Celtic Connections Conference, Day 2

I'm back home now after a long day! I started off Day 2 of the Celtic Connections Conference with Sheila O'Rourke Northrup's presentation on Irish immigration patterns. It was a very interesting lecture on an important topic. She mentioned the Erie Canal and its expansion, which is relevant to my family history. I then attended Brian Donovan's lecture "Murderers, Rebels and Drunkards: Your Irish Ancestors and the Law." Considering how many black sheep ancestors I have (and I keep finding more!), I may need this information! I then heard Bill Budde talk about Celtic timelines. During lunch, we heard a performance of traditional Irish songs. I then attended Kyle Betit's presentation on society records, which was of great interest to me because one of my ancestors was a member of the Repeal Association. The day ended with John Grenham's lecture on the reasons we sometimes cannot find Irish ancestors in online records when they are there, and ways to improve our chances. It was a great conference! The next one will be in Minnesota in 2016. I hope I will be able to go: I could combine the conference with a research trip!