Well-known broadcaster John Creedon has praised a number of County Clare groups for their outstanding work in preserving and sharing local history and heritage online.
Mr Creedon was the special guest at the recent annual gathering of the Irish Community Archive Network (iCAN), which took place this year at the Great National Ballykisteen Hotel, Co. Tipperary.
Members from Clonlara Heritage Group; Ruan Local History Group; Kilkeedy Heritage Group; Kilkee & West Clare History Group; and Shannon Historical & Archaeological Society represented Co. Clare at the event.
iCAN is an initiative of the National Museum of Ireland and the Heritage Council, delivered in partnership with local authority Heritage Officers nationwide. It supports community groups in digitising, preserving and sharing their local history through online archives.
Lorna Elms, iCAN Development Officer with the National Museum of Ireland, said: “We are very grateful to our Clare members for their contribution to a successful national gathering. These groups play a vital role in documenting local history and heritage, contributing significantly to the growth of community archives across Ireland. This annual event provides a valuable opportunity to celebrate this collective work while sharing ideas, knowledge and experience.”
To date, iCAN has supported the creation and development of 55 online archives in counties Clare, Cork, Galway, Mayo, Tipperary, Sligo, and Wicklow, with eight more in development in Carlow and Limerick. The initiative aims to support up to 80 digital archives across Ireland by 2028.
For more information, visit www.museum.ie; ouririshheritage.org; and clareheritage.org.