Lord Mayor of Dublin, Eibhlin Byrne, will launch the North Strand Oral History Bombing Project as part of the Bealtaine Festival 2009, on Wednesday 27th May 2009 in the Charleville Mall Library, North Strand, Dublin 1 at 12pm.
The project, a Dublin City Archives initiative, aims to collect and preserve eyewitness accounts of events that occurred on the night of 30th-31st May 1941. This was the night that four bombs were dropped by German aircraft on the North Strand, killing twenty eight people and injuring many more.
As part of the project, eight interviews were carried out with people who experienced the devastating and destructive impact the bombings had on the North Strand Area. Their stories, which will be accessible to all at Dublin City Library and Archive, provide valuable insight into the bombing, its aftermath, and how it affected the lives of the ordinary people of Dublin.
The Lord Mayor, Eibhlin Byrne said “The memories and experiences of older people are extremely important and valuable to us all. This oral history project has enriched our understanding of the North Strand bombing and will ensure that the experiences of those living in the North Strand in 1941 will never be forgotten. Our Dublin of today is very much a product of past experiences and a sharing of our history is very important to Dublin today. I commend all those involved.”
Notes to the Editor:
Stories recorded include that of an infant who was pulled from the rubble by the emergency services, and an army private who manned a Lewis Machine Gun at Collinstown airport as the German aircraft flew overhead.
The initial 8 interviews have been transcribed, and both transcriptions and audio-recordings will be made available at Charleville Mall Library and at Dublin City Library and Archive, Pearse Street, Dublin 2, which also holds Dublin Corporation (now Dublin City Council) photographs and files relating to the bombing.
The project will continue throughout 2009 and 2010. Individuals who wish to participate in the project are asked to contact Dublin City Archives at cityarchives@dublincity.ie or 01 674 4997. Alternatively from 27 May 2009 individuals can contribute their story directly to the “North Strand Bombing Reminiscences” webpage at: http://northstrandbombing.wordpress.com