Author: Terry Donlan
Founder of Irish Scottish Roots (irishscottishroots.blog)
Terry Donlan is the founder and primary writer of Irish Scottish Roots, a heritage travel and genealogy website that helps readers rediscover family connections to Ireland and Scotland through records, stories, and place-based exploration.
Born to immigrant parents whose families crossed from Ireland to Scotland and then to the United States in the early twentieth century, Terry grew up with history in his bloodstream. His family’s journey began when his Irish Grandfather moved to Scotland in 1903 after marrying a Scottish woman. In 1925, Terry’s Father, Grandfather, and an Uncle emigrated to America. In 1926, the rest of the family followed after the original three family members had earned enough money to bring them across the Atlantic.
Several of Terry’s grandparents and great-grandparents were born in Lisaniska East[1] (also spelled Lissaniska East) near Ballina, County Mayo, making western Ireland a central part of his heritage. In Scotland, Glen Craig remains one of the most meaningful family locations. These migrations across borders and generations shaped his lifelong fascination with the way family history is written not only in records, but also in landscapes, towns, and lived experiences.
Terry began researching his family seriously in 1985, after his Uncle Terry, a passionate genealogist, shared decades of handwritten notes, family charts, and archival discoveries. What began as curiosity became a lifelong pursuit. A major turning point came when Terry realized that modern AI tools could reduce much of the repetitive research drudgery, freeing him to focus on analysis, storytelling, and helping others break through brick walls in their own genealogy.
Terry has made five research trips to Ireland and Scotland (1980, 1987, 2017, 2019, and 2023). His work included visits to archives, record offices, libraries, cemeteries, and heritage centers. When appropriate he corresponds with local Irish and Scottish historians, heritage societies, and record offices to verify records and deepen his understanding of local history.
He writes about Irish genealogy, Scottish genealogy, heritage travel itineraries, interesting people, facts and places in Ireland and Scotland, and record-finding strategies for family historians.
Through Irish Scottish Roots, Terry’s mission is to provide readers with reliable information, fresh ideas, historical context, and visual inspiration from Ireland and Scotland. He aims to spark curiosity, encourage deeper research, and motivate readers to experience these places, stories, and records for themselves.
Terry lives in Florida, USA. When he is not researching or writing, he enjoys pickleball, photography, walking, and his community. His Father, both Grandfathers, and several of his Uncles worked in the coal mines of Scotland and later in American mines and factories before building new lives and, in some cases, their own businesses. Seven of his Uncles fought in World War II. Their stories of resilience and adaptation showed him how immigrants can embrace a new country while honoring the country they left behind, a belief that remains at the heart of everything he writes.
[1] Lisaniska East / Lissaniska East is a small townland in County Mayo associated with the parish of Ballynahaglish and the barony of Tirawley.