• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Irish America

Irish America

  • HOME
  • WHO WE ARE
    • ABOUT US
    • OUR CONTRIBUTORS
  • IN THIS ISSUE
  • HALL OF FAME
  • THE LISTS
    • BUSINESS 100
    • HALL OF FAME
    • HEALTH AND LIFE SCIENCES 50
    • WALL STREET 50
  • LIBRARY
  • TRAVEL
  • EVENTS

NLI to Digitize Pre-Republic History of Ireland

By Mary Gallagher, Editorial Assistant
April / May 2018

February 28, 2018 by 3 Comments

Heather Humphreys, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, and Dr Sandra Collins, Director of the National Library of Ireland. Photo: Naoise Culhane

The National Library of Ireland rolled out plans in January for a new digital archive of modern Irish history. The archive, called Towards a Republic, will document the tumultuous series of events between 1918 and 1923, beginning with the Irish Republican Army’s brutal struggle for independence from Britain and ending with the Irish Civil War. It is one product of a €2 million investment in historical preservation by the Irish Department for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.
Showcasing the written records of such iconic figures of the time as Arthur Griffith and Countess Constance Markievicz, the collection promises to provide newer, closer insights into the time period, including the progress of the Home Rule movement and the inner workings of the early IRA with the preservation of official government documents and military orders. It will also contain the records of lesser-known individuals, who even without historical renown help to paint a vivid, previously-unseen picture of how life was touched by the rebellion. For example, the letters of Annie O’Farrelly, sent to her family while she was imprisoned by the Irish Free State, are expected to provide an interesting personal perspective on the Civil War.
“The next phase of the commemorations will be challenging for Irish people, and having open access to the archival sources will be hugely important to ground and guide the debate and discussion,” NLI director Sandra Collins said in a statement. “The National Library is the keeper of these national and personal memories of a turbulent time in our history, and we look forward to sharing them with everyone.” ♦
 

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jack Lane says

    March 2, 2018 at 7:48 am

    A Chairde
    Can you tell me if the Irish Bulletin will be included in the digitised programme?
    Thanks.
    Jack Lane

    Reply
  2. Sean Curtain says

    March 20, 2018 at 8:48 pm

    The Republic of Ireland Act was passed in the Dáil I 1948 and applied to the 5/6 of the Irish nation that had become Independent in early 1922. In 1920, the British government imposed Partition on Ireland after monarchs and governments in London had treated Ireland a single political entity for more than 7 centuries. I’d like very much to know if the current Dáil recognizes the Irish international rugby team that won all its 5 matches in this year’s Six nations contest – resenting ALL of Ireland. As an English-born U.S. citizen, I have always felt that my nationality applies to the Whole Irish Nation and all its parts (an náisiún uuile agus gach roinn de).

    Reply
  3. Sean Curtain says

    April 4, 2018 at 3:41 pm

    The above article includes a picture of Heather Humpreys, whose include Minister for the Gaeltach. Tá an cheist seo agam di: Cad tá a á dhéeanamh agat ar son an teanga náisiúnta?

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Highlights

News
Articles and stories from Irish America.....
MORE

Hibernia
News from Ireland and happenings in Irish America.....
MORE

Those We Lost
Remembering some of the great Irish Americans who have passed.....
MORE

Slainte!
Discover Irish ancestry, predilections, and recipes.....
MORE

Photo Album
Irish America readers share the stories of their ancestors....
MORE

More Articles

  • The new Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen's University, Belfast.

    Queen's Builds on Legacy of Seamus Heaney

    The work of Nobel Prize-winning Irish poet Seamus Heaney will inspire generations of future writers ...
  • Quote/Unquote Fall 2023

    Quote/Unquote Fall 2023

    "I have said repeatedly that there should be a humanitarian ceasefire to meet the urgent basic needs...
  • Photo of Irish Catholic martyrs. Three were beatified by Pope Pius XI in 1929. One was beatified in 1987 by Pope John Paul II. Eighteen were beatified in 1992 by Pope Paul II. Oliver Plunkett was canonized on October 12 1975 by Pope Paul VI.

    Non Sanctorum in Hibernia

    No Irish saint has been canonized for over 700 years - 1225 to 1975, Why? The great St. Lawren...
  • Kelly Candaele and Declan Kiberd in Dublin in April 2023.

    Walking Into The Marvelous With Declan Kiberd

    It is somehow fitting that the Good Friday peace agreement of 1998 has become inseparable from Irish...

Footer

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Subscribe

  • Subscribe
  • Give a Gift
  • Newsletter

Additional

  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Terms of Use & Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 · IrishAmerica Child Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in