AGI Elects Two New Fellows
At the recent Accredited Genealogists Ireland (AGI) annual general meeting, it was announced that AGI Members Máire Mac Conghail and Helen Kelly have been elected Fellows of the Association. Under its constitution, AGI may award Fellowship in recognition of ‘invaluable service... to AGI’ or a ‘particularly outstanding contribution to the study of Irish genealogy’.
As an 18-year-old student Máire Mac Conghail (then called Doran) worked as a freelance researcher for the Genealogical Office and after graduating in the early 1960s, began practicing independently as a professional genealogist. Over her 30 years of AGI membership, Máire has participated in AGI’S activities running the Genealogy Services for the Genealogical Office, the National Library and the National Archives. For several years she represented AGI on the now defunct semi-state body Irish Genealogy Ltd and has served as both Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer, and more recently she was President of AGI for the period 2016-2018.
A native of Co Westmeath, Helen Kelly has a deep interest in the descendants of the individuals and families from the adjoining counties of Westmeath and Longford who migrated to Argentina during the course of the mid- to late-19th century. She has become an expert on the history of these migrants and has spoken widely on the subject.
In 1997 with a professional colleague Francis Dowling (a former member of AGI) she co-edited and produced a video resource called ‘Searching for Your Ancestors in Ireland – a Professional Guide’. Holding an extra-mural certificate in genealogy from University College Dublin (1992) and a diploma in Local History from Maynooth (1998), Helen has always been a keen advocate for professional genealogists continuing to hone their skills throughout their career and was one of the main proponents for AGI to begin to establish and develop a system of Continuing Professional Development.