Paper short abstract:

By curating and publishing a community collection of Island-specific interviews and photographs in an Irish national folklore database, we – archivists, university and community leaders – are together preserving and showcasing its riches.

Paper long abstract:

Árainn is the largest of the three Aran Islands, off the west coast of Ireland. Bailiúchán Béaloidis Árann (the Folklore of Árainn Collection) is the only major collection of the island's folklore and photographs ever to have been collected by islanders themselves. Amid the array of collections of Árainn folklore created since the nineteenth century, it is remarkable that a collection made by islanders and for islanders should emerge. This collection contains a wealth of speech, sayings, and traditions that has since passed from local memory.

In recent years, those seeking to access Bailiúchán Béaloidis Árann have been supported on an ad hoc basis by islanders. With the present initiative, Bailiúchán Béaloidis Árann is being placed on a more permanent and more sustainable footing. As a stand-alone website hosted on the parent website dúchas.ie (the National Folklore Collection digitization project, a joint project by UCD and DCU), users can engage with a specially designed resource showcasing Bailiúchán Béaloidis Árann. This new platform generates access to the collection not only for the people of Árainn near and far but also for people interested in folklore, history, traditions, and culture. The collection can now serve scholars, artists, and the public more easily and in an appropriate manner.

Hosted online alongside the riches of the National Folklore Collection and through linkages to other web resources, Bailiúchán Béaloidis Árann is guaranteed discoverability and recognition as a repository of national and international significance.

Bairbre Uí Chonaill

Áine Uí Fhlaithearta