Originally from Northern Ireland, but with both Scottish and Irish roots, I hold a Postgraduate Diploma in Genealogical Studies and work as a professional genealogist, running the Scotland's Greatest Story research service (www.scotlandsgreateststory.co.uk). I am registered with the ICO as a data handler. I live in the Scottish coastal town of Largs, North Ayrshire, but in the past I have also resided in the English cities of Plymouth and Bristol (for four and six years respectively), spent four years as a kid in Helensburgh, and twelve years in the County Antrim town of Carrickfergus. I have been married from 2000 to mad Claire from Kilkenny, and we have two sons currently training up as Jedi knights...!As well as teaching Scottish based courses for Pharos Teaching and Tutoring Ltd (www.pharostutors.com) I have also tutored for the University of Strathclyde's Genealogical Studies Postgraduate Programme (www.strath.ac.uk/genealogy/). In addition I am a published author of several book titles (see separate page) and am a regular contributor to several genealogy magazines, such as Your Family Tree, Family History Monthly, Family Tree magazine, Your Family History, Discover My Past Scotland, History Scotland and Irish Roots - in the past I have also previously written monthly news columns in the now defunct Practical Family History, Discover my Past England and Ancestors magazines. I have also written for various other newspapers and magazines such as the Scotsman, the Herald, Scottish Memories, the Official Windows Magazine and Dogs Monthly. In October 2012 I was invited to join the regular user forum for the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (www.proni.gov.uk), and in May 2013 was appointed as a Director of the Scottish Archive Network Ltd (www.scan.org.uk).
I previously worked for 12 years in factual television production for both the BBC and STV, on series such as Coast, Meet the Ancestors, Secret History, War Walks, Time Flyers and 999. During my TV career I met and interviewed RAF fighter pilots who fought at the Battle of Britain, the modern day Ku Klux Klan in Tennessee, liver and kidney transplant surgeons and patients at Edinburgh's Royal Infirmary, Driving School's Maureen Rees, and many other interesting folk. Filming took me to 30 of the 50 United States, Canada, Britain, Ireland, France, Italy and Sardinia.
Should you wish to contact me, please do so at enquiry @ scotlandsgreateststory.co.uk
