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 Darien, CT |
Thursday, March 13, 2025 at Darien Library Community Room
- 2:00-3:00 pm: "History of the Irish Famine Immigrants in Connecticut," presented by Loretto Leary
Darien Library and Middlesex Genealogical Society invite you to dive deep into the stories of resilience and determination as we explore the lives of those who sought refuge in Connecticut during one of Ireland's darkest times, the Great Famine of 1845 to 1852.
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As a special highlight, we'll reveal details of a new museum and the artwork and sculptures depicting The Irish Famine.
Learn how these immigrants shaped our state's cultural and social fabric, leaving an indelible mark on our communities. A specific Irish Famine Immigrant settled in Darien and did exceptionally well. This unique twist adds a personal touch to the historical narrative, making it an event you won't want to miss.
Born in County Galway, Loretto Leary has resided in Connecticut for thirty-two years. She has an extensive background in education, having taught Language Arts in elementary and middle schools across Darien, New Canaan, Norwalk, and Stamford.
Loretto's freelance journalism has been prominently featured in several esteemed publications, including Celtic Life, The Irish Echo, Irish Central, Australia's Irish Scene, The Connaught Tribune, and The Wild Geese.
In addition to her journalistic endeavors, Loretto holds the position of Secretary and serves on the Executive Board of Ireland's Great Hunger Museum of Fairfield. She is also an active member of the CT-Ireland Trade Commission. Currently, Loretto is embarking on her PhD studies at Trinity College Dublin, focusing on Irish American Famine Memories and the location of the Irish Famine Memorial in New York.
Middlesex Genealogical Society
The Middlesex Genealogical Society is located in the town of Darien, which is in Fairfield County, Connecticut, not far from New York City. Membership is open to all interested in family research, regardless of where they live. MGS draws members from various towns in Fairfield County, Connecticut, including Darien, New Canaan, Stamford, Greenwich, Norwalk, Wilton, Ridgefield, Westport, Weston, Redding, Fairfield.
The Middlesex Genealogical Society was established in 1982 for the purpose of encouraging those interested in researching their family history and to provide guidance to that end. The Society does not limit its focus to Darien or Fairfield County. It provides assistance for all researchers, wherever their ancestry leads.
A Newsletter is published quarterly.
MGS holds program Presentation Meetings on five Saturdays during the year, presenting speakers on various topics of interest to all genealogists. These presentations are sponsored jointly by the Middlesex Genealogical Society and the Darien Library. These presentations are normally made at meetings in the Community Room of the Darien Library, but are temporarily being done by Zoom through the Library.
If you are new to genealogy, see our Getting Started page.
Volunteers are available at the Darien Library to help you with research problems, or just to get you started.
Member Pages display the genealogical interests of members and help them connect with distant relatives.
The MGS project at Family Tree DNA helps you understand your Y-DNA results and what to do next.
MGS is registered with the State of Connecticut, thereby giving members access to vital records at town and city record offices in Connecticut.
About Our Name
The MGS name is derived from Middlesex Parish, the original name by which Darien, Connecticut, was known before becoming incorporated in 1820. The MGS founders were from Darien and chose "Middlesex" to honor the town. The name "Middlesex" is shown below on part of a 1789 map of Darien by Christopher Colles.
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The main road is part of the 1,300-mile road from Boston to Charleston, South Carolina, ordered by King Charles II (now Old Kings Highway North) N in the upper left corner is north + is the 1744 Darien Congregational Church Z is Brookside Road 47 is miles from Federal Hall Scofield is the 1736 Bates-Scofield house (now the Museum of Darien) The squiggly arrow is the Goodwives River Y to Oxridge is Sedgwick Avenue |