Community Relations Council
Equity Diversity Interdependence
Promoting a Peaceful and Fair
Society based on Reconciliation
and Mutual Trust.
Links
Links
Links
Two categories of web links are provided in alphabetical order with descriptions drawn from their own websites.. These are links for significant political events or movements and then general links
LINKS to sites holding material about the period
The Century Ireland project is an online historical newspaper that tells the story of the events of Irish life a century ago.
Century Ireland is published on a fortnightly basis, beginning in May 2013, and is the main online portal for the Irish decade of commemorations, 1912-23.
News reporting on life in Ireland 100 years ago is supported by a wealth of visual, archival and contextual material to facilitate an understanding of the complexities of Irish life in the year between 1912 and 1923.
IrelandWW1 has been created by Richard Grayson and Catriona Pennell who now co-edit the site. As well as being an information hub, we hope that the website will also act as a networking forum, allowing academics and representatives of non-university-led organizations and projects to introduce themselves to each other, and perhaps act as a springboard for conversation and collaboration.
The Irish Labour History Society aims to preserve the records and reminiscences, written and oral, of the Irish working class and its organisations.
Society membership is composed of individuals, labour-related organisations, academic institutions, libraries and archival bodies. The Society frequently organizes conferences and other events, and issues publications on Irish labour, including its annual journal Saothar.
Kilmainham Gaol is one of Ireland's most important buildings. It was designed in an attempt to improve the quality of the penal system, and in the belief that prisons should be hygienic and well-ventilated. It is also, however, a 'panopticon', emphasizing the importance of surveillance at all times, and as a result the Gaol earned itself a notorious reputation. Inmates included rebels from the Easter Rising in 1916; most notably Éamon de Valera, the last prisoner to be freed under the Free State, who went on to become President of Ireland. Now the place has been converted into a museum. Guided tours provide the only access to the prison. An exhibition in the main hall and a video also outline the history of this controversial building.
The Linen Hall Library is a truly unique institution. Founded in 1788, it is the oldest library in Belfast and the last subscribing library in Ireland. It is renowned for its unparalleled Irish and Local Studies Collection, ranging from comprehensive holdings of Early Belfast and Ulster printed books to the 250,000 items in the Northern Ireland Political Collection, the definitive archive of the recent troubles.
The Library also boasts the Northern Ireland Theatre and Performing Arts Archive, a unique collection reflecting our rich cultural heritage. The Linen Hall has an illustrious profile as a centre of cultural and creative life and offers a varied programme of events ranging from monthly exhibitions to readings and lectures.
The National Library of Ireland’s online exhibition The 1916 Rising: Personalities and Perspectives
A museum dedicated to the memory of the Irish educationalist and nationalist Patrick Pearse, located in the building in St. Enda’s park which formerly housed Pearse’s Irish language school. Attractions include exhibitions, a nature study room with attractive displays on Irish flora and fauna and an audio-visual show titled "This Man Kept a School".
The archive of the Ulster Unionist Council, held by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI), contains just under half a million original signatures and addresses of the men who, on 28 September 1912, signed the Ulster Covenant, and of the women who signed the parallel Declaration. In total, the Covenant was signed by 237,368 men, and the Declaration by 234,046 women.
Previously the Covenant was difficult and very time-consuming to access and, consequently, it was under-used. PRONI has now improved access by digitising all the signatures, in recognition that the on-line database should make a significant contribution to both genealogical research and cultural tourism.
The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) is the official archive for Northern Ireland. It aims to identify and preserve records of historical, social and cultural importance and make them available for the information, education and enjoyment of the public.
PRONI is the official place of deposit for public records in Northern Ireland. In addition, it collects a wide range of archives from private sources. PRONI also advises on and promotes best practice in archive and records management to ensure that today’s records will be available for future generations.
The Battle of the Somme in 1916 was the worst military disaster the British Empire had ever suffered. Waves of soldiers were ordered by their commanding officers only to be shot to pieces by German rifle fire. Losses for Ulster regiments were particularly high: nearly six thousand Ulstermen were killed or wounded in this protracted battle and the Somme is a wound that runs deep in Ulster consciousness. Visit the Somme Heritage Museum where trench life and the conditions of battle have been eerily recreated. Audio-visual displays encompass the story of Ireland's contribution to the First World War, as well as the unfolding of this horrendous battle in painstaking detail.
The Ulster Historical Foundation is a long-established, highly reputable research and publishing agency. It offers extensive knowledge on the sources available for tracing Irish and Scots-Irish ancestors. Services include online databases of over two million records, genealogy and history books, and personal ancestral research.
