Tipperary heritage groups praised by well-known broadcaster

Well-known broadcaster John Creedon has praised a number of County Tipperary groups for their outstanding work in preserving and sharing local history and heritage online.

Mr Creedon was the special guest at the recent annual gathering of the Irish Community Archive Network (iCAN), which took place this year at the Great National Ballykisteen Hotel Tipperary.

The event was co-hosted by Róisín O’Grady, Heritage Officer, Tipperary County Council, in collaboration with voluntary heritage groups from across the county.

The Tipperary groups involved in iCAN are Cahir Social and Historical Society; Ormond Historical Society; Borrisoleigh Heritage and Culture; Tipperary in the Decade of Revolution; and Our Slieveardagh Hills.

iCAN is an initiative of the National Museum of Ireland and the Heritage Council, delivered in partnership with local authority heritage officers nationwide. It supports community groups in digitising, preserving and sharing their local history through online archives.

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Lorna Elms, iCAN Development Officer with the National Museum of Ireland, said:

“We are very grateful to Róisín O’Grady and our dedicated iCAN members in Tipperary for hosting such a successful national gathering. These groups play a vital role in documenting local history and heritage, contributing significantly to the growth of community archives across Ireland. This annual event provides a valuable opportunity to celebrate this collective work while sharing ideas, knowledge and experience”.

Róisín O’Grady, Heritage Officer, Tipperary County Council, said:

“We were delighted to host this year’s iCAN gathering, in partnership with the National Museum and the Heritage Council, and to welcome members from across Ireland. It was a privilege to bring together so many community groups who are at the heart of this innovative initiative and to showcase our own work in Tipperary. We hope the learning and celebration further empowers iCAN members to build and grow their digital archives”.

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To date, iCAN has supported the creation and development of 55 online archives in counties Clare, Cork, Galway, Mayo, Tipperary, Sligo and Wicklow, with eight more in development in Carlow and Limerick. The initiative aims to support up to 80 digital archives across Ireland by 2028.

For more information, visit www.museum.ie; www.ouririshheritage.org; www.heritagetipperary.org