HistoryHub
Connecting past and present
The video reflects the transformation of Ireland’s archival landscape over the past half century and the remarkable role of UCD alumni in this process and is a great record of all that has been achieved over the past 50 years.
The School of History marked a significant milestone this year celebrating 50 years since the first archivists were trained in the university. Public awareness of the value of archivists has increased in Ireland over the last two decades, due to the significance of records in Commissions of Inquiry and the Decade of Centenaries but establishing the first training programme took place in a very different context. At this time, individuals had to travel abroad for full professional education and archives were collected mainly by the national repositories on the island and by special collection departments in universities.
The move to establish archival training was spearheaded by Robert Dudley Edwards, then Professor of Modern Irish History in UCD, and by Ailsa Holland, a recent graduate of UCD’s library training programme, whose archival credentials were strengthened by time spent working in the Bundesarchiv in Koblenz, West Germany. The dynamism and determination of these two individuals, bolstered by significant support from a broad range of academics and librarians, led to the first Diploma in Archival Studies being delivered in the university in 1972-73. Since this time, archival training in UCD has gone from strength to strength and the university now delivers programmes at Certificate, Masters, and Doctoral level.
One of the ways that the School of History marked the birthday milestone was to invite former graduates to contribute to a video creating a record of the professional lives of UCD archivists. This video includes images of archivists from the very first training course to the current day.
It demonstrates the remarkable contribution UCD graduates have made to archives across the island of Ireland and abroad. The international contribution of UCD archivists is clear with contributions from the UK and Europe, New Zealand, North America, and Africa. In terms of Ireland, many of the graduates who submitted photos established the first archive or records management service in the island’s local authorities, government departments, cultural institutions, corporate bodies, and religious organizations; others have worked to develop repositories dedicated to the preservation of film, music, architectural and military history. The video reflects the transformation of Ireland’s archival landscape over the past half century and the remarkable role of UCD alumni in this process and is a great record of all that has been achieved over the past 50 years.
Stellar line-up for the celebration of 50 years of Archival Education here in UCD @UCDHistArch - wonderful to see so many archivists and colleagues at this happy occasion @ucddublin @ucdarchives @UCDLibrary pic.twitter.com/205RUrbKJE
— Dr Sandra Collins (@SandriCollins) June 8, 2023
Since 2011, researchers from a range of disciplines including History, Irish, English, Archaeology and Art History, have presented papers at Tudor and Stuart Ireland conferences. History Hub, in association with Real Smart Media, has produced more than 290 podcasts from these conferences.
The Military Welfare History Network provides a networking and dissemination platform for scholars who are research active in military welfare history.
In 2024 the Military Welfare History Network (MWHN) hosted its third international conference at the University of Leeds on 20 and 21 June. Led by Prof Jessica Meyer, the organising team hosted a two-day event at Leeds on the theme of ‘Economies of Military Welfare: conversations between past and present’. The conference was generously supported by the University of Leeds and the Economic History Society. Two papers recorded at the conference are now available to podcast.
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UCD offers a variety of study options and entry pathways, ranging from full-time degrees to short-term courses for pure interest. Lifelong Learning offers all adult learners the opportunity to explore a subject of their choice without the pressure of an examination. Open Learning is a flexible way of studying history part-time at UCD. Explore your UCD History options for the coming year.
