The programme builds on the findings of the Westmeath Oral Heritage Audit.
Community groups, local historians and individuals across County Westmeath who hold oral history recordings are being invited to take part in a new county-wide training and support programme designed to help preserve, manage and unlock the rich recorded heritage of the county.
Delivered by Mac Conmara Heritage Consulting under the direction of Westmeath County Council Heritage Office, and funded through the Heritage Council, the programme will provide practical training, mentoring and professional guidance to those who have already recorded interviews or inherited collections that may not yet be catalogued, digitised or archived.
The programme builds on the findings of the Westmeath Oral Heritage Audit, previously undertaken by Mac Conmara Heritage, and is designed to strengthen the long-term sustainability of oral heritage collections throughout the county.
Across 2022 and 2023, research discovered and listed 1,566 oral history recordings across forty-eight collections held by thirty-two collection holders and institutions throughout the county.
The audit highlighted both the remarkable richness of Westmeath's recorded heritage and the need to support collection holders in documenting, preserving and preparing these invaluable resources for long-term access and sustainability.
Across Westmeath, hundreds of interviews documenting local history, folklore, farming, sport, music, family life, industry and community memory have been recorded over many decades.
Many of these recordings remain in private hands, stored on cassette tapes, CDs, MiniDiscs, memory cards or computers, often without accompanying documentation or clear plans for their long-term preservation.
This new initiative aims to help collection holders protect these invaluable recordings before they are lost.
Dr Tomás Mac Conmara, Director of Mac Conmara Heritage Consulting, said: “Westmeath possesses an extraordinary wealth of recorded memory, much of it gathered through the dedication of local communities and volunteers over many years. This programme is about supporting those people. Whether you have a carefully organised archive or a box of old cassette tapes that you've been meaning to sort through, we want to help ensure these voices are preserved safely and remain accessible for future generations.”
Throughout August and September, a series of practical workshops will introduce participants to the essential principles of oral history best practice, ethical recording, metadata, handling analogue collections, cataloguing, digitisation, and long-term collection management. The programme will also provide participants with practical templates, workflows and guidance that can continue to support their collections well beyond the life of the project.
Melanie McQuade, Heritage Officer, Westmeath County Council, explain at the announcement of the training programme: “Our audit findings show clearly that for many years, communities across Westmeath have been quietly creating an extraordinary legacy of recorded memory. This programme recognises the value of that work and provides the next step, supporting collection holders to organise, document and preserve their recordings to a professional standard. It is about moving from collecting voices to ensuring those voices remain meaningful, accessible and usable long into the future.”
Importantly, the programme is not limited to those who are currently recording interviews. Mac Conmara Heritage is particularly keen to hear from community organisations, local history and heritage groups, individuals and families who hold existing oral history recordings, whether these have been formally catalogued or simply stored away over the years.
The team is especially interested in collections that have yet to be processed, digitised or archived, as well as organisations concerned about the long-term preservation and future accessibility of their recordings.
No previous archival experience is required, and the programme is designed to provide practical support regardless of the size or stage of a collection.
As part of the initiative, participants will also contribute to developing a stronger county-wide network of oral heritage practitioners, helping to ensure that Westmeath's recorded voices remain an enduring resource for communities, researchers and future generations.
Anyone who believes they may have an oral history collection, or who would like to participate in the training programme, is encouraged to contact Mac Conmara Heritage Consulting to register their interest on 086 274 7230 or by e-mail at macconmaraheritage@gmail.com.
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