ancestors. Treating older adults with dignity enhances engagement and can lead to improved therapeutic outcomes. The National Institute for Dementia Education, CERTUS Institute, and Vivid-Pix have expanded their research to further understand how therapeutic activities using photos and mementos can improve the connection between care-receiver and caregiver, reducing loneliness, isolation, depression, and burnout.  Research on outcomes associated with family history activities is important and should be supported. Creating events that align senior services, genealogical and historical societies, local communities, libraries, archives, and museums (SLAMs) can help bring people together. SLAMs require financial support and tools to increase their engagement with the aging community. One of the key findings from the symposium is that there is a mutual benefit from collaboration between family historians and the healthy aging community. David Rencher, President of the National Genealogical Society and Chief Genealogical Officer for FamilySearch, noted, “We have to understand the largest genealogical asset on the planet is living memory.” Curt Witcher, Director of Special Collections and Manager of The Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library told the audience, “The power of partnership is essential. We have extremely good success working with every elder care facility in northeast Indiana that will have us. No matter what we do, the residents embrace it, the activities directors embrace it,” Witcher said, proving the demand for family history programming is high in these settings. Together, these two communities can enhance health and memory outcomes while expanding Americans’ understanding of how families and our society are interconnected. For more information and videos of each session, please see the NGS YouTube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPuFl1BJIibMhVenEuWQB-6C1XC_nDtDa. For more information and a summary video, please see: https://www.vivid-pix.com/ngs-symposium/. About the Organizers The National Genealogical Society supports the aging community through its vast network of over 8,000 family historians and 500 genealogy organization members representing hundreds of thousands of people interested in family history. Family history activities, including reading, research, analysis, and writing, are brain-healthy activities that keep people engaged and socially connected. For more info, see: https://www.ngsgenealogy.org/.  Vivid-Pix invents and harnesses scanning, restoration, recording, and sharing technologies, making it simple for individuals, families, and organizations to relive memories and share stories, reconnecting people, whether through bringing back precious memories thought to be long gone due to the passage of time, or cognitive decline. For more info, see http://www.vivid-pix.com, https://vivid-pix.com/reminisce, https://vivid-pix.com/education, and https://vivid-pix.com/memorystation.

The following is a press release written by the (U.S.) National Archives and Records Administration:

Presidential Pets If you have a pet, you have something in common with most U.S. presidents. Presidential Pets, a new special exhibit at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, MA, puts the spotlight on some of the beloved animals–including dogs, cats, horses, goats, birds, rodents, reptiles and more–that have joined the First Families in the White House. Through objects, photos, letters, recordings, film and interactive displays, this exhibit looks at some of these animals and their presidential owners over the course of two and a half centuries. Presidential Pets will remain on display until January 4, 2026. The Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. Reserve your tickets online. Turning History into Justice During WWII, the Third Reich systematically looted cultural treasures from Nazi-occupied countries. Following the war’s end, 39 photographic albums were found depicting cultural works the Nazis had seized. These volumes, in the holdings of the National Archives, served as evidence in the Nüremberg trials to determine the extent of Nazi looting and the extent to which these treasures were recovered by the Allies and restituted.  Check out World War II Looted Art: Turning History into Justice, an online exhibit from the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, to learn more. Panels of the Ghent altarpiece in the Mine at Altaussee, Austria.  NAID: 404792470 From the Museum: The Bill of Rights Did you know that the Constitution might never have been formalized if the framers hadn't promised to add a Bill of Rights? Ratified on December 15, 1791, the first ten amendments gave citizens more confidence in the new government and contain many of today's most valued freedoms, including free speech, free press, freedom of assembly, and freedom of religion. The Bill of Rights–along with the nation’s other Founding Documents, the Constitution and Declaration of Independence–is on permanent display in the Rotunda of the National Archives in Washington, DC. The National Archives Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m ET. Timed entry tickets to see the Bill of Rights in person are encouraged, but not required. The Bill of Rights is the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. It defines citizens’ and states’ rights in relation to the Government.  NAID: 1408042

The following is a press release written by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission:

The Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) has announced new and revised finding aids recently made available online, along with fresh uploads to the Texas Digital Archive, its repository of electronic items.

The State Archives preserves and documents the heritage and culture of Texas by identifying, collecting and making available for research the permanently valuable official records of Texas government, as well as other significant historical resources. Finding aids are written guides to archival records, including descriptive information and a folder inventory, and help researchers in the use of holdings that have been prepared for research. 

