Guide to Using the Community

Hey everyone!

Welcome to the Community! 💚
Here you can find a pool of experts on Ireland and all things surrounding the magical island that we all love so well! From music to ancestry, from activities to ancient landmarks, you can get all the information you need right here!

To make sure you’re getting the most out of the Community, we’ve put together this handy little guide to walk you through posting, finding posts, commenting on posts, and everything beyond!

Navigating the Community
At the top of your page, you’ll always see the anchored navigation bar. This is full of handy buttons for easy access.

• Ireland logo - this button will take you to the ireland.com site, where you can find a massive pool of information around the country and visiting, minus the discussion.

• Translate button - If a Community member posts something in their own language, we don’t want you to miss out on the fun! This button will translate everything on the page to a language of your choice.

• Login Button - here is where you can log in so that you can post and comment on other member’s posts.

• Register button - If you haven’t logged in before, céad míle fáilte! You can register here to join in on the fun! 

• Plan My Trip - Section where you can find threads related to the planning stage, from Accommodation, transportation to things to do while you are here. If you are in the planning mode and have a few questions then, that's where you need to go!

• Things to do - We all have unique interests, and Ireland caters for all kinds of enthusiasts. This function will let you type a destination, and pick a specific type of activity to search so that you can bring your hobbies with you!

• Genealogy - Looking for your roots? We are here to help and celebrate your wins with you. We have some great experts that can support you in your search and who know, you may well find some relatives here too!

• Friendly Island - Are you looking for some Irish Recipes or other things you could do at home? Maybe you just want to read some feel-good stories or just connect with other Ireland Lover, then jump there to say Hi!

House Rules
Before we delve into the Community, we first need to make sure that we’re familiar with the house rules. We’ve gotta play nice and get along (plus there are helpful tips on finding information which may help you even more quickly).

Searching Posts
On the homepage of the community, there is a search bar. It looks like this:


Simply type in this box, anything you’re looking for! This will bring up any posts that containing the item you’re looking for. Give it a whirl, search ‘Titanic’ and see what comes up!

Posts
If you want to see what the members of the Community are talking about, but you don’t have a specific preference, you can go to the ‘Latest Posts’ section on the homepage.


As is the case with Tags, click the “All Posts” button to see all of the latest posts on the Community.

Posting your own discussion
On the homepage, you’ll see a button to the right labelled “Start a Discussion”. 



Here you’ll select the type of post you’re talking about!

Once in here, you’ll need to pick the type of topic you’re discussing. Is it a question, recommendation or other?


Once that’s checked, you’ll type the subject in, this will be the post title. For example “What Music Festivals are on in June?”

In the “Message” field, you can put the body of your post. A little more information on what you’re looking for.

You can also click “Insert” at the bottom, this will give you the option to add a Link, Image, Video, Emoticon, Quote or a file.

In the ‘Tags’ field, choose up to five of the most relevant keywords you’d like to use on your post. You can see the list of tags here, be careful how you pick them, they can be a great tool to get you the exposure you’ll want on your post, if put in the right place.

Make sure to have the “Notify me of replies to this post” checked, you will receive email updates when somebody comments on your post.

You can also start a new conversation straight from the section you may be reviewing, just click on that "Start a discussion"

Commenting on another discussion
To comment on another user’s post, you’ll see a reply in the top right corner, in line with the title.


Once in here, a text box will appear. Simply type your response here, and hit “Reply” just underneath.

Language
In the Homepage, you can see all posts in any of the 5 languages included. You can find this on the right hand side, and it’ll look like this:


Simply click the language you are looking for, and you’ll see all posts submitted in that given language.

Profile

• The last section, is all about you! This is your profile! In the top right, you’ll see a little user Icon with your name. Click this, and a dropdown list will appear.

• Profile - This is where you can visit your actual profile. 
• Account - This is where you can see everything about your account. Your email, Posts, Messages and Member Group are all included here.
• Following - This is where you can see all of the member that you follow. You will receive email notifications when these members post.
• Subscriptions - This is where you can subscribe to a specific forum to receive notifications in any of the following categories:
• Community Guest Book
• General
• Ireland Family history
• Sports & Activities
• Where to Stay
• Festivals/Events & Entertainment
• Destinations
• Privacy - Here you can set your privacy preferences. 
• Settings - Here, you can adjust your general account preferences. Update you profile picture, add information you would like to share with other members...
• Logout - Pretty self explanatory, you can log out here.

Now that you have the know how, why not post something of your own?

What will your first post be?

Thank you for this. I am new here and new to using forums in general. I usually just go on reddit when I have a question but I was not getting any answers and they don't allow you to ask multiple things without being forced to wait. I like this place already! 

Hi James,

It's great to have you here, and I'm glad you like the way this Community works. :) Is there anything in particular you would like to know more about, or are you planning on visiting us anytime soon? 

If you have any questions, please feel free to start a thread, and someone will get back to you soon. Hope this helps!  

Hello my name is Tyler. I’m from the United States. I have Ancestry from Ireland. The last name is Fannon also was found to be spelled fanning as well. There are believed to have had lands in Tipperary and Kilkenny and Thurles. Just needing help. Or if anyone’s knows anything about the Fannon family in Ireland. Thanks.

Hi Tyler, 

It's so exciting that you're interested in researching your Irish roots! In this case I recommend posting your question directly on the Genealogy and Ancestry part of the Community so our experts can take a look at it. :) 

Simply click 'Start a Discussion' on that page, and you can create your own thread that others can reply to. If you need any help, please don't hesitate to let us know! 

Warm regards,

Melin

Hey when your done with your topic are and message what button do you hit to finish the message on the Genealogy and Ancestry part thanks

Hi Tyler, 

You can post your own question or thread by clicking on 'Start new discussion' after you've finished your message. At the start of this thread you can find all of the steps on how to start a thread. 

Let us know if there's anything else you need! 

Melin