Save our Stories – Oral History Project
An ambitious project to record and preserve the voices, stories and histories of Kildare residents by Kildare residents is being launched on Saturday 20th October 2012 in the Kilcullen Heritage Centre, Kilcullen, Co. Kildare.
There is a growing interest in recording oral histories among local heritage groups and local history enthusiasts in Kildare. The project invites participants to acquire the knowledge, understanding and skills to record the oral history of County Kildare and in doing so allow Kildare to develop an archive of local oral recordings, said Bridget Loughlin, County Kildare Heritage Officer.
The inaugural seminar on 20th October is open to all members of the public and will present an overview of Oral Histories in Ireland and an introduction to the National Folklore Collection in Dublin. Those interested are then invited to join in a training programme which will equip particpants with the skills to record the oral history of Kildare. The training programme will be based in the Naas Community Centre, Sallins Rd, Naas, County Kildare for approximately eight weeks and will include visits to the National Folklore Collection at UCD and the recording studio in Leixlip Library.
‘The course will be a practical course with participants learning through doing’, says Dr Kelly Fitzgerald, one of the project trainers. ‘Oral histories seek to capture and preserve first hand information of life stories or events that would otherwise be lost. This is a real opportunity for Kildare residents to contribute to the preservation of unique memories and stories for present and future generations.’ A final output from the course will be a CD containing oral recordings from the course participants. The project is an action in the Kildare Heritage Plan and is funded by Kildare Leader Partnership.
Time: 10.00am - 12.30pm Saturday 20th October 2012 Venue: Kilcullen Heritage Centre, Main St. Kilcullen, County Kildare. Admission: free
For more information see: www.kildare.ie/saveourstories