The National Museum of Ireland is delighted to welcome five new heritage groups in Co. Wicklow into the Irish Community Archive Network (iCAN).
This brings to 43 the number of local heritage and history groups across Ireland who are working with iCAN to record and share their local history and heritage in an online digital archive.
iCAN is a partnership initiative by the National Museum of Ireland and the Heritage Council. It is coordinated in Co Wicklow by Deirdre Burns, Heritage Officer with Wicklow County Council, in collaboration with the Wicklow County Archives service and the Wicklow Local Studies librarian.
The five new members are Blessington Historical Society, Tinahely History & Photos, Wicklow Audio-Visual Archive, with two groups Roundwood Historical Society and the United Friends of Derralossary collaborating on the Vartry History & Heritage Forum archive.
These groups join Donard Imaal History, Glendalough Heritage Forum, Medieval & Historical Bray Project, Greystone's Tidy Towns, Delgany Heritage Village, and Glens of Lead - bringing to 11 the number of history and heritage groups participating in iCAN in Co Wicklow.
Image: Members of iCAN in Co Wicklow at the recent launch of the new archives in Roundwood Parish Hall. Image: Michael Kelly
Speaking at a recent launch to celebrate the new members, Lorna Elms, iCAN Development Officer with the National Museum of Ireland, stated:
We are delighted to add these new Wicklow community archives to our network which currently includes 43 groups nationally. As well as documenting information about local people, places, folklore, customs and traditions, community archives are also a valuable resource for genealogy and ancestry projects.”
Virginia Teehan, Chief Executive of the Heritage Council, also welcomed the new groups:
The Heritage Council welcomes the addition of these five new groups to the iCAN network in Co. Wicklow. Each and every heritage group in the network makes a unique contribution to this valuable heritage resource. We are delighted to see iCAN continue to grow and thrive."
Speaking at the event, the Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council, Cllr. Paul O'Brien, stated:
I am delighted to be here to welcome new groups to the iCAN network. Community archives are an invaluable tool, giving local groups the required skills and support to collect, preserve and make accessible their local history and heritage online.”
Wicklow County Council's Chief Executive, Emer O'Gorman, also welcomed the expansion of the iCAN network stating:
Wicklow County Council supports this partnership with the National Museum and The Heritage Council, and we recognise iCAN as a vital component of our heritage infrastructure in County Wicklow, as outlined in the County Wicklow Heritage Plan.”
The Wicklow digital archives explore nature, history and the cultural heritage of County Wicklow. The sites are interactive, allowing visitors to share comments and stories easily. As these sites are volunteer-run, they are always looking for new members to get involved. Interested individuals can find relevant contact details on each site. Find out more at Our Wicklow Heritage - A living archive of Wicklow communities.
The Irish Community Archive Network (iCAN)
Established in 2009 by the National Museum of Ireland, iCAN is delivered in partnership with the Heritage Council and participating Local Heritage Officers, supporting volunteer groups to gather, record and share their community’s history and heritage on community archive websites.
To date, iCAN has supported the creation of 46 online digital archives in counties Clare, Cork, Galway, Mayo and Wicklow, and there are currently 11 further archives in development across Clare, Tipperary and Sligo. The ambition is to support the development of at least 80 digital archives across Ireland by 2028.
Over 230 volunteers in Ireland and abroad are involved in managing and supporting the existing community archives.
The iCAN network has been visited 5.3 million times by visitors from 230 countries, or 16,400 cities, across the world. To date, more than 8 million pages of Irish heritage content have been explored.
Members of the public are invited to visit, contribute or volunteer with the digital archives in the Irish Community Archive Network (iCAN). The full list of archives is available at www.ouririshheritage.org.