Places are available for €100 for both friends of Annesbrook and first time visitors. Our expert panel of Brian, Fiona, Eileen and Sean are looking forward to seeing you all here on Saturday week for a day of insights into genealogy and family history.

Read full details about the day

For those of you who have just started on the long journey back through your family history or have simply wondered where to start. Relax in the unique surroundings of a charming 18th Century house in Meath and let an expert panel bring Irish genealogy to life. The lively, entertaining day will make sense of the rich world of family history and bring you back to the times, traditions and customs of bygone days. This workshop is a unique opportunity to learn from internationally acclaimed experts and share with others the successes and challenges of your research.

THE PANEL

Brian Donovan is a co-founder and director of Eneclann Ltd., the award winning Trinity College Campus company. He was also instrumental in establishing both www.irishorigins.com and www.findmypast.ie. Both of these websites are major online resources for Irish genealogical records.

Since 1997 Brian has played a key role in the digitisation of Irish genealogical resources. He was the technical advisor for the landmark Trinity College project to digitise the 1641 Depositions and was also responsible for the mass digitisation project of church records for the Irish government website www.irishgenealogy.ie.

Brian is particularly interested in sixteenth century Irish history and prehistory. He is also fascinated by the genetic origins of the Irish people. He has lectured throughout Ireland and the US on history, genealogy and electronic publishing.

Fiona Fitzsimons is Research Director of Eneclann, a Trinity College campus company, that offers Irish genealogy and history research services to individual and corporate clients in Ireland and worldwide.

Since 1997 Fiona and her team have completed over 15,000 individual commissions, ranging from private family history to media research for television and film. Research credits include the Irish, U.K. and Australian series of ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’, RTÉ’s ‘Ancestors During the Famine’; and for PBS ‘Faces of America’, and ‘Finding our Roots’ with Henry Louis Gates.

In 2008 Fiona traced Barack Obama’s family tree in Ireland back to the 1600s, and in May 2011 received the president’s personal thanks during his visit to Ireland. Fiona’s research interests include Gaelic lordships andIrish lineages; Dublin Guilds and artisan-business 1600s to 1850s; and records in the Registry of Deeds.

Eileen Ó Dúill has been a professional Irish genealogist since 1990 and specializes in forensic genealogy. She has researched over 400 estates internationally in order to locate the rightful heirs in intestate cases.

Eileen was raised in Queens, New York, one of 7 children of Irish parents. In 1974, she emigrated to Ireland where she met and married Sean O’Duill. They have 5 children. In 1990 she was able to turn a lifelong hobby into a business providing a professional Irish genealogical research service. As an American living in Ireland, she has a unique perspective on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean and an understanding of her fellow countrymen in their quest for their Irish heritage. Eileen regularly speaks to Genealogical groups in North America.

Sean Ó Dúill is a fluent Irish speaker from Louisburgh, Co. Mayo. He has published several articles in Irish and English on Irish folklore. Sean has lectured at conferences in Ireland and the United States, most recently at the FGS conference in Philadelphia, 2008.

His research into Irish Folklore has developed into a series of lectures which have been of great interest to Irish family historians. The source of Sean’s research is the 1937 Irish Folklore Commission School Project which was designed to gather and preserve the richness of Irish folklore through school children of 12 to 14 years. By interviewing their grandparents and neighbours in the parish, they were able to reach back to just after the famine period and record the treasures of their elders.

Sean declares himself to be “of the folk” and as he is from within the tradition, he can bring to life the voices of the children, their ancestors and ours.

Your Day

Be sure to enjoy the delicious scones and other treats during the morning and afternoon breaks. As a one day introduction, it will not be possible to for the panel to provide one-to-one support to participants on individual projects. But do bring your questions and queries to share with the group.

Genealogy is a fascinating hobby, and it can also enrich our knowledge and understanding of our own families. This April join us in Annesbrook to explore aspects of Irish genealogy. Let our experts inform and entertain you in this beautiful and historic country house setting. Relax and join in the discussion of fellow enthusiasts, as you mingle with expert genealogists who have dedicated themselves to illuminating generations past. The unparalleled expertise, the dramatic surroundings, the warm welcome and the good cooking will all combine to create a unique experience. We’re looking forward to it. Do join us! – Kate Sweetman

Further genealogy workshops are planned, so do let us know if you would like to be added to our contact list.

The Menu for the evening has been finalised and is as follows:

That is a night of outstanding theater and dinner in a unique location for just €40.

A dinner theatre presentation at Annesbrook, Duleek, Co Meath

This theatrical adaptation of Wilde’s classic novel has already played to great acclaim countrywide. The story is set in the decadent world of Victorian London, where the socialite Lord Henry Wotton seduces the beautifully boyish Dorian Gray into a hedonistic life of indulgence, vice and dissipation. Infatuated by Basil Hallward’s portrait,  Dorian makes a Faustian pact that he will remain forever young while the picture charts his decline into sin and ultimate self-destruction.

The Picture of Dorian Gray moves from drawing room comedy to Gothic horror and is a compelling and hugely entertaining theatrical event. This special dinner theatre presentation in the Banqueting Hall at Annesbrook offers a unique opportunity to experience the play in unforgettable surroundings while enjoying the very best of country house cuisine.

Adapted and directed by: Alice Coghlan.
Performed by: Simon Coury, Michael James Ford and Michael Winder.

Hope to see you in Annesbrook in 2012.

Goldoni’s Classic Comedy.

Classic comedy, live music and dinner. This sparkling production of Italy’s most celebrated comedy includes dinner, wine, and a generous helping of live Neapolitan opera and folk music. Our beautiful temptress and her suitors caper, court, sing, and sword fight whilst you dine.

