Tuesday 7 August 2012

Find your witness to the Independence movement

Originally scheduled for an end of June release, the Bureau of Military History collection, which covers the Independence movement from 1913 to 1921, has at last been released online. The project was a collaboration between the National Archives of Ireland and Military Archives, and the collection has its own dedicated website: www.bureauofmilitaryhistory.ie.

The Bureau was established by Oscar Traynor, Minister for Defence in 1947 and gave individuals an opportunity to record their own stories and experiences of this period.

Today's release provides researchers with a fascinating collection of material relating to the Irish Volunteers from their formation in 1913 to 1921. It comprises 1773 witness statements, 334 sets of contemporary documents, a huge photographic collection, voice recordings and press cuttings.

It's going to be a real bonus to have this detailed and colourful information available online.