Timetable
1p.m. (GMT) Irish migrant slaveholders South Carolina with Martine Brennan
2p.m. (GMT) Mayo slaveholders in the British Caribbean with Dr. Michael O'Connor
3p.m.-3.15p.m. Coffee break
3.15p.m. (GMT) The Weeping Time: the families enslaved by Major Pierce Butler & his descendants with Brian Sheffey
1p.m. (GMT) Irish migrant slaveholders South Carolina with Martine Brennan
2p.m. (GMT) Mayo slaveholders in the British Caribbean with Dr. Michael O'Connor
3p.m.-3.15p.m. Coffee break
3.15p.m. (GMT) The Weeping Time: the families enslaved by Major Pierce Butler & his descendants with Brian Sheffey
Michael O’Connor is a native of County Mayo. He holds first-class honours degrees in law from Trinity College Dublin and the University of Cambridge; and a Doctorate in Philosophy (Law) from Trinity College Dublin. He is a solicitor of the Supreme Court of England & Wales and the High Court of Ireland. He has practised law in Ireland, England, and several Middle Eastern Countries where he lived for five years. He was, for many years, a partner in one of Ireland’s largest law firms. His research interests include social history, crime and punishment, public institutions, women and the law, and historical slavery in the Caribbean. In 2017, he set up the County Mayo History & Heritage Group on Facebook. The Group now has over 17,000 members worldwide. He lives in Murrisk, Westport. Recent publications include Anatomy of a County Gaol – County Mayo, A History of Imprisonment, Capital Punishment & Transportation (2020); and Caribbean Slave Owners & Other Lesser-Known Histories from County Mayo (2021).
Brian Sheffey is the founder and host of the popular online genealogy website and program Genealogy Adventures (genealogyadventures.net). Genealogy Adventures provides a mix of genealogy research strategies for people with a multi-ethnic family history – with a particular emphasis on researching enslaved families. Brian has expertise in DNA, mid-Atlantic & Southern research, with an emphasis on the intersection of white, black, and Native American genealogy. He has used his knowledge to solve cases of unknown parentage from Colonial America to the present-day, utilizing DNA and paper trail evidence. He combines years of experience in marketing research and academia with a passion for genealogical research - and a unique ability to solve seemingly impossible cases. His primary research interests include cases of unknown parentage, such as identifying the white progenitors of mulatto family lines; and triangulating answers to tough genealogical questions using traditional records and genetic evidence. Behind his passion for research lies the belief that genealogy is an opportunity for Americans from different backgrounds to connect with each other – and make connections around the globe. Brian is the author of two award-winning best-selling (Amazon) genealogy books: Practical Genealogy: 50 Simple Steps to Research Your Diverse Family History and Family Tree Workbook: 30+ Step-by-Step Worksheets to Build Your Family History.
Martine Brennan is the creator and curator of Enslavement to citizenship (@saytheirnamesIr on Twitter) an open-access digital public history project which is working to identify the names of African Americans enslaved by Irish slaveholders. Over 240 Irish slaveholders, slave traders and overseers have been identified to date in South Carolina alone. The project is grateful for the contributions of scholars Stacy Ashmore Cole of Georgia, Steve Harper of Pennsylvania, Cindy Hines of Oregon, Angiela Tillman, Margaret Seidler & Brian Fahy of Charleston, South Carolina, Greg Koos, Dr. Coleman Dennehy and Tara O'Brien of Ireland. Her article 'From Ireland to South Carolina: Irish migrant slaveholders' History Studies Journal, University of Limerick, Vol. 22 (2021) pp132-147 is available on open access at
ulir.ul.ie/bitstream/handle/10344/11042/HisSt%20Vol%2022%20_2021_CUBE.pdf?sequence=2
Martine is one of a growing number of Irish people who have identified African American cousins through DNA testing and is commited to finding their common ancestors.
ulir.ul.ie/bitstream/handle/10344/11042/HisSt%20Vol%2022%20_2021_CUBE.pdf?sequence=2
Martine is one of a growing number of Irish people who have identified African American cousins through DNA testing and is commited to finding their common ancestors.