Discover Your Irish Ancestry with the Genealogy Butler at This Dublin Hotel

For Marcia DeSanctis, author of the upcoming travel memoir A Hard Place to Leave: Stories from a Restless Life, her Irish lineage had often taken a backseat to her Italian heritage. “The Irish side of my family had been somewhat diluted over time,” she reflects. “In contrast, my Italian roots were much closer: My grandfather immigrated in the 20th century, maintaining a deep connection to the Old World and his hometown. Thus, I felt a strong bond to Italy as it was so tangible.”

However, a recent trip to Europe led DeSanctis to Dublin, igniting her curiosity about the less-explored aspect of her ancestry. By chance, she found that her hotel—the city’s esteemed the Shelbourne—employs a genealogy butler. Guests can provide details such as names of ancestors, birth and death dates, and village names to resident genealogist Helen Kelly, who then sifts through records to construct a more complete family tree.

Since joining the hotel in 2007, Kelly has assisted hundreds of guests like DeSanctis in uncovering their Irish heritage. The process is simple: After gathering the necessary details and conducting her research, she arranges a one-hour meeting to share her findings (either in person or via Zoom). From there, she can guide eager visitors to one of five record offices in Dublin. “My consultation saves guests time,” she explains. “I know from my research which office will best serve their next steps.” These offices range from the General Register Office for vital records to the National Library of Ireland, which “holds extensive records, including Roman Catholic parish registers up to around 1880,” she adds.

Thanks to her conversation with Kelly during her visit to Ireland, DeSanctis is among many travelers who may discover their family history through these public records. Approximately 70 million people globally claim some Irish heritage, and for those lucky enough to visit and explore their roots, Ireland strives to facilitate the process, whether with a genealogy butler or not. The government even maintains irishgenealogy.ie, a site listing church records and civil registers for births, marriages, and deaths. Those who can demonstrate that a grandparent was born in Ireland may even apply for Irish citizenship. Given that an Irish passport ranks as one of the third strongest in the world, according to Arton Capital’s Passport Index, this could alleviate many travel challenges depending on one’s current citizenship status.

Americans (and, to a lesser extent, Canadians) comprise the largest share of tourists that Kelly encounters. Approximately 31 million Americans can trace their lineage back to Ireland, making it unsurprising that the country sees a significant influx of U.S. visitors seeking their heritage. The major wave of emigration to America occurred between 1840 and 1870 during the Irish famine years. “That was when it really took off,” Kelly notes. “But since then, we’ve always been sending people abroad,” she adds with a chuckle.

As Christopher Maginn, a history professor at Fordham University, explains, “Most Irish ancestors arrived in the United States over a century ago, making their experiences and identities a distant memory.” For Irish Americans eager to learn about their genealogy, research is often their only option. “When you factor in that American tourists tend to spend more time and money in Ireland than visitors from other nations, it’s logical for an Irish hotel to have a genealogist available,” he says.

While Maginn points out that the idea of Americans searching for their roots can sometimes come off as a stereotype in Ireland, “the journey holds significant meaning for many Americans,” he asserts. “By embarking on this cultural pilgrimage, American tourists are retracing the steps of renowned Irish Americans like John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama, who visited Ireland and discovered long-lost relatives.” When asked if she has ever helped a guest uncover an unexpected family link, Kelly replies with a smile, “I’ve had amazing experiences with guests, but I’m not at liberty to share those stories.”

Since 2000, Kelly has noticed a rise in interest for Irish heritage travel, believing that the turn of the millennium motivated many to explore their roots. With records like the 1901 and 1911 censuses now accessible online, tracing one’s lineage has become significantly easier. Additionally, 2022 marks the centennial of the signing of the Irish Constitution, making it an especially meaningful time to uncover personal connections to the Emerald Isle.

“There’s a lot of attention on the commemoration of our independence, so those with Irish ancestry are likely more conscious of their heritage and eager to learn,” Kelly observes. “That’s a positive development, as they are not only examining their family histories but also the broader history of Ireland.” Notably, the Shelbourne Hotel, where she works, was the site of the signing of the Irish Free State Constitution in what was then Room 112. Now known as the Constitution Suite, the original oak tables and chairs from that historic event remain, serving as a lasting tribute to some of Ireland’s most esteemed leaders and their contributions.

For DeSanctis, her conversation with Kelly uncovered an unexpected twist in her family’s journey. “I always believed they settled in Quincy, Mass., after leaving Ireland, but they actually went to Prince Edward Island in Canada,” she explains. “It’s fascinating to think about the experiences they must have had. With events like the war in 1798 and the famine... I can’t imagine they wanted to leave home.” Discovering this surprising Canadian link has inspired DeSanctis, a seasoned traveler, to visit the maritime province soon. She hopes that researching local records will provide further insights into her Irish heritage, including the exact towns they emigrated from. “I’ve always wanted to go to Prince Edward Island,” she shares. “Now I find out I have deep roots there.”