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Record: National Folklore Collection UCD

National Folklore Collection UCD

National Folklore Collection UCD
F002 John Henry Newman Building
UCD, Belfield
Dublin 4
Ireland

Tel: +353 1 7168216 or +353 1 7168439 (Sound Archive)
E-mail: anna.bale@ucd.ie
Web: http://www.ucd.ie/folklore/en/

Organisation type
Educational / Research Institution / Archive
Other info: n/a
Our collections Irish Language: Recordings by the Irish Folklore Commission from 1920s to present; other donated or bought collections such as Donnellan, Ó Muireadhaigh, Melberg, Éamonn Ó Tuathail, Máirtín Ó Cadhain, some RTÉ material etc. ; collecting work ongoing but limited. Video - Dept of Irish Folklore fieldwork1980s to present, storytelling, song, dance & material culture;
Manx Language: 1947 recordings by the Folklore Commission, now published. Video - interview with Leslie Quirk 2004.
Scottish Gaelic: Recordings by Folklore Commission (S Ennis & C Mac Gill-Eathain)1947/ later Dept of Irish Folklore staff, 1970s onwards - lore and songs. Video - no fieldwork video, commercial releases only.
Recordings (duration, dates & recording formats) Duration: 5000-10,000
Other info: Irish, Manx and Gaelic recordings not segregated from English language material; difficult to give accurate details of duration.

Format: Reel, DAT, Mini-Disc, Audio Cassette, Video, Other- please give details
Other format(s): Wax cylinders, acetate plates, wire-recordings. These older formats have been digitised. We now use SD cards to record [born-digital] and these are backed up to a server.

Date(s): Before 1950, 1950-59, 1960-69, 1970-79, 1980-89, 1990-1999, Since 2000
Other info: Earliest recordings - 1896/1898 Feis Ceoil Wax Cylinders
Irish Folklore Commission - using wax cylinders from 1920s; Acetate discs 1940s; Wire-recordings - 1950s; Analogue tapes (bulk of the collection) - mid 1950s to 1990s; Cassettes 1990s;
Geographical locations Ireland: Ulster, Connacht, Leinster, Munster
Other info: The earlier material relates mostly to the Gaeltacht areas on the western sea-board - Connacht and Munster predominately.

Scotland: n/a
Other info: [will need to research]

Canada: n/a
Other info: n/a

Other areas: USA, England & Wales, The Isle of Man
Other info: USA, England: Recordings of Irish lore and song Isle of Man - as above

Any other area: n/a
Other information Content types: Speech (including oral history, folktales and so on), Song, Instrumental Music
Other info: n/a

Access: By appointment. Digital copies are prepared on demand (if not already processed). Public access hours 2:30-5:30pm, Tuesday to Friday. Other arrangements can be made if necessary or feasible. Appointments can be made by email or phone - details above.

Completion status: 60% digitised
Other info: The Irish language material is still being digitised. Manx and Scottish Gaelic recordings have been processed.

Background info: The Irish Folklore Commission was established by the Irish Government in 1935 to collect, preserve and disseminate Ireland's oral literature, folklore, history. On occasions this was s expanded to include other regions.

Collection descriptions: Yes

Any other information: n/a