Genealogy Research at the Maine Irish Heritage Center

The Maine Irish Heritage Center (MIHC) has deeply experienced volunteer genealogists who will be happy to guide you in your search! This is a great way to work on your family tree while helping to raise funds for the MIHC for programming and further enhancement of our Genealogy and DNA research department.

$50/ 1 hour for non-members
$25/ 1 hour for members

If you are new to the Maine Irish Heritage Center, it’s easy to become a member! Click here for more information on membership.

Get Started in our Library

If you want to get started on your own or need access to specialized databases, bring your laptop to our library on Fridays from 10-2 where you can access four very special Ancestry resources with records not available to the general public. These include American Ancestors, Ancestry Library Edition, My Heritage Library Edition, and FamilySearch. We also have a vast database of Maine obituaries that you can search. There’s also a dedicated genealogy research station that can be used for a fee that has several paid subscription services like Newspapers.com, Roots.ie, and FindMyPast.

If your ancestors were from the Portland area, we also have numerous yearbooks and city directories going back to the 1800s.

Book A Consultation

It’s well worth booking a one-hour consultation to see how we can help you in your search. You’ll start by completing a Genealogical Backgrounder and uploading any family trees or relevant documents that you have. We’ll evaluate this and be well prepared for your visit. The more detailed information you provide to us, the better we can help you. Although we are well versed in all areas of Ireland, our two areas of concentration are Connemara County Galway and the Irish of Maine.

Offsite research may be required beyond the Portland area and will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Any outside fees that are incurred for travel or for purchasing vital records during the research process would be in addition to the hourly fee. We work closely with you for approval if this is necessary.

Our library/genealogy center is open to the public on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Genealogists are available by appointment and walk-ins are assisted during this time on a first come first serve basis. It would be most helpful if you complete and submit your genealogy research form before you visit. If you want to take advantage of the 50% member discount on research hours, you should join online before you visit.

If you live a distance away and are not able to visit, we are happy to schedule a video consultation.

Our research archives hold some St. Dominic’s records as well as thousands of Historical obituaries which you may request. We also have a database of Portland and Maine Irish family names that may also be searched by our specialists for you. If you would like to take advantage of these services, please contact us for a fee schedule. These records will be searched automatically as part of the above-listed research fee.

We have St. Dominic’s school records from approximately 1918 to 1930, school yearbooks for various Portland high schools, and many Portland city directories. These are available for use by the public during our Friday open hours.

We hope that you will take advantage of our services and enjoy being part of the MIHC family.

Matthew Jude Barker

Matt is a lifelong resident of Greater Portland and graduated from South Portland High School in 1992. He has been a genealogical and historical research since 1981. Since 1996, Matt has been the author of Maine history articles for many magazines, including Portland, Galway Roots and Discover Maine. He was a contributing writer to several books, including They Changed Their Sky, the Irish in Maine (2004) and John Ford in Focus (2008). He is currently working on a history of the Portland Irish during the Civil War. Matt is the writer and compiler of The Downeast Shamrock, an Irish genealogy newsletter, and the Maine Irish Heritage Trail. In 2012, he received a “40 Under 40” award from the Irish Echo.

Deb Sullivan Gellerson

Deb has had an interest in Irish family history for many years. As a tribute to her parents, she and her siblings researched their Joyce line back to Galway. As a result, all 8 of the Sullivan siblings received their Irish citizenship together at the Boston Consulate in 2001 which is an accomplishment that she is very proud of. Deb has done presentations for the Maine Irish Heritage Center with fellow volunteers in Ireland and all over New England. Deb enjoys her many Volunteer opportunities at MIHC which include being involved with organizing our MIHC parade floats, volunteering at weddings and other events and her work with the genealogy and DNA departments. Other passions include spending time with her grandchildren, hiking in National Parks and enjoying the many outdoor activities that the State of Maine offers.

Helen Donahue Frazier

Helen is a Maine Irish Heritage Center volunteer genealogist and administrator for the Aran Islands-Galway DNA project through Family Tree DNA.
Before joining MIHC she was a public speaker and environmental educator with birds of prey, teaching across the state of Maine to children and seniors alike about the impact we have on our surroundings and its effect on wildlife.

Born and raised in Portland Maine, Helen knew little of her Irish roots until she found herself with extra time on her hands when her daughter went off to college. Helen started searching for the Irish ancestors she knew came to Portland in the early 1800’s. Twenty years later, after many dead ends in burned, lost or inaccurate records, DNA has helped Helen find many Connemara and Aran Island cousins. Helen is committed to helping others find their Irish roots through DNA, and continuing to trace her own roots back to the green hills and smiling eyes.