Imirce is LIVE - Thousands of Irish emigrant letters now available online
The University of Galway Library is pleased to announce that Imirce is now live. Imirce is a digital repository of thousands of Irish emigrant letters and memoirs dating from the late 1600s through to the mid-20th century. The letters and memoirs were collected from the Irish diaspora community in the U.S. and Ireland over five decades of research by Kerby A. Miller, Emeritus Professor of History at University of Missouri and Honorary Professor of History at University of Galway. Miller donated his collection to the University of Galway Library in 2021.
The initial phase of Imirce has concentrated on organising the collection of emigrant letters gathered by Kerby A. Miller and establishing a digital platform for these documents. The Kerby A. Miller Collection totals more than 150,000 pages, including approximately 7,000 letters, along with other important historical documents from Irish emigrants and their relatives, such as memoirs, genealogical records and more. A tranche of the letters is available online now, and the balance of letters and memoirs will be released over the rest of this calendar year.
The launch of the digital repository also includes an open call to the public to contribute new material to ensure the collection's continued growth and relevance. Areas of particular interest are letters written in Irish in North America, and letters and memoirs produced in any language by emigrants from Irish-speaking districts. Details about how to contribute to the collection are available at imirce.universityofgalway.ie/p/ms/contribute.
Launch Event
On Thursday 7 March, a launch event was held at Bonham Quay in Galway City Docks to celebrate the project going out into the world. The venue, with its view over the dock and out into the bay, echoed the journey out west of the emigrants who have left behind their stories in the letters and memoirs.
The programme included addresses to frame the donation of the collection and the digital project from Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh (President, University of Galway), Breandán Mac Suibhne (Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge), Alison Forrestal (School of History and Philosophy) and Catriona Cannon (University of Galway Library).
Kerby A. Miller and Patricia Miller were interviewed by Dan Carey (School of English, Media and Creative Arts) about the origins of the collection.
Cillian Joy (University of Galway Library) and Marie-Louise Rouget (University of Galway Library) demoed the digital repository and offered insights on its open research methodology, supporting the needs of academic users and members of the public alike. The event concluded with a stirring musical performance by Cormac Cannon on uilleann pipes.
The stories they tell
The Imirce collection showcases the intimate reflections of complex and diverse characters who bring the past to life for today’s readers.
- The O’Callaghans of Fallagh, Co Waterford and the Lough sisters who settled in Massachusetts and Connecticut remained in their family’s hearts and minds through the letters sent and received over multiple decades (late 19th century into the 20th century).
- Irishman Tim Lyons wrote a couple of bawdy, good natured letters to his friend John Kelleher who had returned to Ireland (“...one fellow out of a Million I would like to hear from...”) about his exploits, romantic and other, in New York City in the 1930s.
- James Quinn (alias Tim O’Brien), a young Irish Catholic from Belfast, led an adventurous, but short life, and leaves behind an absorbing glimpse of his travels in the 1920s, from Canada to Hollywood and into South America and the Carribean, through the postcards he frequently sent home to his “dearest mother”.
Please do take a look and pass the link along to friends and family. It's a resource for everyone!
With thanks
A digital project like Imirce and the successful launch event in Galway City Docks are only possible with the support of a great team of colleagues. Thank you to everyone across the University of Galway who has had a hand in getting this project to this stage of maturity since the original donation in 2021. As Catriona Cannon reminded everyone on the night of the launch, ‘it really takes a village.’
Author
Marie-Louise Rouget is the Project Digital Archivist for the Kerby Miller Collection. In 2023, she published her graduate research, titled 'Grave Concerns: the state of public cemetery records management in South Africa'.
Related Links
Blog Post: Curating a Digital-First Collection: Prof. Kerby Miller's Collection of Irish Emigrant Letters
Images
Image 1:Imirce - The Kerby A. Miller Collection - Irish Emigrant Letters and Memoirs from North America Imirce - BAILIÚCHÁN KERBY A. MILLER - Litreacha agus Cuimhní Cinn a Chum Éireannaigh i Meiriceá Thuaidh Available now at imirce.universityofgalway.ie
Image 2: Kerby Miller with materials from his collection in the University of Galway Archives and Special Collections Reading Room, 7 March 2024. Credit: Aengus McMahon
Image 3: Imirce launch event, 7 March 2024, Bonham Quay, Galway City Docks. Left to right: Breandán Mac Suibhne (Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge), Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh (President, University of Galway), Alison Forrestal (School of History and Philosophy) and Catriona Cannon (University of Galway Library). Credit: Eileen Kennedy
Image 3: Imirce launch event, 7 March 2024, Bonham Quay, Galway City Docks. Left to right: Breandán Mac Suibhne (Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge), Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh (President, University of Galway), Alison Forrestal (School of History and Philosophy) and Catriona Cannon (University of Galway Library). Credit: Eileen Kennedy
Image 4: Imirce launch event, 7 March 2024, Bonham Quay, Galway City Docks. Left to right: Dan Carey (School of English, Media and Creative Arts), Kerby A. Miller and Patricia Miller. Credit: Eileen Kennedy
Image 5: Imirce launch event, 7 March 2024, Bonham Quay, Galway City Docks. Left to right: Cillian Joy (University of Galway Library), Marie-Louise Rouget (University of Galway Library) and Cormac Cannon. Credit: Eileen Kennedy
Image 6: Imirce launch event, 7 March 2024, Bonham Quay, Galway City Docks. A selection of letters from the Kerby A. Miller collection were on display for guests to see and enjoy. Left to right: Marie-Louise Rouget (University of Galway Library) and Tríona Barrett (Bonham Quay). Credit: Eileen Kennedy
Image 7: Imirce launch event, 7 March 2024, Bonham Quay, Galway City Docks. Left to right: Monica Crump, Maeve O'Rourke, Kieran Hoare, Aisling Keane, Marie-Louise Rouget, Catriona Cannon, Cillian Joy and John Cox from the University of Galway Library. Credit: Eileen Kennedy
Image 8: Imirce launch event, 7 March 2024, Bonham Quay, Galway City Docks. Foreground, from left to right: John Cox (University of Galway Library) and Breandán Mac Suibhne (Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge). Credit: Eileen Kennedy
Image 9: Imirce launch event, 7 March 2024, Bonham Quay, Galway City Docks. University of Galway Library team with Kerby and Patricia Miller. Left to right: Kieran Hoare, Eimhin Joyce, Catriona Cannon, Kerby Miller, Patricia Miller, Aisling Keane, Marie-Louise Rouget and Cillian Joy. Credit: Eileen Kennedy
Image 10: Imirce launch event, 7 March 2024, Bonham Quay, Galway City Docks. Students from Indiana University Bloomington admiring the view. Credit: Eileen Kennedy
Image 11: Imirce launch event, 7 March 2024, Bonham Quay, Galway City Docks. Left to right: Breandán Mac Suibhne (Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge), Catriona Cannon (University of Galway Library), Dan Carey (School of English, Media and Creative Arts), Kerby Miller, Patricia Miller, Marie-Louise Rouget (University of Galway Library), David Kelly (Centre for Creative Technologies) and Cillian Joy (University of Galway Library). Credit: Eileen Kennedy
Image 12: Imirce launch event, 7 March 2024, Bonham Quay, Galway City Docks. Left to right: Karen Sorenson (University of Galway), Dan Carey (School of English, Media and Creative Arts), Kerby Miller and Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh (President, University of Galway). Credit: Eileen Kennedy
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