Entirely self-funded, the Ulster Historical Foundation depends on the support of its customers and members to provide the range of services that it offers.
LINKS to sites that may assist with collaboration, funding and developing activities
Irish National Archives' new website on the Anglo-Irish Treaty
The Arts Council is the lead development agency for the arts in Northern Ireland. They are the main support for artists and arts organisations, offering a broad range of funding opportunities through Exchequer and National Lottery funds. The Council is committed to providing a high level of service to all its clients whether individual artists or arts organisations.
The Belfast Civic Trust is committed to promoting knowledge of the history of Belfast and the conservation of its unique character. To this end, the Trust promotes education and research to improve awareness of Belfast’s history as a town, and liaises with local and central government, architects, planners, voluntary and community groups and other bodies on environmental issues.
The Centre For Maritime Archaeology, formed in 1999 and jointly funded by the University of Ulster and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA,) has established an inter-disciplinary research environment, interacting equally with the sciences and humanities. Since inception, we have been active in developing discrete areas of coastal, freshwater and historical archaeology and marine geo-archaeology.
Since 1979, the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland has been the local touchstone for intelligent giving. With over thirty years of experience working in communities across the region, the Foundation has used grant-making and fund development to drive social change. Sharing, learning and promoting community development have also been key activities, helping embed peace and reduce poverty among the most disadvantaged of Northern Ireland.
The Community Relations Council was formed in January 1990 as an independent company and registered charity. It originated in 1986 as a proposal of a research report commissioned by the NI Standing Advisory Committee on Human Rights. The Community Relations Council was set up to promote better community relations between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland and, equally, to promote recognition of cultural diversity. Its strategic aim is to promote a peaceful and fair society based on reconciliation and mutual trust.
The Discovery Programme is a public institution for advanced research in Irish archaeology. As distinct from the other public bodies that deal with Irish archaeology, the Discovery Programme’s sole activity is to engage in full-time archaeological and related research, in order to enhance our knowledge of Ireland’s past. Our only other concerns are to communicate the results of that research, as appropriate, to scholars and the general public, and to promote the introduction of new technologies and new techniques into Irish archaeology.
The Discovery Programme was set up in 1991 and was funded initially by the government through direct grants. Now, as an independent body, it is mainly funded by an annual grant from the Heritage Council.
This web resource provides Primary and Post Primary teachers and schools with resources , guidance, and strategies to encourage active pupil investigation of significant events 100 years ago.
Teachers will come to the resource with different experience and may choose to focus on particular sections.
The Federation was set up to promote and assist with the study and recording of the history, antiquities and folk-life of Ulster, to develop communication and co-operation between local historical groups and between these groups and relevant statutory and voluntary organisations.
Events organised by the Federation include workshops, seminars, speaking engagements and historical tours. The website also contains details of resources published by the Federation and extensive information on the activities of associated historical societies.
The Fellowship of the Messines Association was formed in May 2002 by the first graduates of The International School for Peace Studies in the village of Messines in Belgium. The Association was established by a diverse range of individuals from Loyalist, Republican and Trade Union backgrounds.
The Fellowship of Messines Association is dedicated to and actively works for, ‘Peace and Reconciliation’ in our society through the study and examination of the ‘Common and Shared History’ of the people of this island.
Since its foundation the Association and its Projects have created opportunities for participants from our divided society to engage in joint study and training programmes and dialogues around the issues of ‘History, Identity and Politics’.
(Site available in Gaelic and English)
Foras na Gaeilge, the body responsible for the promotion of the Irish language throughout the whole island of Ireland, was founded on the second day of December 1999.
In the Good Friday Agreement, it was stated that a North/South Implementation body be set up to promote both the Irish language and the Ulster Scots language. Under the auspices of this body, Foras na Gaeilge will carry out all the designated responsibilities regarding the Irish language. This entails facilitating and encouraging the speaking and writing of Irish in the public and private arena in the Republic of Ireland, and in Northern Ireland where there is appropriate demand, in the context of part three of the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages.
Healing Through Remembering is an extensive cross-community project made up of a range of individual members holding different political perspectives working on a common goal of how to deal with the legacy of the past as it relates to the conflict in and about Northern Ireland.
Current opportunities for involvement offered by Healing Through Remembering include a series of seminars occurring throughout 2011, as well as conversational workshops which can be organised by HTR on request.
The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) sustains and transforms a wide range of heritage though innovative investment in projects with a lasting impact on people and places. As the largest dedicated funder of the UK’s heritage, with around £255 million a year to invest in new projects and a considerable body of knowledge and evaluation over 15 years, the HLF is also a leading advocate for the value of heritage to modern life. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest in every part of our heritage. HLF has supported more than 30,000 projects allocating £4.5billion across the UK.
