Skip to content

How to Register and Join a Group

Welcome to ForeverDear | Branches – a space for researchers to collaborate, explore areas of interest and their histories and connect with fellow genealogists.

This quick guide will walk you through creating your free account, joining our groups and requesting your own dedicated research space.

Step 1: Register Your Free Account

To participate in discussions, join groups and connect with other researchers, you will first need to set up a quick, free user account on the platform.

  1. Navigate here or click any group link.
  2. Click ‘Register’ or follow the prompt to sign up with your email address and choose a username.
  3. Check your inbox (and your Spam or Junk folder, just in case automated emails get caught by strict filters) for your activation link.
  4. Click the link in your email to activate your account and log in. (Tip: If the email lands in spam, marking it as “Not Spam” will ensure future notifications reach you smoothly!)

Step 2: Join a Group

Once registered and logged in, you can explore the groups.

  1. Visit the Group Page: https://branches.foreverdear.net/groups/
  2. Click the ‘Join Group’ button at the top of the page. (Because our research groups are kept public to make collaboration as frictionless as possible, you will have instant access to participate!)
  3. Head over to the ‘Discussions’ tab to see all the local townlands listed out.
  4. If you spot a townland your ancestors came from, click into it and hit ‘Reply’ to add your family names, share historical records, or ask questions.

Step 3: Request a Family Branch

Every family tree has branches waiting to be explored and intertwined. If you would like to set up a group for your research line – whether it’s for a specific surname, townland, or shared ancestral cluster – please submit your details below.

Once received, we will review your request and configure your dedicated branch space to help you collaborate with fellow researchers. Request your branch here: https://branches.foreverdear.net/branch-request/

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is it free to join? Yes, registering an account and participating in our community research groups is completely free.

I haven’t received my activation email. What should I do? Automated emails can sometimes be over-filtered by email providers. Please double-check your Spam or Junk folder. If you find it there, be sure to mark it as “Not Spam” so future replies and notifications come straight to your inbox.

Do I have to wait to be approved to join a group? It depends on the type of group! Regional groups are public, meaning once you have registered an account, you can simply click “Join Group” and start participating straight away. However, specific family branch groups are private spaces to keep family research secure, so joining those will require a quick request to the group admin.

Can I upload photos of records or family members? Absolutely. You can attach photos, snippets from census returns, or copies of Griffith’s Valuation directly into your replies within the townland discussions, or use the Albums tab to create dedicated photo albums and keep visual archives neatly organised for the group.