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Please join us for our next Irish Genealogy SIG meeting on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, from 2:00–4:00 p.m. at Pohick Regional Library, Meeting Room 1, located at 6450 Sydenstricker Road, Burke, VA 22015-4274.

Program: The Irish & Canal Building: The Work That Built a Nation—and brought our Irish Forefathers to America

After the Erie Canal's completion, Irish labor followed new opportunities southward, tied to the rise of the global cotton trade. Robert Dunfield traces this movement from Liverpool to New Orleans and along the Mississippi, where Irish immigrants helped build canals, expand trade routes, and shape a growing nation.

Through the story of his own ancestors from County Roscommon—who worked as engineers and contractors on the Mississippi—Robert brings to life how labor, migration, and opportunity intersected in the Irish-American experience.

For our second hour, we will have time for open discussion and networking—a chance to share challenges, compare notes, and learn from one another’s experiences.