Researchers are invited to visit the State Archives during public service hours: 9:00 a.m. – 4:45 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on the second Saturday of each month. Appointments to use archival materials are encouraged but not required. For more information, see www.tsl.texas.gov/arc/visit.

TSLAC provides access to online finding aids online at www.tsl.texas.gov/arc. A comprehensive list of all recently added and updated finding aids can be found in TSLAC’s online catalog at https://bit.ly/TSLACnewcollections. Contact archives reference staff at 512-463-5455 or archinfo@tsl.texas.gov to learn more about finding aids. 

New Finding Aids

Manuscripts

Friends of the Governor’s Mansion records are tour schedules, function sheets, docent manuals, historians' notebooks, correspondence, notes, oral histories, agendas, newsletters, electronic newsletters, invitations, financial reports, meeting minutes, renovation documents, historical information about the mansion, furniture and furnishing inventories, loan documentation, photographs, film reels and a VHS videotape about the history of the mansion, and ephemera related to the Docent's Committee, 1937, 1964-2023, and undated, bulk 1979-1995. A portion of these materials have been digitized and are part of the Texas Digital Archive.

The Sharpstown stock-fraud litigation case file encompasses subpoena records, trial testimony, trial notes, opening witness documents, closing jury arguments, appellate research, and appellate briefs submitted to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals pursuant to the trial in Abilene, Texas; and the opinion issued by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals at the conclusion of the appeal.

W. Lee O’Daniel collection, dating 1937-1948 and undated, consisting of photographs, artwork, maps, scrapbooks, and a lacquer disc recording of his "Hillbilly Boys" radio show. These document O'Daniel's family; political campaigns; his farm near Burleson, Texas; and news of the day. A portion of these materials have been digitized and are part of the Texas Digital Archive.

State Records

Texas Health Care Disparities Task Force meeting files consist of minutes, agendas, and supporting meeting documentation, dating 2002-2004.

Texas Health Care Information Council records are minutes, agendas, and supporting documentation of meetings of the council held between 1996 and 2004, and the agency's Sunset Commission review report and remarks from 1998; the bulk of the records date 1996-1997.

Texas Health and Human Services Commission Office of Inspector General organization charts showing the structure of the Office of the Inspector General, dated 2006-2022. 

Texas Statewide Health Coordinating Council meeting records dating 1977-1996, consisting of minutes, agendas, and supporting documents (including committee minutes, correspondence, council resolutions, and reports). 

Texas Department of State Health Services Promotor(a) or Community Health Worker Training and Certification Advisory Committee minutes and agendas, 2002-2013, documenting the work accomplished by the committee at its meetings.
 

Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services Council meeting records, 2005-2016, containing minutes, agendas, and supporting documents of meetings of the DADS Council.

Texas Secretary of State labor records, dating 1943-1979, consisting of labor exemption orders (1943-1971) and labor organizer card applications as filed with the office of the Secretary of State between 1943 and 1979, along with related materials such as labor organizer card revocation files and correspondence; and annual reports of Texas-based labor unions (1949, 1951, 1975-1978).
 

Revised Finding Aids

Manuscripts
A new TSLAC finding aid is now available for the Henry Arthur McArdle scrapbooks, which have been newly digitized and are available in the Texas Digital Archive. In addition, the online exhibit for the McArdle scrapbooks has been revised and redesigned, and the scrapbook images are also available there. We think you’ll like the new look of this very popular online exhibit.
 

Beauford H. Jester Railroad Commissioner campaign recordings and transcripts – all materials have been digitized and are part of the Texas Digital Archive. 

Price Daniel audiovisual materials and related papers - all materials have been digitized and are part of the Texas Digital Archive.
  

Texas Brewers’ Institute records – includes digitized materials that are part of the Texas Digital Archive. 

Zarh Pritchard collection – includes digitized materials that are part of the Texas Digital Archive.

State Records

Republic claims: TSLAC now has an improved researcher experience available for the Republic claims portion of its Texas Comptroller's Office claims records, including a revised TSLAC finding aid available. The Republic claims portion of the records has been digitized and is part of the Texas Digital Archive.

Texas Attorney General's Office Howard Hughes estate litigation case file

Texas Attorney General's Office litigation case files – includes electronic records that are part of the Texas Digital Archive.
  

Texas Attorney General’s Office, Office of the Solicitor General litigation case files

Texas Capitol Building Commission administrative records and architectural drawings – includes digitized records that are part of the Texas Digital Archive.

Texas Department of Water Resources water planning files

Texas Ethics Commission records – includes electronic records that are part of the Texas Digital Archive.

Texas House of Representatives recordings – all recordings are part of the Texas Digital Archive
  

Texas Secretary of State deed files

Texas Secretary of State Elections Division election returns (precinct-by-precinct) 

Texas Department of Transportation Right of Way Division records – all records are part of the Texas Digital Archive.
  

Texas Board of Criminal Justice minutes and meeting files – includes electronic records that are part of the Texas Digital Archive.

Texas Bureau of State Health Planning and Resource Development records 
  

Texas Historical Commission Community Heritage Development Division records

Texas Secretary of State legislative bills and resolutions filed (General and special laws) – includes digitized records that are part of the Texas Digital Archive.

Texas Water Development Board Office of Project Finance and Construction Assistance records – includes electronic records that are part of the Texas Digital Archive.
  

Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation records – includes electronic records that are part of the Texas Digital Archive.

Texas Executive Council of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Examiners records– includes electronic records that are part of the Texas Digital Archive.

Texas Department of Agriculture audiovisual materials – majority of the materials have been digitized and are part of the Texas Digital Archive.
  

Texas Secretary of State bonds and oaths – majority of the records have been digitized and are part of the Texas Digital Archive.

Texas Water Commission minutes

Texas Water Development Board meeting files
 

Texas Department of Agriculture audiovisual materials – majority of the materials have been digitized and are part of the Texas Digital Archive. 

Texas Secretary of State bonds and oaths – majority of the records have been digitized and are part of the Texas Digital Archive. 

Texas Water Commission minutes
  

Texas Water Development Board meeting files

Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation records – includes electronic records that are part of the Texas Digital Archive. 

Texas Executive Council of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Examiners records– includes electronic records that are part of the Texas Digital Archive.
  Local Records

Galveston County (Tex.) County Clerk's Office records

###

Would you like to receive daily email updates showing all the newly-added articles on this web site in the past 24 hours?

These notices are easy to add and, best of all, are available free of charge. Even better, if you later change your mind and no longer wish to receive those email messages, you can unsubscribe within a few seconds.

There was a previous service that previously sent email messages of all the newly added articles added to this web site in the past 24 hours. However, it was a bit awkward to use, it cost me money, and the third-party service that produced it eventually stopped offering it.

This new service removes me from the equation completely. I like that. And the fact that it is free to newsletter readers is even better.

The new service is Blogtrottr at https://https://blogtrottr.com. (Notice there is no letter "e" in the word Blogtrottr.) The service has lots of options, including the capability to filters that enable you to include or exclude updates based on the item contents. The items you receive can be (at your option) HTML emails or plain text. Your updates can be sent as a PDF, or as plain text or HTML (with embedded images) attachments for easy offline or e-book reading. There are several more options as well (details are on the Blogtrottr web site.)

Blogtrottr will send the ENTIRE articles, not just the URL and the first line or two.

The emails sent by Blogtrottr will contain advertising, not unusual in any of the so-called "free services." I found the ads were not terribly intrusive. 

In short, you own your own subscription. You can add, delete, or change the email address at any time. Not bad for a FREE service!

To sign up for this FREE service:

1. Open up a web browser (most any web browser will do) and go to https://blogtrottr.com. 

2. Under the "Getting Started" section, enter the RSS news feed URL of this web site: https://eogn.com/page-18080/rss (you might want to copy-and-paste that for convenience but you can also enter it manually.)

3. Next, enter your own email address.

4. Finally, enter how often you wish to receive the email messages, The options are: Realtime digest, 2 hours digest, 4 hours digest, 6 Hours digest, 8 hours digest, 12 hours digest, or Daily digest. (I might suggest "Daily" unless you really don't mind lots of email messages!)

5. Click on "Feed Me."

To prove that you're not a robot, you will have to click on a checkbox on the next screen you see labelled "Security check."

That's It!

Finally, Blogtrottr will send you an email asking "Was that you that sent the request?" Reply in the affirmative and then sit back and wait for the email messages to roll in. If you selected the Daily digest option, your first email will be sent to you about 24 hours later. 

You might consider adding busybee@blogtrottr.com to your address book or spam whitelist to placate any overexcitable spam filters.

I have been using this service for a few months and it seems to work well. In short, you own your own subscription. You can add, delete, or change your email address at any time. Not bad for a FREE service!

Have questions about Blogtrottr? Most questions are answered at: https://blogtrottr.com/help/.

The following is a press release written by the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland:

60,000 pre-and-post famine names for family historians to explore in new Population Portal

175,000 new historical records are now freely available online in the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland to mark the 103rd anniversary of the Four Courts blaze that destroyed the Public Record Office of Ireland, and with it seven centuries of Irish history.

Launched three years ago, the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland (VRTI) is now home to over 350,000 records and 250 million words of searchable Irish history. Led by Trinity College Dublin and supported by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, the project brings together historians, computer scientists, archivists, and librarians working to digitally recreate Ireland’s destroyed public record office and its lost collections.

Among new treasures freely available online today for the first time are 60,000 names from the 19th-century census destroyed in 1922. Painstakingly compiled from transcriptions preserved in National Archives of Ireland and Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, these recovered transcripts of census returns reveal ordinary lives across the island of Ireland in the decades before and after the Great Famine.

New in the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland for 2025:

• Population Portal: genealogical riches include 60,000 names from the 19th-century census destroyed in 1922. (NAI, PRONI, Trinity)
• The Age of Revolution Portal: documents illustrate the drama of the 1798 Rebellion and Ireland’s links to the American Revolution. (PRONI, NAI, Library of Congress, TNA)
• The Age of Conquest Portal: five million words of Anglo-Norman (1170-1500) Irish history translated into English. (TNA, IMC, NAI, Trinity)
• State Papers Ireland: (1660–1720) over 10 million words on governing Ireland in the dramatic years following Cromwell’s death. (TNA)
• Knowledge Graph Explorer: a powerful new tool for identifying people and places, and the links between them, in the records. (ADAPT Research Ireland Centre)

Trinity historian Dr Peter Crooks, Academic Director of the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland, said: “We are excited to release our latest collections freely online for citizen researchers, students, and the academic community. The scale, scope, and significance of these materials is remarkable. They will be of huge interest to anyone exploring Ireland’s story as a global island. Thousands of names of individuals from before and after the Great Famine; extensive intelligence reports from the Tudor era; and a host of medieval records presented in English alongside the original Latin parchment — these vast and varied collections are a testament to the power of collaboration.

“A stand-out for me is the extraordinary detective work by our research team and partners in Dublin and Belfast on the pre-Famine census returns. Millions of names were lost, tragically, in 1922 when those records went up in flames. But today, on the 103rd anniversary of the fire, we are releasing more than 60,000 names newly recovered from those very census returns. It’s a tremendous achievement. What we have uncovered after years of painstaking archival work will help families across the world trace their story deeper into the Irish past.”

The Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland  is supported by the Irish Government through funding from the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport under Project Ireland 2040 and is freely and permanently available online at Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland (virtualtreasury.ie).

Patrick O’Donovan, Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, said: “The Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland is a wonderful legacy for our Decade of Centenaries. It offers an invaluable historical resource for people of all ages and traditions across the island of Ireland and abroad, and democratises access so that our shared history is more accessible and engaging for everyone.

“These new releases are very exciting and I commend the team in Trinity College Dublin, who have led the project with such vision, ambition, integrity, and care. I would like to acknowledge also the core partners – the National Archives of Ireland (NAI), the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI), the National Archives UK (TNA), the Irish Manuscripts Commission (IMC), and the Library of Trinity College Dublin – as well as the many other participating institutions who have so generously and enthusiastically shared their archival collections, as well as their time and expertise. From the beginning, all-island and international collaboration has been a cornerstone of the project’s success.

“The Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland has enabled local communities and family historians to explore their own histories in new ways, through the freely accessible archival records and innovative technologies. This creative approach, underpinned by academic rigour, allows for new perspectives and a greater understanding of what we thought we knew already.  It is very inspiring to see how the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland has encouraged and stimulated new research and scholarship.  I encourage everyone to delve into the Treasury and its archival collections, and discover for themselves the riches contained within these records.”

