Irish Life and Lore

In 2018, Maurice and Jane O'Keeffe of Irish Life and Lore were contacted by the Director of the Academy of Engineering in Ireland in relation to the compilation of an oral history collection to mark the distinguished careers of some of its more experienced members. Engineers Ireland and the Association of Consulting Engineers in Ireland subsequently came on board, and in April 2019 the launch of the project took place. Newstalk's Pat Kenny, himself an Engineer by profession, launched the collection at Engineers Ireland headquarters at 22, Clyde Road in Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.

This is the first of a three-part oral history project entitled 1922-2022: A Century of Change to mark the centenary of the formation of the Irish Free State (Saorstát Eireann). The 133 interviewees in part one of the three-part collection include leaders in business and finance, in the arts and culture arenas, in media, agriculture, education, politics, engineering and architecture, health, defense forces, and sport. The aim for the project is to record and catalogue the testimony of up to 300 individuals who themselves, or their immediate families, have helped to create the vibrant Ireland in which we live and work today.

This book draws together the work of twelve contributors, each of whom delves into the history of the one of the county's big houses and the families who lived in them.