The Importance of Blending Family Oral History with Solid Genealogical Research Techniques
The value placed on Oral Tradition as a tool in family history research is often minimized (if not completely overlooked) by genealogists who overzealously focus only on primary sources of evidence. Yet, I have found oral tradition, and proving or disproving it, to be one of the most rewarding aspects of my personal family research in Ireland. In addition to meeting many pleasant, interesting, and colorful residents of my Irish ancestral townlands, the knowledge of local history passed on to these people by their forebears, combined with their eagerness to help, have guided me on new trails through previously used primary (original) sources.
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Richard Doherty
Richard M. Doherty is a professional genealogist, lecturer, and author with over 45 years of experience who specializes in Irish research. He has made 39 research trips to Ireland and has lectured on various Irish genealogical topics since 1982 in the U.S., Canada, and Ireland, including two Irish Genealogical Congresses held at Trinity College, Dublin, and Maynooth College, Co. Kildare, Ireland. Dick has appeared on televised talk shows discussing Irish genealogy and has a personal Irish library of over 800 books. He is a founding officer of the Irish Genealogical Society of Michigan serving as president (1998-2000 and 2004-2006). He also was president of the Detroit Society for Genealogical Research (1986-1988 and 2011-2015), and the Oakland County Genealogical Society (1979-1983). He is the Director of Celtic Quest, LLC, organizing genealogical research trips to Ireland’s archives and repositories. Dick is a delegate to the Michigan Genealogical Council, and a member of the Genealogical Speakers Guild. He has been a member of the Ontario Genealogical Society for over 40 years.
His publications include: “The Parish Registers of St. Mary’s Catholic Parish”, Ballyheigue – Our Christian Heritage (Ballyheigue, Co. Kerry, 2012); “Oral Tradition: The Forgotten Source”, Aspects of Irish Genealogy II (Dublin, 1996); “Tracking Irish Generations in Land Valuation Records”, NGS NewsMagazine (July/August/September 2005); was an advisor to the 2nd Edition of Tracing Your Kerry Ancestors by Michael H. O’Connor (Dublin, 1994); and writes the monthly “Our Celtic Quest” column for the Irish Tree, the newsletter of the Irish Genealogical Society of Michigan, and for the Ontario Genealogical Society Irish Special Interest Group website. Dick has also contributed articles to: Genealogical Computing, Digital Genealogist, the Detroit Society for Genealogical Research Magazine, and the Oakland County Genealogical Society Quarterly. He also holds society memberships in the Ontario Genealogical Society (and 5 branches), Irish Genealogical Research Society (London & Dublin), Kerry Archaeological and Historical Society (Ireland), and the Irish Genealogical Society International. His other genealogical interests include Ontario, Scotland, England, Germany, and the Czech Republic.
