Limerick heritage groups praised for their work in digitising history
Members from Abbeyfeale Oral History Association, Friends of Lace Limerick, and Lough Gur Historical Society represented Limerick at the event.
BROADCASTER John Creedon has praised a number of County Limerick groups for their “outstanding” work in preserving and sharing local history and heritage online.
Mr Creedon was the special guest at the recent annual gathering of the Irish Community Archive Network (iCAN), which took place at the Great National Ballykisteen Hotel, Tipperary.
Members from Abbeyfeale Oral History Association, Friends of Lace Limerick, and Lough Gur Historical Society represented Limerick at the event.
iCAN is an initiative of the National Museum of Ireland and the Heritage Council, delivered in partnership with the Heritage Council, local authorities and community volunteers in Ireland and abroad.
With much of Ireland’s "tangible and intangible” cultural heritage held by individuals and communities, iCAN supports community groups in documenting, digitising, preserving and sharing their own local history and culture through online archives.
Lorna Elms, iCAN development officer with the National Museum of Ireland, said: “We are very grateful to our Limerick members for their contribution to a successful national gathering.
“These groups play a vital role in documenting local history and heritage, contributing significantly to the growth of community archives across Ireland.”
She added: “This annual event provides a valuable opportunity to celebrate this collective work while sharing ideas, knowledge and experience.”
To date, iCAN has supported the creation and development of 55 online archives in counties Clare, Cork, Galway, Mayo, Tipperary, Sligo, and Wicklow.
Eight more are currently in development in Carlow and Limerick.
The initiative aims to support up to 80 digital archives across Ireland by 2028.
For more information, visit www.museum.ie and www.ouririshheritage.org.