Birth of the Republic

As a history student it is invaluable to gain experience working with and handling original materials and documents. I am in the fortunate position of being an intern in 2016 when there is a massive appetite among the general public for images, documents, accounts and evidence from a century ago. It is not just historians and academics that are looking into the past but people researching their family trees and examining what went on in their local areas.

Therefore to be involved, in a small way, in helping to put together what images and information will be disseminated online in a collection about the 'Birth of the Republic' has been a real thrill. The centenary of the Easter Rising this year means different things to different people but as we begin to commemorate 1916-1923, we enter a period of anniversaries that led to the Republic we have today.  

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I have spent a number of days editing the database of images to ensure that they are available to be published online. I have also scanned and archived a number of folders of further documents that are now ready to be added to the database. I have an interest in the revolutionary period in Ireland but many of the archived materials I have encountered have come as a complete surprise to me.

For example the outright hostility of some of the cartoons produced at the time, as well as the lists of 'traitorous juries' published by the so-called Ghosts give a real sense of the depth of feeling that existed in the Ireland of that time. I have also seen images of leaders' wives and families that are often overlooked when their histories are being told.

I have never worked in a research library and archive before and I have to say it is an immensely rewarding and interesting way to complete my work experience. While inputting the information and data it is important to remember that that is in fact what I am doing and not get lost in reading the material in full.

I like to learn mostly about the sociological side of history and to see the many things that were going on in daily life alongside the more militant activities of a century ago. I hope that when you look through this collection you too will get a sense of life as it was at the Birth of the Republic.

About our Guest Blogger

Peter Boyd is 32 years old and is returning to education for a Level 5 qualification in Arts, Culture & History in Dún Laoghaire ten years after completing a BA in Leisure Management. He hopes to study either English, Media & Cultural Studies in IADT or Journalism to BA Honours level from September.