An archive of over 1,500 recordings has been compiled by Maurice and Jane O'Keeffe since 1990. As they are commissioned by the Local Authorities of each county, they travel the highways and byways of Ireland recording the oral history there. Each recording is produced on an individual CD of approximately 1 hour in duration.
Every topic under the Irish sun is included in the recordings - local and national history, family histories, folklore, music, local customs, traditions and beliefs, teaching and schooling, fishing and farming traditions, boglands and turf, rural electrification and the growth and development of rural villages and towns, the Economic War and the Emergency Period, the 1916 Rising, The War of Independence and The Civil War.

New Digitised Format A Master Catalogue in two Volumes with Index, has been compiled in hard copy, which includes information on all 1,600 recordings compiled in the Irish Life and Lore Series since 1994. Digitised versions of all of the recording and catalogues have also been produced - the recordings are in 128kbps mp3 audio format and the catalogues are in pdf format. For more information on this new digitised format, please contact us. Irish Life and Lore Collection Launches The Fleischmann Collection will be launched at the in Cork on 13th April 2010. This Collection celebrates the life and work of the late Aloys Fleischmann, composer and Professor of Music UCC in his centenary year. The Meath Collection and the Donegal Collection will be launched in Spring 2010. The Falkland Islands Collection, compiled in November 2009 and funded by the Shackleton Scholarship Fund, and additonal funds raised locally, is now completed. Irish Life and Lore Photographic Exhibition This very popular exhibition is now in on display in Skibbereen Library in West Cork, having spent several months at the National Museum of Country Life in Mayo. Irish Life and Lore on Lyric FM Lyric FM will broadcast two features on the late Aloys Fleischmann and his work, using some of the Irish Life and Lore recordings, on Saturday 3rd and Saturday 10th April at 7pm. (96-99FM). Irish Life and Lore Books Work is well underway on a new book relating to ten of the recordings compiled by Maurice O'Keeffe in Cork City over the past two years. The book is edited by Jane O'Keeffe and will be published in early Summer, 2010. The new Irish Life and Lore Master Catalogue, in two volumes with index, is now available. Liberties Press in Dublin recently published "Written in Stone" by former Kilmainham Jail archivist, Niamh O'Sullivan. The book relates to the grafitti on the cell walls of the Jail, written by Republican prisoners during the War of Independence and Civil War. Included within the covers of the book is a recording on CD compiled by Maurice O'Keeffe as he walks through the cells with Niamh O'Sullivan, describing the grafitti and remembering the people who wrote it. Sample Audio from the Fingal Collection Listen to an hour of audio snippets from the recently published Fingal (North Dublin Collection. Sample Audio from the Fingal Collection The Old Kerry Journal - Second Edition The Second Edition of the Old Kerry Journal has been published by Russell McMorran and Maurice O'Keeffe.more » Irish Life and Lore on RTE's Nationwide The Irish Life and Lore series were recently featured on RTE's Nationwide programme.more »

 

Most of the recordings in the Irish Life and Lore archive have been divided into Collections according to the counties in which they were compiled. Each Collection is comprised of individual CDs accompanied by an illustrated catalogue giving a brief synopsis of each recording. Each CD may also be purchased individually. The Collections of recordings with relevant catalogues are also available in digitised format.

Some special Collections have also been compiled: Cork Institute of Technology Collection, 1916 Collection, Bord na Móna Collection and Falkland Islands Collection.

The most recent Collections completed are:

First Cork County Collection (43 CDs)   Email Us to purchase individual CDs Cork IT Collection (51 CDs)   Email Us to purchase individual CDs Cork City Collection (52 CDs) North Cork/Duhallow Collection (45 CDs)   Bord na Mona Collection (28 CDs)   Email Us to purchase individual CDs   First Kildare Collection (36 CDs)   Email Us to purchase individual CDs   First Kilkenny Collection (51 CDs) Second Kilkenny Collection (52 CDs)   First Tipperary Collection (45 CDs) North Tipperary Collection (50 CDs)   First Galway Collection (26 CDs)   First Clare Collection (39 CDs) Second Clare Collection (45 CDs) Third Clare Collection (50 CDs)

First Kerry Collection (119 CDs) North Kerry Collection (54 CDs) Third Kerry Collection (92 CDs) Fourth Kerry Collection (50 CDs)   Clara Collection (29 CDs)   Email Us to purchase individual CDs   First Carlow Collection (50 CDs)   North Dublin Collection (78 CDs) South Dublin Collection (61 CDs)   First Laois/Offaly Collection (50 CDs) Second Offaly Collection (70 CDs)   Wexford Opera Collection (62 CDs)   West Limerick Collection (47 CDs)   1916 Collection (33 CDs)

	Featured Wexford Opera CD John & Margaret Maher No. 2 Ballinkeel House is of one of Wexford’s most historic houses. This recording began in the hallway with John and Margaret Maher and moved through the rooms and corridors of this magnificent building. John and Margaret told anecdotes about events which happened in the house down through the years and John also speaks about his close encounter with ... read more »» Featured Cork City CD Paddy Madden & Jim Fahy This recording was compiled in Paddy Maddens’ home at Ballyphehane in the company of Jim Fahy. The trade of the mason is discussed in a very enlightening manner, and all the changes which have taken place are outlined. The recording includes stories about block-laying, drystone walls and stonework in general, paving, tiling, kerbing, packing ... read more »» Featured North Dublin CD Richard Flynn No. 2 In this recording, compiled by Tom Maher in 2005, Richard Flynn, ably aided by his brother Paud, the discussion focuses on the soil and sand, the use of seaweed, the different varieties of potato seed, the techniques in tilling, hand-weeding and the seasons in which the crop was set, as well as the fly control and the sprayings which were used by ... read more »» Featured South Dublin CD Fr. Ben Hegarty A native of Cork city, Fr Ben Hegarty joined the Dominican Order at a very young age. He studied in Tallaght for six years and then in Rome, where he worked for a degree in Biblical Studies. He did post graduate studies in archaeology in the Middle East for two years and he then returned to Dublin and achieved a Master’s Degree in Community ... read more »» Featured Second Kilkenny CD Willie Lynch Walsh This recording was made a week after Willie Lynch Walsh’s celebration of his 100th birthday. He had an extraordinary recall of the football matches his father played for Kilmacow which fielded a famous team in its day. Willie grew up on a farm and spoke about the tillage, ploughing and harrowing of the land. His own middle name, ‘Lynch’, stuck to ... read more »» Featured 1916 CD Col. Sean Clancy No. 2 My second visit to Col. Sean Clancy coincided with his 103rd birthday and on my arrival I was met by the postman who was delivering a letter from President McAleese to mark the occasion. Once the excitement had abated we settled down to record further recollections of stirring times in Irish history. Col. Clancy has a vivid memory of the occasion ... read more »»

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  from the recordings.

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• Libraries who have bought the Collections