New Publication: Researching Irish LGBTQ+ History in Ancestral Journeys

Out now, the Irish Genealogical Society International’s The Septs April 2026 issue featuring my article “Reading Between the Lines in Ancestral Journeys.”

In it, I tell the story of two LGBTQ+ historical figures, Dr. Kathleen Lynn, the Irish surgeon, socialist, suffragette, activist, and queer woman who lived with her “best friend” for 30+ years, and Albert D. J. Cashier, the Irish-American who was assigned female at birth but immigrated to the United States and enlisted for the Civil War as a man, an identity he would use for over 50 years. Using these two as case studies, I discuss best practices for researching ancestors who might fall outside heteronormative structures and roles.

This is a topic I’m particularly passionate about, and I hope that you will take the time to read the issue. As I say within the article, as genealogists we must follow where the records take us and keep an open mind about what we might find, but not every reality of our ancestors’ lives was truly documented, particularly if there were safety or legal reasons for keeping things off official records.

I’m absolutely partial as the Marketing Committee Chair for IGSI, but I think in general The Septs is a great journal, and there are a lot of other fantastic articles in this issue. If you aren’t a member, the issues must be purchased, but at $10 an issue, might I recommend becoming a member if you are interested in Irish genealogy? Membership is only $35 a year, and then you get every issue of The Septs, plus IGSI’s Ginealas newsletter, discounts on the society’s monthly webinars, and more.

A glimpse of my article

Finding these hidden stories requires a deep dive into what in and not in the records and understanding deep historical context—if you've hit a brick wall with an elusive ancestor, let's look at the records together.