The ISOGG Day Out is back again!

Here is the draft agenda for the GGI2016 ISOGG Day Out which will take place on Monday 24th October, the day after the conference. There may be some future changes to the agenda (due to unforeseen circumstances) but such changes are not currently anticipated.

Places are limited to only 20 people and the GGI2016 speakers and volunteers on the FTDNA stand get first pick. Any places left available after that will be available on a first-come first served basis to ISOGG members only (so join ISOGG today). If you would like to be considered for a place among the Lucky 20, please leave your details in the comments section below. First-come first served, so be quick! I will notify you if you have been successful in getting a place in the week prior to Back to Our Past.

The GGI2016 Day Out (Mon Oct 24th)

08:45 - 09.00   Assemble at CHQ

09:00 - 10.00   Meet Irish Family History Center CEO Brian Donovan

10:00 - 12:00   Visit EPIC Ireland Exhibition 

12:00 - 12:30  Transfer to Ancestry.com International Operations Center

12:30 - 14:30   Working Lunch at Ancestry.DNA 

14:30 - 15:00   Transfer to GPO

15:00 - 17:00   GPO Witness History, Tour

17:30 - 18:15   Reception at the Mansion House with the Lord Mayor

19:00 - 21:00   Dinner at Ka Shing, WIcklow Street

21:00 -  late!   Temple Bar

Many thanks to our sponsors: CHQ, IFHC, AncestryDNA, Living DNA

The agenda in detail:

08:45 - 09.00   Assemble at CHQ

Address: The chq Building, IFSC, Dublin Docklands, Dublin 1 (map)

The CHQ building is on the River Liffey. CHQ stands for Custom House Quay. It is several hundred metres downstream from the Custom House. Here it is on Google Maps.

A location like no other building in Dublin, the CHQ building overlooks the River Liffey and George’s Dock. Formerly known as Stack A, the CHQ building is a grade one listed building situated within the heart of the city’s bustling International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) in the Docklands. In 2014, it was bought for 10 million euro by Neville Isdell, ex-CEO of Coca Cola. Why are we visiting it? Because it is home to EPIC Ireland, Ireland's new Diaspora Museum, which first opened it's doors in May this year, as well as the newly established Irish Family History Centre which sells DNA tests directly to the public via FamilyTreeDNA.

09:00 - 10.00   Meet IFHC CEO Brian Donovan

Brian Donovan

Director, CEO, Irish Family History Center

Brian has been responsible for directly overseeing the digitisation and indexation of millions of Irish historic records from numerous libraries and archives around Ireland and abroad. Currently he is CEO of Eneclann and an Advisory Group Member of EPIC Ireland. 

The Irish Family History Centre offers expert advice, access to records, and research services. The centre has interactive displays and computer access to Irish genealogy websites that would normally be subscription-based.

10:00 - 12:00   Visit of EPIC Ireland Exhibit 

EPIC Ireland is the new state of the art diaspora museum and experience that showcases the unique journey of the Irish nation, where stories of old are told through the technology of now. EPIC Ireland spreads itself across 21 galleries of vibrant Irish life, as it illuminates the story of Ireland’s communities overseas - past, present and future. It is a very moving experience that plants you right in the shoes of those who emigrated.

The visit is sponsored by EPIC Ireland and admission will be free for everyone on the tour.

Ancestry.com, International Operations Center, 52-55 Sir John Rogerson Quay

12:30 - 14:30   The centre of Ancestry's international operations is on Sir John Rogerson's Quay in the recently revitalised docklands area just south of the river Liffey, where a vibrant cafe society has sprung up taking full advantage of the amenities of the nearby Grand Canal Dock. Crossing Samuel Beckett bridge, it is a mere 10-minute walk from the CHQ Building. We will be meeting with Mike Mulligan, international Product Manager for AncestryDNA, for an informal chat about the future direction of Irish genetic genealogy. Ancestry has kindly offered to sponsor lunch.

14:30 - 15:00    Transfer to GPO (General Post Office)

15:00 - 17:00    GPO Witness History Visitor Center

Address: General Post Office, O Connell Street Dublin 1 

GPO Witness History is a brand new permanent visitor attraction in the iconic GPO (General Post Office) building on O’Connell Street, Dublin. This highly immersive and engaging exhibition puts you right inside the GPO during Easter Week in 1916 when a group of rebels occupied the building, proclaimed Ireland to be independent of Great Britain, and started a series of events that culminated in the birth of a nation.

History will come to life as you experience events from both sides of the conflict and through the eyes of bystanders caught in the crossfire through electronic touch screens, video, audio visual booths, sound and authentic artefacts – many previously unseen.

You’ll be immersed in the action as you compose newspaper reports, examine the original copy of the Proclamation and send Morse code to declare the Irish Republic by radio.

After the exhibition, you can relax and reflect in the café and retail store overlooking the courtyard. The courtyard is also home to a commissioned sculpture called ‘They are of us all’, commemorating the forty children who died during the Easter Rising.

17:30 - 18:15   Reception at the Mansion House with the Lord Mayor
Address: 2 Dawson St, Dublin 2  


19:00 - 21:00   Dinner Ka Shing
Address: 12a Wicklow Street, Dublin 2

Ka Shing is Ireland's oldest Chinese Restaurant and is renowned for the high quality of its food, service, and surroundings. Dinner is kindly sponsored by Living DNA and we will be joined by Dr Martin Blythe, Head of BioInformatics.

Join us for the craic.

ISOGG Ireland says thank you to everyone who helps to make Genetic Genealogy Ireland the great success it has become.

Thank you!

Gerard Corcoran

Sep 2016