Decade of Centenaries Local Legacies Programme in 2020

Louth 1920 Online Archives Exhibition

1920 was yet another momentous year in the Decade of Centenaries. With the War of Independence raging, all-island local elections were held, which were the first elections in Ireland to use Proportional Representation.

Much of what occurred during this significant period in Irish history took place at a local level and is documented in local archival sources which have heretofore been available to those able to visit the County Archives.

Now with the kind assistance of funding from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Louth County Archives Service has digitised and made available online a selection of these surviving public and private archives, dating to the 1920 period.

It has also utilised these sources to create an online archives exhibition to commemorate 1920.

Included in the digitisation are extant minute books of Louth County Council, the former Drogheda Corporation, Dundalk Urban District Council and the Rural District Councils of Ardee and Drogheda, in addition to a selection of other archives from the 1920 – 1922 period such as music and theatre programmes and photographs or local trade and business directories.

The purpose of developing this digital content is to support local research and scholarship by providing free online access to local archival sources, and thereby assisting in the democratisation of access to records and serving as an additional preservation method for the original collection. Furthermore, it will assist individuals in working remotely and will support students in their studies.

The exhibition which includes archives of a general, social, political and military nature provides a flavour of what life was like at this time and of the journey from revolution with violence into a functioning democracy.

The hope is that by creating this digital content, it will have the benefit of enhancing public knowledge and developing a deeper understanding of
local circumstances during this fundamental time in our history. It should be of interest to members of the public, students, local historians, opinion formers and writers.