Dr Linda Doyle, Provost of Trinity College Dublin, added: “The Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland is a beacon project demonstrating the power of interdisciplinary research, advanced technologies and strong partnerships to achieve significant societal impact. The release of so many fascinating new records for free to the public is another impressive milestone and will be of interest to diverse audiences interested in preserving and exploring our shared past. The project is underpinned by rigorous academic scholarship, the ethical application of artificial intelligence, as well as many fruitful collaborations.”

To mark the 103rd anniversary the VRTI platform has also been upgraded with powerful new features including the Knowledge Graph Explorer developed as part of a research collaboration with ADAPT Research Ireland Centre. Based on semantic web research, it is the first of its kind for Irish historical research and harnesses the power of Linked Data to reveal connections across the archive in an accessible way.

Declan O’Sullivan, Prof. in Computer Science, ADAPT Research Ireland Centre and the School of Computer Science and Statistics, Trinity, said: “With the launch of the Knowledge Graph Explorer, we are providing a new way for citizen researchers to interact with Irish people and places in an intuitive and easy way that encourages exploration of Irish history. Building on over a decade of research into Knowledge Graph technologies within ADAPT at the School of Computer Science and Statistics, the VRTI Knowledge Graph Explorer provides a new way to structure historical knowledge and link to other sources of knowledge about individual people and places. And even better it provides us with the basis to link people and places to individual VRTI records and back again.”

Background: 

The Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland (VRTI) is an all-island and international research partnership working to reconstruct the Public Record Office of Ireland — a magnificent archive destroyed in 1922 at the outset of the Civil War. It was Launched by Taoiseach Micheál Martin in 2022, as a living legacy from the Decade of Centenaries, to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the destruction of Ireland’s public records dating back to thirteenth century.

VRTI is engaged with research at the forefront of technology including the ethical use of Artificial Intelligence. This research is led by the Research Ireland-funded ADAPT Centre and computer scientists in the School of Computer Science and Statistics. VRTI is committed to bringing Irish history to the people. It has delivered eight local roadshows from Donegal and Derry to Cork and Waterford since 2023 — with Youghal and Limerick to follow next on the list. A new digital exhibition ‘Collecting Ireland’s History’, exploring the crucial role of Libraries in Ireland and Britain in the recovery of Irish records, was launched in June 2025.  

Knowledge Graph Explorer: The VRTI platform has been upgraded with powerful new features — including the Knowledge Graph Explorer developed as part of a research collaboration with ADAPT Research Ireland Centre. This exciting new tool based on semantic web technology research harnesses the power of linked data to reveal connections across the archive in a format accessible to the general public, and is the first of its kind for Irish historical research.

The following is an announcement written by the  Ó Dochartaigh Clann Association:

The Ó Dochartaigh Clann Association is holding a gathering on Wednesday, July 23, at McGrory’s Hotel in Culdaff starting at 7:30 pm.

On the night, after a short introduction of our Executive Committee and Directors, we will share what the association has been doing since our last in-person meeting in Inishowen. It was held in July 2015, during the last Worldwide Clann Association gathering in Ireland.

Then the real fun will begin - the pub quiz, organised by the great quiz master Peter Doherty “Saddler,” to entertain and challenge us. Bring your friends and family and join in a friendly competition of trivia knowledge. Let’s show the visitors how it is done. Team sign-ups will happen at the door.

This non-profit organisation has been active in Inishowen and Derry since the early 1980s. Our mission is to “Gather the Clann.” Over the past couple of years, the Ó Dochartaigh Clann Association leadership has been holding monthly meetings on Zoom. A year ago, we began hosting Zoom classes on various subjects concerning clann history, Irish culture and Irish language, as well as clann genealogy.

The Association has held a couple of clann “Hangouts” on Zoom TOO and Ó Dochartaighs from all over the globe got to know one another. We will continue hosting these virtual gatherings - but now it's time to meet in person on July 23rd! For more information, email info@odochartaighassociation.org.

President – Eva Doherty Gremmert, Washington, USA, Vice President – Joe Doherty, Donegal, Ireland, Secretary – Kathleen Travers, Scottish Borders, Scotland, Director – Brian Dougherty, Michigan, USA, Director – Daniel Doherty, British Columbia, Canada, Director – Marie Doherty, Donegal, Ireland, Director – Michael D. Lacopo, Indiana, USA, Director – Rosie Doherty Gremmert, Utah, USA, Director – Will Dougherty III, Missouri, USA, Director – Zack Daughtery, Missouri, USA (Doherty Surname Y-DNA Project Volunteer Administrator)