SPONSORED by The Irish Ancestral Research Association TIARA Irish genealogy is one of the most difficult research topics in family history. To make it a little easier, The Irish Ancestral Research Association (tiara.ie) is organizing an Irish genealogy cruise in January 2009. You do not have to be a member to join the cruise. Anyone can attend. We want to give everyone a genuine opportunity to learn how to research Irish families. As every reader of Dick Eastman’s newsletter knows, genealogy conferences held on cruise ships have become very popular. The price is comparable to attending a national conference and you get a fabulous vacation at the same time. This is also a wonderful opportunity to travel with friends and family who are not interested in your passion. There really is something for everyone on modern ships. This trip will focus on Irish research. All speakers have presented at national genealogical conferences and are recognized as knowledgeable in their fields. There will be two tracks. Track 1 will have lectures on basic resources and techniques for Irish research. Track 2 will focus on more advanced topics and is intended for those with experience in using Irish records. The first thirty registrants will be given a one-hour private consultation with one of the professional genealogists on the program. SPEAKERS: Valerie Adams, Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, Belfast Mary Ellen Grogan, TIARA, Boston George B. Handran, expert on Griffith's Valuation, Boston Michael J. Leclerc, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston Gregory O’Connor, National Archives of Ireland, Dublin Eileen and Sean O’Duill, Dublin DATES: Saturday, January 10 through Sunday, January 18, 2009 SHIP: Royal Caribbean, Independence of the Seas This is Royal Caribbean’s newest ship. It is only now being built and will come into service in May 2008. Independence is a sister ship to Freedom of the Seas. If you watch the Travel Channel, there is an hour-long program on Freedom of the Seas hosted by Samantha Brown. Independence will be a large ship, but it will have something for everyone from the Conference Center to the FlowRider surf simulator. ITINERARY: 8 nights in the Eastern Caribbean. Cruise begins and ends in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with day visits to: San Juan, Puerto Rico; Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; and Royal Caribbean’s private beach at Labadee, Haiti. The lectures are scheduled for the three “At Sea” days. They will not conflict with opportunities to visit the ports. Please join us. For detailed information on the cruise, go to the TIARA website (tiara.ie) and click on “Trips” Any questions? Contact Mary Ellen Grogan at megrogan@ix.netcom.com.