ACHILL ORAL HISTORIES
A strictly not for profit community initiative dedicated to the systematic recording and archiving of life on Achill Island, Co Mayo Ireland as told by the people of Achill past and present.
We work in close partnership with the Achill people in developing oral history skills. We'll be providing training workshops on: preparing for an interview; interviewing skills; equipment; transcription; digital archiving; analysing; research ethics and integrity and dissemination. Get ahead of the game by looking at our growing toolkit section
Take our 60 second quiz to see if Achill Oral Histories is for you!
Your Story.Your Way.
We'd love to document as many stories of Achill residents as possible. Oral history reminds us of the importance of listening to others. As you describe your own memories of Achill life, you are given the space to recall your memories freely and without interviewer interruption. Each interview is different and unique to that individual person. Your story told your way - and that's what makes oral history so special. You are therefore able to recall whatever comes into your mind when that thought arises.
To support you in recounting your memories of Achill, your interviewer may ask you about your first memories of life on the island, what sort of housing you live in, home and family life, the kind of employment there is on the island, opportunities for leisure pursuits and what you think has changed on Achill over time. Each interview is recorded then transcribed to preserve your memories.
Most oral history interviews last between 1 - 2 hours but this really depends on you and how much time you have for the interview. Follow up interviews can also be arranged - it's astonishing how quickly time goes when you're telling your own personal story!
You choose the location of the interview. You might prefer to come to our base at Ashleam School at a pre-arranged time. But if this does not suit, you might prefer to be interviewed at home, in the Achill Sound library , in local cafe or pub. The choice of interview location is entirely yours.. To ensure a quality audio recording, we do ask that the venue chosen for the interview is quiet with minimal ambient noise.
How long does an oral history interview last?
What questions will I be asked?
Where will the interview be held?
See how oral history is used to celebrate memories. Check out "Another Tale to Tell": produced by the Emerald Centre in Leicester based on the oral histories of the Irish community in Leicester.