Resulting from the success of UHF’s local genealogy progamme, entitled My Roots, in 2007–08 the Foundation worked with the 6th Connaught Rangers Research Project, a local group based in Belfast, to produce a new booklet entitled, The 6th Connaught Rangers: Belfast Nationalists and the Great War.
The publication explores the contribution of men from West Belfast in the 6th Battalion of the Connaught Rangers during the First World War. The result is an excellent introduction to the subject which includes a brief history of the regiment, its war record (retold by Dr Richard Grayson, of Goldsmiths College London), and a series of family stories which retell the experiences of men who served with the 6th Battalion.
As a first foray into the field of publishing by this small working group, it fully deserved the praise received. Launched on 18 November 2008 by Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Tom Hartley, the booklet has attracted support from broadcaster Paul Clark of UTV, already known for his interest in the burgeoning re-exploration of the Irish involvement in the First World War.
The booklet was republished in an updated and expanded format in 2011, again with the assistance of the Foundation. The attractive new edition includes additional historical material, photographs and stories.