The Heritage Lottery Fund is administered by the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) which was given the responsibility of distributing a share of money raised through the National Lottery for Good Causes, to heritage across the UK, in 1994. It is a non-departmental public body accountable to Parliament via the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.
Holywell Trust was formed in the late summer of 1988. Its formation came from the perceived need for an organisation which would encourage risk taking and stimulate creativity in the work of community development and Community Development & Peace Building in the North West.
Holywell’s main areas of concern have been in encouraging healthy working relationships, both personal and cross-community, in facilitating community development & peace building work, in developing public campaigns, in commenting on and researching environmental issues in promoting community arts projects, supporting cross-border, adult education, Heritage research & awareness, organising and facilitating experiential group work and delivering community development support to projects in the North West.
The Irish Heritage Trust, a charity, has been created to care for historic properties, houses and gardens throughout Ireland. We expect these places to bring benefits to their local communities through tourism, employment or simply by providing a place for pleasure and relaxation. The Trust plans to acquire historic sites ranging from large country estates to smaller urban properties. All will be of historic significance and at risk in some way. We want to care for these special places and offer a memorable day out at these properties where everyone can enjoy and celebrate the extraordinary achievements of the people who created these properties, including architects, gardeners and craftsmen.
Irish History Live is an exciting new online venture aimed at students in Great Britain, the Republic of Ireland, and Northern Ireland studying for Highers, A-Levels, and Leaving Certificates.
The Junction is a community relations resource and peace building centre established through a partnership between community relations organisations throughout north-western Northern Ireland.
Based in Derry/Londonderry, the centre serves as a gathering place for individuals, community groups, and international visitors. It is a focal point for peace building activities and works to enhance effective networking among practitioners.
In partnership with the Holywell Trust, the Junction has recently developed a three-year ‘Shared and Ethical Remembering’ project (see Resources list for further details).
A Belfast-based theatre company, Kabosh is committed to challenging the notion of what theatre is and where it takes place. The company aims to reinvent they ways in which stories are told, commissioning new writing and devising work for site-specific environments and installation. Kabosh strives to create the best environment for performance as well as cultivating original work in radical partnerships with other arts practitioners.
The first point of call for information relating to local public libraries, Libraries NI is the new public library service for Northern Ireland. The Libraries NI organisation aims to provide and promote a range of high quality library and information services for everyone in Northern Ireland.
National Museums Northern Ireland operates several sites across the country, and several of these exhibits are relevant to the forthcoming decade of anniversaries. The Ulster-American Folk Park and focuses on delving into the stories of Irish emigration, while the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum explores what day-to-day life was like one hundred years ago. Also notable is the Armagh County Museum; the oldest county museum in Ireland is set in Armagh’s beautiful Georgian tree lined Mall. Its collections capture centuries of stories relating to the people who lived, worked and had connections with this famous city and historic county.
The Nerve Centre was established in 1990 as a focal point for youth culture in Derry, Northern Ireland's second city. By bringing popular music, film, video, animation and interactive multimedia together under one roof, the Nerve Centre promotes creative collaboration and fusion between artists and provides a cultural outlet for many young people who feel excluded from what is traditionally regarded as the "arts sector". The Nerve Centre is, first and foremost, a production house, or if you like, cultural factory for the creation of new music, film, video, animation and digital media.
The Northern Ireland Community Archive is a collection of tourist trails, museum collections, photographs, exhibitions, oral testimonies and other information from local museums and community groups.
The content of the archive is extensive, including detailed information on community and museum archives based in locations across the country.
Established in 1987, NICIE is a voluntary organisation that was set up to develop, support and promote Integrated Education in Northern Ireland. The underpinning principle of Integrated Education is the belief that by bringing Catholics, Protestants and children of other faiths, and none, together in a shared learning environment, they can learn to understand, respect and accept each other.
Recently, the NICIE has been working to make the 1641 Depositions (see below) available as an historical resource for schools.
The Northern Ireland Museums Council was established in 1993. It includes members from the regional museums in Northern Ireland, the National Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland, District Councils and nominees of the Minister of Culture, Arts & Leisure and the local universities, and representatives of independent museums.
The NIMC website provides access to a diverse range of informative publications as well as extensive details of museums and sites operated by the organisation.
Northern Visions is a media centre in Belfast offering training, access and media production in radio and video. The provision of skilled support services, both people and technical, realises quality programming and has offered opportunities to people marginalised by mainstream media or denied self and/or collective expression.
