Roots Television | Megan's Roots World

Finally catching my breath from FGS. What a conference! I had a blast! Perfect place, terrific exhibits, wonderful talks and lots of great folks. I took a tour of the Allen County Public Library and am about ready to move to Fort Wayne. Incredible!

On Friday night, I had the opportunity to give a talk at the banquet. I had been asked to speak about Annie Moore, the first immigrant through Ellis Island, and the quest to find her true story. Coincidentally, just leading up to the conference, there had been both a play and a film produced about Annie, so I shared previews of both. The reaction? Folks were blown away by the reality of a genealogical play (long overdue!) and many of us (yeah, me too) got choked up after viewing the movie made entirely by Irish youngsters. But don't worry if you're disappointed that you missed them, because both are now available at Roots Television! Here's a press release that went out yesterday:

Roots Television Presents a Pair of Tributes to Ellis Island's First Arrival

What were you doing when you were 11-years-old? Jumping rope – playing dodge ball? The 5th Year students at Scoil Oilibhéir in Cork, Ireland were writing, producing, directing, and starring in their own motion picture. Their short film "From Cork to New York: The Annie Moore Story" documents Annie's life in Cork and her journey to America. Before they even began filming, the students did their homework, discovering Annie's birth records and locating several sites important to Annie's life, including St. Patrick's Church where she was baptized.

Click here to see a preview.

In another tribute, "Making up History: The Search for Annie Moore" playwright Alia Faith Williams tells the compelling story of Annie Moore's journey to America, paralleled with the efforts of Megan Smolenyak and other avid genealogists to uncover Annie's true identity.

Click here to see a preview.

In addition to these new programs, you can also see the original press conference held at the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society in September 2006, announcing the discovery of the "real" Annie Moore. Learn about how Annie's story was lost and another Annie Moore assumed her place in history, as well as how the detective work of Smolenyak and fellow genealogists revealed what became of the true Ellis Island Annie and her family, including her present day descendants.

Click here to view.

All of these programs – and 24 channels of history and heritage-oriented programming -- are available online, on-demand 24/7, and for FREE at www.rootstelevision.com, a pioneering online television network. To view the Annie Moore productions, just tune in to our Irish Roots Channel. Please contact us at info@rootstelevision.com for inquiries.