Deep History, Deepening Collaborations

Foreword On 27 June 2022, the Taoiseach and I launched the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland and reflected on the truly astonishing outputs of the Beyond 2022 research project as an enduring legacy for our Decade of Centenaries. I welcome this new, three-year phase of work from 2023 to 2025, supported by my Department under Project Ireland 2040, which will build on the achievements to date, facilitating further research and ongoing collaboration, while also encouraging fresh partnerships and inspiring new discoveries. The new phase of work will deepen and enhance the growing collaboration with the project’s core archival partners — North-South and East-West — and other participating organisations around the world. The potential for new archival discoveries and engagement throughout the project has been very powerfully optimised by their unwavering support, generosity, and enthusiasm in sharing their expertise, resources, and archival collections. As custodians of our rich Irish heritage, these partners have each made an invaluable contribution to establishing Ireland as a world leader in the field of cultural heritage recovery and the creative exploration of digital archives. I am deeply grateful for their participation and positive engagement. Beyond 2022 has skilfully brought together creative and pioneering innovations in computer science, the discipline of historical research and scholarship, the realm of archives, culture, and heritage, and a proactive, imaginative approach to public engagement. This holistic approach has collectively opened up and transformed how we engage with archival collections. People of all ages can freely step back in time and explore the complex story of who we are and where we came from in a way that is meaningful and personal to them. Exciting technological innovations will continue to be pursued in this next phase of work to discover, digitise and make freely accessible new archival sources, enhancing and expanding dramatically the reconstructed Virtual Record Treasury. The virtual shelves of the Treasury contain archival riches that are relevant to every parish and community on the island, unlocking access for everyone to authentic and meaningful sources for our shared history. The new ‘Localities and Communities’ research strand will be hosted by the National Archives of Ireland in partnership with Local Government Archivists and Record Managers. I am delighted that local history programmes and roadshows will be provided around the country, in partnership with county libraries and the genealogical community at home and abroad. I welcome especially the new collaboration for this phase of the project with the Department of Education, which will bring the Virtual Record Treasury into primary and post-primary schools, giving children and young people a magnificent opportunity to explore our past in an imaginative, interactive and exciting way. Finally, I would like to express my great appreciation to the project research team who have, under the thoughtful stewardship of Dr Peter Crooks and Dr Ciarán Wallace, shown such ambition, imagination, curiosity, and enthusiasm throughout. The Virtual Treasury and its archival collections have grown in a most compelling way exceeding, I think it is fair to say, everyone’s original expectations. I wish you all well in this new phase of the project and I look forward to the exciting new discoveries still to be revealed. Catherine Martin T.D. Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media 2