· Public Record Office Northern Ireland (PRONI)
The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) is the official archive for Northern Ireland. It aims to identify and preserve records of historical, social and cultural importance and make them available for the information, education and enjoyment of the public.
PRONI is the official place of deposit for public records in Northern Ireland. In addition, it collects a wide range of archives from private sources. PRONI also advises on and promotes best practice in archive and records management to ensure that today’s records will be available for future generations.
A transcription of testimonies provided by thousands of eyewitnesses to the 1641 Rebellion made available online by the NICIE and Trinity College, Dublin. As a consequence of the highly controversial nature of this event, these digital reproductions of the original depositions are posted without additional academic commentary; interpretation is an exercise for the individual reader.
· The Ulster Archaeological Society
The Ulster Archaeological Society is open to all. Its aim is "to advance the education of the public in archaeology and history, particularly in regard to Ulster". The Society organises a programme of free public lectures, as well as summer field trips to interesting sites, led by professional archaeologists. The Society publishes the Ulster Journal of Archaeology (founded in 1853) and a quarterly newsletter.
· The Ulster Historical Foundation
The Ulster Historical Foundation is a long-established, highly reputable research and publishing agency. It offers extensive knowledge on the sources available for tracing Irish and Scots-Irish ancestors. Services include online databases of over two million records, genealogy and history books, and personal ancestral research. Entirely self-funded, the Ulster Historical Foundation depends on the support of its customers and members to provide the range of services that it offers.
Resources available on the UHF website include the e-books ‘6th Connaught Rangers: Belfast Nationalists and the Great War’, ‘My Roots: Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors’, ‘In Search Of Sperrin Ancestors’ and ‘Belfast & Nashville’. Also included is an extensive list of ongoing or completed historical research projects.
The Ulster History Circle is a small, voluntary, not for profit organisation that places commemorative blue plaques in public places, in towns and villages all over Ulster, in honour of men and women who have contributed to the Province's history. Plaques are erected with the permission of the owners of the buildings.
The Ulster History Circle was formed in the 1980s to fill what was believed to be a gap in the celebration of the shared history of the people of Northern Ireland.
The Trust was established by the Federation for Ulster Local Studies to help raise the standard of local historical work, particularly among voluntary groups, and to assert its relevance in Ulster society. The trustees believe that local historical studies are intimately connected with identity, with community, and with understanding, and can be a powerful force for good.
The Trust has provided financial support to community groups seeking to establish historical exhibitions of their own. It is also connected to several other historical groups and museums.
The Ulster People’s College is a specialist organisation concentrating on education and training for development. It was established in 1982 as a charitable limited company to involve people in tackling social and economic problems and in overcoming cultural and political divisions. UPC programmes focus on community development to enable social and economic regeneration and on political development to enable real democracy and expression of citizenship. The majority of the College’s education provision is delivered off-site in local community centres across Northern Ireland. Recent work includes the People’s History Initiative, a shared history project which aims to encourage people and communities to understand their history and to enable individuals to deal positively with the past. The aim of the Ulster-Scots Agency is to promote the study, conservation, development and use of Ulster-Scots as a living language, to encourage and develop the full range of its attendant culture; and to promote an understanding of the history of the Ulster-Scots. (Site available in Gaelic and English) ULTACH is an independent charitable trust based in Belfast. Its principal aim is to promote the Irish language throughout the entire community of Northern Ireland. A core objective is to encourage cross-community involvement in the language, and the membership of the Board of Trustees reflects both major religious traditions. The Trust is currently core-funded by Foras na Gaeilge, the Irish language agency of the Cross-Border Language Body. |
Media Links
Slugger O'Toole website - The Decade of Big Dates
http://sluggerotoole.com/2011/12/14/the-decade-of-big-dates/
BBC News - Which anniversaries will be commemorated in Northern Ireland?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-16162963
Irish Times - North's politicians must strike right tone during emotionally charged anniversaries
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0106/1224309891943.html
Alliance Party - Naomi Long's speech on centenaries affecting the UK and Ireland
http://allianceparty.org/article/2011/006192/naomi-long-s-speech-on-centenaries-affecting-the-uk-and-ireland
Belfast Telegraph - We cannot allow our past to hijack the future.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/news-analysis/why-we-cannot-allow-our-past-to-hijack-the-future-16093751.html
Belfast Telegraph - A year for us to rise to challenges
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/viewpoint/a-year-for-us-to-rise-to-challenges-16098048.html
Irish Times - Commemorations can be strong unifying influence
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2012/0127/1224310807738.html
See also http://www.community-relations.org.uk/marking-anniversaries/case-studies
