Here's who you can expect to meet as you travel around the Green Room. You may already be familiar with Mike and Carina but we also have a stalwart team to assist you in your Irish ancestry research.
Now, let's introduce the team:
Hi I'm Mike Collins - co-founder of The Green Room.
My family came from west Cork on my father's side and East Galway on my mum's side. My parents met and married in London. I was born there and my family moved back to Ireland when I was four.
My background is in electronics and training but the idea to write A Letter from Ireland and start The Green Room grew out of a hobby.
Carina and myself headed out most weeks on a hike and I took some photos of the wonderful views we saw along the trails. These photos attracted attention with people asking questions about Ireland and their Irish heritage and surnames.
Some readers of the Letter had queries that necessitated more in-depth Irish research and so The Green Room was born.
I have recently renovated our barn and installed a pizza oven. I love to cook and have friends and family over for the craic. Music is an important part of my life and I have several guitars - I even taught guitar back when I was a poor student.
I love to head off into the country on my bike (e-bike these days) the freedom of travel is part of my DNA. Looking at the hive of activity in the Green Room brings a smile to my face!
You will find me in The Green Room forum most days.
Hi I'm Carina Collins - co-founder of the Green Room.
I live with Mike in Co. Cork, Ireland. My roots go back generations here in this county. Our children Evan and Rosaleen have flown the nest and live in England. We have two beautiful grandchildren Aoife and Leo over there.
I started out many moons ago as a young teacher switching careers to study and practise complementary therapies before Mike tempted me into joining him in The Green Room.
It's a real thrill for me to read the success stories of members who find their connections back to Ireland after receiving help in The Green Room. That's what makes it all worthwhile! I love welcoming new members, traveling throughout Ireland for our Homeland features and making podcasts.
My latest passion is doing jigsaws and I'm happiest when I'm swimming in the sea.
I'm the moderator on the forum and you will meet me when you introduce yourself in the Green Room. My advice is to always follow the New Member Checklist!
As Green Room moderator, you will find me almost every day in the forums.
Hi I'm Jayne McGarvey - Ireland-based genealogist in The Green Room.
I live in County Down, Ireland. I'm married to Gordon and have two adult boys.
In my youth I was a keen horse rider and swimmer. Nowadays wearing my genealogy hat you'll often find me researching at the records office in Belfast (PRONI) and I love exploring old graveyards. I'm too fond of coffee and everybody knows I'd talk the hind leg of a donkey!
A few years back I subscribed to Mike's Letter from Ireland and replied to Mike. We started chatting and the rest as they say is history.
What I love about The Green Room is the sense of “family” and how everyone tries to help where and when they can, with advice, a friendly welcome, congratulations, or commiserations.
In Ask the Genealogist section of the Green Room no question goes unanswered.
You can find me in Ask the Ireland-Based Genealogist a question.
Hi I'm Pam Holland - US-based genealogist in The Green Room.
I live outside Boston, Massachusetts, with my husband Ian. I love to travel, and since Ian was born in Cork City, we get back to Ireland often. At home, I can be found outside in my garden, trying out a new recipe in the kitchen, or practicing yoga. A little-known fact about me is that I also dabble in art quilting and fashion sewing.
In 2015 I took my passion for family history research to a new level and became a professional genealogist. Soon after I started working for the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston. I now specialize in Irish research and genetic genealogy and love to give lectures on those topics.
I met Mike and Carina in 2018 on one of my visits to Ireland. Then in 2019 I joined the Green Room as the US-Based Genealogist.
Hi I’m Evan Collins - I take care of the technical side of The Green Room.
I’m Mike and Carina’s son. Like many of my generation I left Ireland moving to England in search of work and adventure. From there my job as a mechanical engineer in the automotive industry gave me the opportunity to test a car's performance in exacting locations around the world.
In 2015 I met my wife Katie and now we have two young children Aoife and Leo. We recently bought our first home, a Victorian house in Leamington Spa. Life is busy and my skills in DIY are improving daily!
I love to travel which is what brought me to the UK, led to me living in the Netherlands and travelling across South America. While young kids have slowed us down Katie and I definitely have plans to get out there again ASAP!
You will find me behind the scenes working on the technical parts of The Green Room website so you may bump into me now and again if any user difficulties arise for you.
So, that's the Green Room team.