Major Oral History Audit set to explore Fingal’s recorded memories and folklore

Memories, folklore, oral tradition and recorded stories of Fingal, recorded on tape cassettes, reel-to-reels or in digital form, are being sought as part of an exciting new project, launched by Fingal County Council this week.  The Audit of Oral Heritage Recordings in County Fingal, under the direction of Fingal County Council’s Heritage Officer Christine Baker, will work with community groups, historians, and collectors to create, for the first time, a comprehensive list of oral heritage recordings made to preserve the stories and memories of another time in Fingal’s past. 

The audit will be led by Dr Tomás Mac Conmara, Director of Mac Conmara Heritage Consulting, leading experts in the cultural heritage who have undertaken similar audits in Donegal, Westmeath, Galway, Kilkenny, Mayo and Cork.  Speaking at the announcement of the project, Dr Mac Conmara, himself a well-known oral historian, emphasised the importance of even one single recording, undertaken to preserve the memories of a family member:

“Community and history groups across Fingal have been very active over the decades in documenting and preserving their own cultural legacy. From a provisional assessment, it seems clear that oral history has been included in this documentation.  Early indications would suggest that there is a tremendous resource of oral heritage across Fingal, which was compiled by people who recognised the need to record before this invaluable legacy was lost.   We are hugely excited to work with the communities within Fingal to help identify what material is out there, containing the voices and memories unique to the area of Fingal. 

In addition to auditing the collections of national and regional bodies, the Project will particularly focus on private collections and the work of various community groups and heritage organizations, who according to Fingal County Council’s Heritage Officer, Christine Baker, have been the most active in recording our heritage:

“This audit of oral heritage collections will underline te great work that has been undertaken by volunteers, historians, scholars and researchers of all kinds across Fingal over many years.   It will provide an incredible resource for all of these groups and for the wider community, across the county and beyond”, said Christine. “As part of the project, a comprehensive database will be produced by the consultants which will showcase the recordings that already exist and will help to identify priorities for future recording work.  I know from previous engagement with Fingal heritage groups that there will be a very positive response to this initiative.  Mac Conmara Heritage are hugely experienced in this field and we are looking forward to working with them in the coming months on this exciting project”, she added. 

The successful completion of the audit is sure to be a significant resource for historians, scholars, the education system and the general public.  If you have any information on oral heritage recordings or collections on County Fingal topics, people or places, please contact Mac Conmara Heritage Consulting on Tel: +353 86 2747230 or by e-mail at [email protected] .  The audit will be completed in October 2024 and will be available to the public online. 

For further information see Fingal Audit Oral Heritage Recordings , or please contact:

• Dr Tomás Mac Conmara: Mac Conmara Heritage Consulting: 087 9160373
• Christine Baker - Fingal County Council: [email protected]  or 086 778 4669