Genealogical Society of Ireland
rich as well as those who took different positions on the political issues that preoccupied the local societies in Ireland’. With over 100 titles now in this series, this is a wealth of local history information, undoubtedly accessed by many local organising committees of ‘The Gathering’ throughout the country. Local graveyards were cleaned, surveyed and memorials recorded, school and church registers consulted and, in time, new local histories will be written, very often with exciting and original research material. All of this community effort has a legacy potential, inasmuch as, these local publications may contribute significantly to our knowledge and understanding of the history, genealogy and folklore of the areas concerned. This type of research is of exceptional importance to the family historian who seeks a greater understanding of the conditions and events that impacted on the lives of our ancestors and their communities. The Public Library Service throughout the country has been central to the development of local history sections within its regional libraries and to the forefront in the collection of local history publications, newspaper clippings, maps and photographs. The County Libraries in a number of counties have also digitised locally sourced material ranging from burial records, land records, memorial inscriptions and, in some cases, biographies of local people of note. This is an enormous contribution to the on-line resources for genealogical as well as local history research.
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RECOMMENDATIONS 10.1.
That consideration is afforded to the utilisation of the County Steering Groups established to promote ‘The Gathering’ to ensure that copies of any publications by local groups are lodged with the National Library and with their County Library. As the National Library’s holdings constitute the most comprehensive collection of Irish documentary material in the world, the opportunity afforded by ‘The Gathering’ to add to this collection must be promoted by the National Library, the national organisers of The Gathering Ireland and the County Steering Groups throughout Ireland. Expanding our national collections would be a wonderful legacy of The Gathering.
10.2.
That consideration is afforded, in consultation with the Royal Irish Academy, to the creation of county based biographical projects to aimed at researching and recording the lives and times of local individuals or their descendants who made contributions to the arts, sciences, education, industry, political or social history, agricultural development or had a military, maritime or religious career in the county or overseas. This project would not seek to duplicate the RIA’s ‘Dictionary of Irish Biography Project’ but augment it with new local information presented as a publicly accessible on-line resource which would be of enormous benefit to genealogical and local history research. It could also attract visitors with an interest in these individuals to the locality irrespective of whether they themselves had any ancestral connections to the area.
10.3.
That consideration is afforded to the inclusion of an indexation project for the Maynooth Local History Studies Series in any proposals seeking philanthropic funding aimed at making our genealogical heritage more accessible to the general public.
Genealogical Society of Ireland
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