Journey into History: Cobh's Queenstown Emigration Saga

I highly recommend the genealogy research offering at the Cobh heritage centre. Christy was able to trace my ancestors back to 1760 and also unlocked a long held belief about my G.G. grandparents marriage. He was able to disprove a "taboo" my extended family has long believed true...only it was not! This revelation blew my mind. Christy found photos, and birth, marriage, and death records I had no knowledge of before. A great time spent at Cobh heritage, if you have Irish ancestry book an hour with a genealogist at Cobh!

The museum had so much information and a lot about the Titanic also. We also met with Christy Keating, the genealogist, which was very informative about my family history. Highly recommend!

Christy Keating found ancestors that I didn’t know about. He was very helpful and informative. I will be able to visit where they lived.

The museum was full of history and artifacts and the staff was extremely friendly. We were fortunate to book a session with the genealogist Christy ( sp) who was fantastic! He provided a nice overview of my ancestors and included copies of their records ( ie military enlistment WWI and census logs ) He had a wonderful sense of humor and was quite patient as I asked many questions due to my excitement with each discovery! Thanks for the great afternoon in Cobh ! Katie and Mike Crowley Portland, Maine

Set up an appointment to explore my mother's Irish ancestors. The Genealogist who worked with us was Christy Keating. He was very helpful in that he not only provided information about the probable birthplaces of our ancestors but also the historical context of when they lived in Ireland. His cheerful and engaging manner helped us look through historical records which can at times be confusing. After meeting with him, we were inspired to visit the church in northern Cork where both of my mother's parents were baptized.

A self guided tour through the entire history of Cobh from 1600- now. Packed with information. Takes a good hour to see it all . Some spots set up for child interactions.

Very impressed with the quality of this center! The way the information is presented feels immersive and gave me a strong sense of how my ancestors would have felt as they made their journey to America in the 1890s. I met with the genealogist and learned where my relative lived and was baptized in Cork city. It was a very meaningful visit.

Christy Keating was very patient and thorough. He was able to find my great grandparents, where they were from and even gave me the name of the ships that transported them. We are very pleased!

My husband and I visited Christy, the genealogist, to find out more about my Irish family history. For years I have heard many stories about my father's family emigrating to the USA during the potato famine. In just one visit, I learned that most of the stories were a bit exaggerated, (hmmm an Irish trait perhaps?), and Christy provided us with piles of new and exciting information. I was so excited I went back to the hotel room and began researching sites he recommended immediately. This led to more and more questions so...to Christy's surprise, we changed our travel plans and spent another afternoon talking with him to clarify even more information. I cannot express how informative and fun he was as we uncovered many interesting facts! He is so knowledgable and willing to answer even the craziest questions. I highly recommend a stop and a visit with him (call first) if you are at all interested in learning whether or not you have Irish roots. The minute I landed in Ireland, I felt a sense of belonging that I could not explain. The people, the beautiful scenery, the food, etc. all felt so welcoming. Then to learn I have familial roots on both sides of my family which made me proud! I am already planning a trip back. When I left, I gave Christy a big hug and a proper Irish goodbye. He changed my life forever. Don't miss your opportunity! Cobh Heritage Center!

This was my second time visiting the Cobh Heritage center from the United States. For both visits we scheduled an appointment with Christy Keating, the genealogist on site. We brought what little information we had about our family tree, focusing on a different branch of our Irish roots with each visit. We had a great experience learning about our family heritage, unveiling interesting facts that we were unaware of prior to our visit. Christy was enthusiastic and asked poignant questions that led us to remarkable and exciting discoveries. He found an address of a 5th generation grandfather and we were able to use the information to find the house in Dublin. It was very cool walking in our ancestors footsteps —right up to the front door!! I highly recommend making an appointment with Christy when you come to the Cobh heritage center.