Where and When

What the Press had to say

Fantastic night out! In Dublin

“This is not just an unusual event, but one that is executed almost to perfection.” Sunday Business Post.

“An exuberant battle of the sexes” Metro

“Perfect – the comic touch is so assured. It’s the sort of show that returns play-going to the realms of pure entertainment” Irish Mail on Sunday

“Terrific, really entertaining, the spirit of the Italian version is captured perfectly. Very witty, very fast and the audience has a ball” Dublin City FM

A very successful 8mm horror night was had last weekend. People went to bed suitability scared, there was plenty of checking under them for the bogeyman, he was not fond …

The films we were shown on Saturday evening:  The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, To the Devil a Daughter (both abridged versions) and the full length feature was The Quatermass Xperiment. All the films were curtsy of Dennis Kenny and his extensive film library, thanks Dennis.

Here is a copy of the program of the evening. (2.7 mb pdf)

Many thanks to all that attended and to those who could not make it this time, there will be a next time. See you then!

Were very pleased to be hosting two Photo Ireland workshops here in Annesbrook.

19th Century Photographic Printing in the 21st Century

• Tutor: Ian Mitton & Dominic Turner
• Dates: 9 & 10 July, 2011 – 2 Day residential Workshop
• Cost: €500 pp (Max. 8 people)

The Two Day Workshop will include:

Full board (one night Annesbrook), tuition, chemistry and equipment provided. Each participant will also receive a workshop manual containing formulas, notes on chemical preparation, the alternative processes and a resources section.

DAY 1 – Saturday, 9th July, 2011

• Morning
  • Overview of process, chemicals, equipment needed, organisation, care and maintenance of chemicals. Characteristics of final prints.
  • Health and safety recommendations.
  • Discussion and preparation of Digital Negatives.

• Afternoon
  • Hand coating papers.
  • Mixing Chemistry
  • Making Cyanotype prints.
  • Making Van Dyke prints.
  • Review of processes and correcting mistakes.
  • Tidy up chemicals.

• Evening
  • Evening meal followed by optional slideshow giving a brief history of the processes, their fall from grace to re-emergence in the 1970′s and contemporary practitioners in the field.

DAY 2 – Sunday, 10th July 2011

• Morning
  • Hand coating papers.
  • Mixing Chemistry.
  • Making Gum Bichromate prints.
  • Making Palladium prints.

• Afternoon
  • Continue exploring the four processes.
  • Fine tuning printing and controlling contrast.
  • Individual guidance with process.
  • Drying an presentation options.
  • Tidy up chemicals.

A deposit of €150 will be required no later than two weeks before the commencement of the course.
Please email: workshops@exhibitastudios.ie or call: 01 707 1673 to book your place.

About the tutors.

Ian Mitton is a senior lecturer on the BA photography program at IADT and presents the alternative processes module. Dominic Turner is a co-founder of Exhibit A Studios and regularly exhibits his 19C prints. Both are founding members of ‘Chasing Shadows’

Find out more about photo Ireland or the 19th Century Photographic Printing in the 21st Century workshop.

Wet Collodion 19th C. Photographic Process

some images from the previous wet collodion workshop.

• Tutor: Gwen Wilkinson, Golden Fleece Award 2011.
• Dates: 23rd & 24th July 2011 – 2 Day residential Workshop.
• Cost: €500 pps (€550 single occupancy).

The Two Day Workshop will include:

Full board (one night at Annesbrook), tuition, chemistry and equipment provided. Each participant will also receive a workshop manual containing formulas, notes on chemical preparation, the wet-plate process and a resources section.

DAY 1 – Saturday, 23 July 2011– registration 09.30

• Morning
  • Overview of parts and process, chemicals, equipment needed, organisation, care and maintenance of chemicals. Characteristics of collodion.
  • Health and safety recommendations.
  • Demonstration of complete process. Choosing a simple subject, under natural light, camera will be set up, a glass plate will be poured, sensitised, exposed in camera, developed, fixed and washed.

• Afternoon
  • Practice collodion pouring technique using suitable alternative medium.
  • Prepare glass plates, sanding edges and cleaning.
  • Set up cameras and prepare plate holders to make an exposure.
  • Make plates.
  • Wash, dry plates.
  • Tidy up chemicals.

• Evening
  • Evening meal followed by optional slideshow giving a brief history of the wet-plate process and contemporary practitioners in the field.

DAY 2 – Sunday, 24 July 2011

• Morning
  • Overview of common mistakes and how to correct them.
  • Varnish previous days plates if not already done.
  • Preparation of glass plates.
  • Make plates, individual guidance with wet plate process.

• Afternoon
  • Continue making glass plates and possibly tintypes.
  • Experiment making glass plates for use as negatives for printing.
  • Individual guidance with process.
  • Varnish plates and coat reverse side of ambrotypes with black paint if wished.
  • Tidy up chemicals.

A deposit of €150 will be required no later than two weeks before the commencement of the course.

Please email: workshops@exhibitastudios.ie or call: 01 707 1673 to book your place.
If participants require they can book an additional night and evening meal for the Friday directly from us, email: contact@annesbrook.com or call: 041-9823293.

ABOUT THE TUTOR

Gwen Wilkinson is a professional visual artist whose primary discipline is photography. For the past three years she has been involved in the exploration of historic photographic processes, specifically the creation of plate photography using the wet-plate collodion technique. In recognition for her work in this field she received the prestigious Golden Fleece Award 2011. Further information about the artist and her work is available at www.gwenwilkinson.com

Find out more about Photo Ireland or the Wet Colldion workshop.

New roof on the back of the house, should keep us and the guests warmer and dry