Sharon has been involved in researching her Irish roots for more than three years. The author began to wonder about her Irish when she realized that she and her siblings had no memory of family events or stories to tell their children. The author recalled family stories perceived through parents' whispered accusations, and she grew up believing that being Irish was akin to suffering from a dreaded disease--you knew you had it and lived with it as best you could. Recently becoming curious about her family history, she decided to search for any information regarding her Irish-born grandparents. Old documents revealed a story--one she couldn't ignore. Facts concerning the lives of her grandparents emerged and secrets were uncovered. An overwhelming curiosity directed the author to dig deeper into family records, to travel to the villages in Ireland where her grandparents were born, and to locate family who still reside in those villages.

Finding My Irish was chosen to be the Book of the Week (4-25-06) in the Galway, Ireland edition of Irish Emigrant Online.
Recommended on RootsWeb for those searching for their heritage.
Finding My Irish is highly recommended by the Irish-American News (Feb.2006).
Irish America Magazine (May 2006) describes Finding My Irish as providing an illuminating portrait of old Ireland.

Sharon Shea Bossard travels with her book to all scheduled Irish fests where she autographs copies of her book and shares her journey with those who wish to being to find their Irish. She has written a Supplement to the book, which gives the novice genealogist a place to begin.

Finding My Irish
This is the story of one woman's search for her Irish roots, a search which is colored by a feeling inherent since childhood that her Irish ancestry harbored a secret. Far from recounting a sterile search through records, parish registers and the National Archive, Ms. Shea Bossard has involved the reader in her quest. This she has achieved through her descriptive powers and through the introduction of a range of diverse characters encountered. In the second part of her journey the author has taken the stories of her two sets of grandparents, Michael Shea and Bridget Murphy from County Kerry and Michael Healy and Sarah Burns from Roscommon, and woven them into fictionalized narrative, a narrative which reveals the harsh truth behind a number of family relationships. Recording the cruelty of her Roscommon grandmother, she begins to understand why everybody in the family seemed wary of Sarah Burns. And knowing the childhood experienced by her own mother, Sarah's daughter, Helen, brings the author to a new understanding of her character. This is a cautionary tale for those anxious to find their ancestors. It is also a fascinating tale written with complete honesty that isn't afraid to include the "bad wood" to be found in most family trees.

Finding My Irish
This is the story of one woman's search for her Irish roots, a search which is colored by a feeling inherent since childhood that her Irish ancestry harbored a secret. Far from recounting a sterile search through records, parish registers and the National Archive, Ms. Shea Bossard has involved the reader in her quest. This she has achieved through her descriptive powers and through the introduction of a range of diverse characters encountered. Traveling with her husband through Kerry and Roscommon in what appears to have been almost constant rain, she brings the reader each step of the way. Her encounters with locals vary wildly from the helpfulness of Patrick O'Leary near Ballinskelligs, County Kerry to the extraordinary Liam McCarthy in Roscommon who requested a rather unusual photograph. Finding My Irish is a cautionary tale for those anxious to find their ancestors. It is also a fascinating tale written with complete honesty that isn't afraid to include the "bad wood" to be found in most family trees.

Finding My Irish
Irish Fests and other venues: Dublin, Ohio; Indianapolis, Ind.; Milwaukee, Wisc.; Chicago Cultural Book Fair; Illinois Genealogical Conference; Lake Zurich, IL Library Author Discussion, 2007 Writersfest.

Finding My Irish
Irish Fests and other venues: Dublin, Ohio; Indianapolis, Ind.; Milwaukee, Wisc., Chicago Cultural Book Fair; Illinois Genealogical Conference; Lake Zurich, IL Library Author Discussion, 2007 Writersfest.