Major audit of oral heritage recordings in Mayo underway

Stories, memories and folklore of Co. Mayo, recorded on tape cassettes, reel to reels or in digital form, are being sought as part of an exciting new project recently launched by Mayo County Council.

The audit of oral heritage recordings in Mayo, under the direction of Mayo County Council’s heritage officer Deirdre Cunningham, 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 the county’s past.

The audit, which hopes to extend across the entire county in the coming years, 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 and Cork.

Speaking at the announcement of the project, Dr. Mac Conmara – a well-known oral historian – emphasised the importance of even one single recording undertaken to preserve the memories of a family member.

He elaborated: “There has always been a strong instinct to preserve in the Irish tradition. Whether it was Séamus Ó Cathain or Proinsias de Búrca, who both worked for the Folklore Commission in Co. Mayo, the recognition that with the passing of a generation there is potentially great loss for society. It has led people to try and document memories that would otherwise be lost.

“In recent decades, the recording of oral heritage has been undertaken by more and more people who have availed of the technology available to place unique memories on record. We want to hear from anyone who has been involved in this type of recording, at whatever level, to create a listing of those collections.”

Dr. Mac Conmara explained that the project is not seeking to physically take collections, but instead is aimed at compiling information about the collections, like their current location, format, content, etc. As well as auditing what has been recorded by national and regional bodies, the project will also focus on private collections and the work of various community groups and heritage organisations which, according to Deirdre Cunningham, have been the most active in recording our heritage.

She said: “The audit of oral heritage collections will provide a fantastic resource for all of these groups and for the wider community, across the county and beyond. The audit and the accompanying database will give people an idea of the recordings that already exist and will help to identify priorities for future recording work.

“We would really appreciate people’s help in identifying oral history recordings or collections held by community groups and individuals so that we get as complete a picture as possible as to the current volume and extent of recordings.”

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 Mayo topics, people or places, contact Mac Conmara Heritage Consulting on (087 9160373 or macconmaraheritage@gmail.com. The audit will be completed in October 2024 and will be available to the public online.