Irish Homecoming

What do you do if you're third-generation Irish-American and you get a longing to discover your roots? Well, if you're Bob Fitzgerald, you break out your genealogical gardening tools and head for the boat. Fitzgerald is the amiable presenter and host for this fascinating look at the experiences of five Irish-American who travel back to the Emerald Isle to research their family's history. Touching down in Ireland, Fitzgerald notes that Ireland is a very verdant place ("we're talking serious green.") Beginning with a genealogist in Dublin, Fitzgerald discovers, to his amusement, that his family herald is none other than a monkey. While Fitzgerald's search continues, we meet other travelers: John Bailey, who roams through a graveyard of his ancestral `Bailie's; Barbara Ogilvie, who finds the actual house her ancestors were--gasp--evicted from; and Eugene Malone, who meets his cousin Alice at the train station and immediately recognizes her as a "Boyle" (pronounced "bile"). Fitzgerald interviews his fellow journeyers and eventually discovers his own roots in Maurice Fitzgerald, who played a role in the Trans-Atlantic cable which linked the countries of Bob and his ancestors. Beautiful cinematography and the lovely music of Clannad, Maura O'Connell, and Brian Kennedy round out this appealing program which is sure to be popular with genealogy fans. Highly recommended. (Available from: Rego Irish Records, Tapes & Video, 64 New Hyde Park Rd., Garden City, NY 11530; 1-800-854-ERIN.)