From Donegal to Derry to Philadelphia to Ohio to Seoul: Gallagher genealogy

History is personal. This is a quick narrative of my family’s immigration to America from west of Ireland. This is the product of about 15 minutes worth of online research. This means nothing in the grand scheme of things, but it speaks to why we have names, and not numbers attached to our first names. […]

My DNA Journey: From National Geographic to Donegal

Last year roughly at this time, I participated in the The Genographic Project at the National Geographic. It was a project designed to “chart new knowledge about the migratory history of the human species by using sophisticated laboratory and computer analysis of DNA contributed by hundreds of thousands of people from around the world.” It […]

Gallaghers, Ellis Island, immigration, and digital resources

When I was younger especially, I took a great interest in tracking down my family’s history. I was sincerely trying to piece together a narrative, but ultimately failed as very few of my Gallagher family seemed to know anyone beyond my grandfather. Either way, the jury is still out whether or not it will be […]