PHOENIX — For more than a quarter century, the Irish Cultural Center has helped Arizonans from all walks of life celebrate their Irish heritage. And now, with the McClelland Library, there are even more tools and resources at your disposal when it comes to unlocking the secrets of your family heritage.
For Laddie Shane, a Scottsdale native and now President and Chairperson of the ICLF Board, being a student of Ireland and all things Irish is just part of who he is!
Before serving on the board, Laddie and his younger brother spent hours reviewing archives in the McClelland Library, searching for any clues to his family's past.
"We had family stories like a lot of people do," explains Laddie. "But until we came in here, we didn’t know exact dates or the names or anything."
But piece by piece, Laddie and his brother were able to complete the puzzle, tracing his family roots in Ireland back to the 1500s!
However, for his husband's family, it's been a different story. With the couple planning a June getaway to Ireland, Laddie wanted to help his partner do as much research as possible. They've been able to uncover quite a bit but have hit a few roadblocks along the way.
Thankfully, it seems like the luck of the Irish is on his side!
"It is difficult, but it's not impossible," says Fintan Mullan, a genealogy expert and Executive Director of the Ulster Historical Foundation in Belfast, Northern Ireland. "We tell people, don't despair and don't give up. It is possible. There are many resources."
One of those resources is a recent seminar Fintan hosted at the Irish Cultural Center, teaching Arizonans more than 5,000 miles away from the Emerald Isle how to research their roots.
Fintan says knowing roughly where your ancestors were born and where is a big first step. He says finding those clues are true keys to unlocking secrets to the past.
"We are teaching people to fish," he says.
For Laddie, who attended the seminar, it's all about accessing new resources and techniques to help complete the puzzle for his partner, just like he's been able to do for his own family.
"I think it’s really special," says Laddie. You feel this connection, right? You feel like...I figured myself out in some form or fashion because of it."
The Irish Cultural Center and McClelland Library have a year-round, Phoenix-based genealogy expert on staff, as well as hundreds of resources at your fingertips. For more information about their services, click here.
