Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

A letter from Lt Col John McDonnell from Louth to his wife Senta - in it he is concerned with how his farm at home is doing, and draws a lost key for her. He was killed by an enemy shell on 29 September 1918. National Library of Ireland

World War I history roadshow wants your family memorabilia

Call for public to find old documents, photographs etc. relating to ‘The Great War’ – they will be scanned and recorded on a pan-European website.

AN OPEN DAY will be held at the National Library on Wednesday when people are asked to bring memorabilia relating to friends or relatives’ involvement in World War I.

The NLI on Kildare Street in Dublin is preparing for the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the ‘Great War’ in 1914. According to figures from BBC History, about 210,000 Irishmen served in the British forces from 1914-1918 – and 35,000 of them died.

Katherine McSharry, head of services at the NLI, said:

We are hoping people will bring in anything from the 1914-1918 period, be it a family photo, a love letter, some sort of document or object. It doesn’t matter if people don’t know the background behind it. Once the material is online then it’s likely that researchers and other individuals will be able to fill in some of those information gaps.

The ‘roadshow’ is one of many being held across Europe as part of a pan-European virtual archive of World War I that will then be available to all European citizens to view. It has already seen collections gathered in the UK, Slovenia, Denmark and Belgium. In Germany alone in 2011, more than 25,000 digital images were made from material submitted by the public – these included diaries, hand-drawn maps, portraits, photographs and sketches.

The NLI’s director Fiona Ross said that there will be historians and experts at the Library tomorrow to talk to members of the public about the significance of the items they bring in. The items will be scanned on the spot by Library staff and then you can take your item home with you. The material will then be uploaded to the Europeana 1914-1918 website.

Items the NLI hopes to see from people include:

  • Letters
  • Photographs
  • Postcards
  • Medals
  • Coins
  • Keepsakes
  • Diaries
  • Sketches
  • Army discharge papers
  • Recordings

Ross said:

We want ordinary families to tell us about their keepsakes, who they belonged to and why they are so important to them – and we will save those memories in our archive. Digitisation will ensure that World War I-related materials are not destroyed or thrown away.

It will also allow the information in those materials to be incorporated into apps for smartphones and tablets that will bring history alive for people in contemporary ways.

And if you can’t make it today (the roadshow is at the NLI from 10am-7pm), you can scan your own items and upload them to the Europeana website where there is a step-by-step guide to help you through.

Slideshow: Irish World War I recruitment posters>

Last known WWI veteran dies aged 110>

Fighting talk: America’s WWI-era posters>

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute BW
    Favourite BW
    Report
    Aug 26th 2011, 12:47 PM

    This is not a shock… (actually this shouldn’t be a shock) sure aren’t the government & RSA now downgrading it to a fining offence…..

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Lydia Morgan
    Favourite Lydia Morgan
    Report
    Aug 26th 2011, 5:51 PM

    I was under the impression that it is not being downgraded to a fine. If your over 80mg you still have to go to court and charged criminally. Currently if your under 80mg you walk whereas the new law wont let those bearly under off the hook so likely i.e the fine and penalty points. As far as I am aware the fine only applies to first time offence as well, if your caught over 50 a 2nd time you go to court. So in effect the laws are being made stricter ? Correct me if I have this wrong.

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Mack
    Favourite John Mack
    Report
    Aug 26th 2011, 1:18 PM

    is being over the limit classified as being drunk. or is it only a name or level of intoxication when your driving, being labelled drunk carries a negative aspect to having a social drink. I’m all for reduced alcohol blood limits when it comes to driving. just wondering on the naming terms

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paddy Comyn
    Favourite Paddy Comyn
    Report
    Aug 26th 2011, 4:43 PM

    The problem with this is of course, that it is impossible to ‘know’ if a person is over the limit. The figure could be a lot more. Very few people are actually aware of the quantity of alcohol that would set them over the legal limit. It is more often less that they expect.

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sean Mc Avinue
    Favourite Sean Mc Avinue
    Report
    Jan 30th 2012, 12:49 PM

    No wonder drink related accidents are so high. If in an accident the driver has zero alcohol only the passenger in the back seat is over the limit that accident is classed as being “drink related” if a pedestrian over limit is tipped by a car through his or her own fault it is drink related.

    1
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds