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Subject: Irish Trad. Music Archive heading online From: MartinRyan Date: 29 Jul 08 - 11:59 AM ITMA , the Irish Traditional Music Archive, is an amazing resource with an enormous collection of printed matter and recorded works. Based in Dublin (in a beautiful old building, BTW), it is finally beginning to make some catalogue/database material available online. The official launch was held today: Click here for Press Release . I suspect it will take some time for this project to build up the functionality we would all like to see - give it time! It will be worth it. Regards |
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Subject: RE: Irish Trad. Music Archive heading online From: Dave Ruch Date: 29 Jul 08 - 01:44 PM Thanks for the notice Martin! |
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Subject: RE: Irish Trad. Music Archive heading online From: Gulliver Date: 29 Jul 08 - 04:05 PM Martin, thanks for mentioning this--it sounds interesting. |
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Subject: RE: Irish Trad. Music Archive heading online From: Declan Date: 30 Jul 08 - 02:32 AM Sounds great Martin. Is this a case of Come West along the Superhighway? |
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Subject: RE: Irish Trad. Music Archive heading online From: Big Mick Date: 30 Jul 08 - 08:00 AM Fantastic resource, Martin!! Thanks for making us aware of it!! I jumped on, went to the digitized resources, and the first page out was the wax recordings of Patsy Touhey. I punched up the "Sword in Hand" reel and was in heaven listening. That young fella had some quick fingers. Listening to his regulator work told me a lot about how one should play bouzouki when accompanying someone on a reel. Thanks so much, I will be spending much time on that site. And sending a donation as well. All the best, Mick |
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Subject: RE: Irish Trad. Music Archive heading online From: MartinRyan Date: 30 Jul 08 - 08:15 AM Here's a link to the homepage (English version) in case the press release is moved: Irish Traditional Music Archive Regards p.s. Donations very welcome! |
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Subject: RE: Irish Trad. Music Archive heading online From: rumanci Date: 30 Jul 08 - 08:18 AM |
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Subject: RE: Irish Trad. Music Archive heading online From: rumanci Date: 30 Jul 08 - 08:21 AM Sorry - where did THAT go ? Just wanted to add a WOW and thanks for letting us know. |
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Subject: RE: Irish Trad. Music Archive heading online From: DamianNixon Date: 30 Jul 08 - 09:39 AM Trad. Music Archive? That's a laugh. Have u ever been there? They know as much about Irish music as the man in the moon |
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Subject: RE: Irish Trad. Music Archive heading online From: MartinRyan Date: 30 Jul 08 - 09:58 AM Damian, Have you been there? I'd be interested to hear your experience. Regards |
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Subject: RE: Irish Trad. Music Archive heading online From: GUEST,DV Date: 30 Jul 08 - 10:19 AM I've been there numerous times. It is a great resource, but one is left to wonder why it is taking the Irish folklore archives (not just this one) so long to get their acts together and set foot in the online digital archive era. I have great admiration for the vast knowledge and expertise of Mr. Carolan and the staff, don't get me wrong. But I don't know that the resources are being managed as well as they could or should be. I have no idea what in their collection has been digitized and what not. They only have one librarian, which does seem to be part of the problem with a digital conversion. Perhaps a new generation is now taking it over and getting it up to speed? |
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Subject: RE: Irish Trad. Music Archive heading online From: MartinRyan Date: 30 Jul 08 - 10:25 AM GuestDV, The short answer is MONEY - it's always been very short, in fact! The extra space now available since they moved HQ, together with what looks like more stable funding from the Arts Council, should see them in a position to put more effort into improving access rather than into simple purchase and conservation. It will still take time, of course. Regards |
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Subject: RE: Irish Trad. Music Archive heading online From: Jim Carroll Date: 30 Jul 08 - 10:40 AM Just got back from the Archive launch of the Internet Initiative Launch-magnificent. We were at the opening night of the new premises last year and note that they have settled in and have given Ireland a totally unique facility unrivaled in the rest of Europe. I'm sure there are those who could have done it better, but they are usually the ones who don't, and wait for it to be done - then say "I wouldn't have done it like that". Jim Carroll |
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Subject: RE: Irish Trad. Music Archive heading online From: MartinRyan Date: 30 Jul 08 - 10:42 AM I was sorry to miss the launch, Jim. Invitation got to me rather circuitously and arrived too late to anything about it! Glad it went well. Regards |
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Subject: RE: Irish Trad. Music Archive heading online From: GUEST,DV Date: 30 Jul 08 - 10:51 AM Couldn't agree more, Jim. I'm happy to hear from someone who was at the launch. MartinRyan, I don't know that the answer is always money. It is often a question of setting priorities. The case of digitizing a collection and putting it online has been a vexing one for many a museum and archive, because the library collection technology is changing quickly, and it is hard to know which way to go. My personal opinion is, the ITMA lacked expertise more than money. That said, there are a lot of resources available to do this sort of thing, and in Ireland, no shortage of very capable people who would go willing to volunteer to get the job done. Ireland also has great support for the arts institutionally, through the Arts Council, just as you mention. And as I said, the problem isn't just with ITMA archive getting it's digital act together in a nation with enviable financial and institutional support for arts organizations and one of the best educated technology sectors in Europe. I think it is the old guard resisting change. |
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Subject: RE: Irish Trad. Music Archive heading online From: GUEST,DV Date: 30 Jul 08 - 11:19 AM People with an interest in Irish contemporary music might also want to learn more about another national archive, the wonderful and amazing Contemporary Music Centre Ireland, with a fantastic facility in Temple Bar. It too has a library and sound archive, free to the public. Online searchable archives here as well: http://www.cmc.ie/ |
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Subject: RE: Irish Trad. Music Archive heading online From: Gulliver Date: 30 Jul 08 - 01:27 PM I think Martin is right, regarding the financial resources needed to do this. I had a talk some months ago with the librarian on this very topic. I'm working (very close to the archive, as a matter of fact) on a similar project for a library, and was looking for some advice. As DV intimated, it's a complex job--easier said than done! Thanks DV for the tip on the CMC, must get over there sometime! Don |
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Subject: RE: Irish Trad. Music Archive heading online From: Jim Carroll Date: 30 Jul 08 - 02:36 PM DV; To some extent it has been a technical problem, but it is not quite as straightforward as that. The archive moved into 63 Merrion Square 21 years ago, taking over only part of the building. It soon outgrew its premises and had to make do with the space it had. It became obvious that more room was needed to house its rapidly growing collection. In July 2006 it finally moved into 73 Merrion Square, taking over the whole five floors of the magnificent 5 story Georgian building. We attended the official opening in November that year. Since then, the transformation has been breathtaking - I defy anybody visiting the archive now not to be impressed. Money has, of course, been a problem, but the Arts Council and Government have been extremely generous; it was significant on the opening of both premises that on the first occasion it was the President of Ireland, Mary Robinson who officiated the event and on the second, John Donoghue, The Arts Minister. The present economic situation in Ireland raises all sorts of problems, but whatever happens, Ireland now has a world class archive to be proud of, thanks to the work of Nicholas Carolan, Tom Munnelly, Hugh Shields, Breandán Breathnach...... and all the others who worked to make it possible. Jim Carroll |
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Subject: RE: Irish Trad. Music Archive heading online From: GUEST,DV Date: 30 Jul 08 - 02:48 PM No disagreement from me, Jim. I haven't visited the archive since 2004, while it was still in the beautiful building on Merrion Square. I began visiting ITMA in the early 1990s, so am aware of the challenges they and the other folklore archives in Dublin have faced. I was also a frequent visitor to what is now the Irish Folklore Collection, which can be found here: http://www.ucd.ie/folklore/english_html/background.htm It is to the credit of those you mentioned (see my remarks in the Hugh Shields obit thread), and many others who over the years have been involved, including many in the current generation, who have taken the helm as the respected elders (and I would add John Moulden to the list too) have passed the torch. The ITMA has been fortunate, but so have many other Irish arts organizations, to have their national government as financial benefactor. I trust this is but the beginning, and I hope the ITMA will benefit from the new Traditional Arts scheme sponsored by the Arts Council. Cheers. |
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Subject: RE: Irish Trad. Music Archive heading online From: GUEST,DV Date: 30 Jul 08 - 03:07 PM And Jim, I'd you to the list as well! ;-) |
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Subject: RE: Irish Trad. Music Archive heading online From: GUEST Date: 30 Jul 08 - 04:03 PM Jim, you're quite right ITMA has come along way since it was in that one room in the Quaker? building round the corner from Claddagh Records. When there was just Nicolas Carolan and a young lady (Seive?) |
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Subject: RE: Irish Trad. Music Archive heading online From: Jim Dixon Date: 30 Jul 08 - 06:41 PM A few items are already available for viewing. See here. I suppose that's only meant to be a small sample of what will be available, but it's very encouraging. The quality of the images is much better than what you see at the Bodleian web site, for example. |
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Subject: RE: Irish Trad. Music Archive heading online From: GUEST,Fionnghaile Date: 31 Jul 08 - 08:56 AM hello, jeepers i havent been here for ages. i just want to say that my father damian nixon was in this place last year when he had a gig in dublin and was lookin for a song. something about inshicore. they didn't know the song ok he had a few jars on him at the time cos of a long nite but with all the computers and all they couldnt find it. He learned all his songs from the tinkers. im livin in dublin now but wont go there. |
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Subject: RE: Irish Trad. Music Archive heading online From: MartinRyan Date: 31 Jul 08 - 09:28 AM Thanks for that, Fionnghaile. If he's still looking for it, ask him to post the details here (title, any bits he remembers,tune etc.). We rarely fail! Regards |
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Subject: RE: Irish Trad. Music Archive heading online From: GUEST,Fionnghaile Date: 31 Jul 08 - 03:12 PM well id ask him now but me mum says hes off on the piss again. in derry. an i dont know where he goes cos hes bared in haf the pubs there. i suppose it runs in the family lol=im as bad lol. he didnt learn this song from the tinkers cos its a dublin song and he heard it wher he played. somewhere near temple bar its a song about inshicore and the ppl that lived there and its a long song. me mum does the computer for hiim cos he knows feckall about computers. or anything else lol no onluy jokin. i think hes bared from the music archiv too. |
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Subject: RE: Irish Trad. Music Archive heading online From: Joe Offer Date: 31 Jul 08 - 03:59 PM Visiting that archive with Martin was a high point of my trip to Ireland in 2001. I'm glad to see it's going online. There are so many wonderful collections of traditional music that should be online. I suppose it's something we can look forward to over the next generation. -Joe- |
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Subject: RE: Irish Trad. Music Archive heading online From: MartinRyan Date: 31 Jul 08 - 05:24 PM Joe Time you made another visit - the archive is even better, in its new home, just along the terrace on St. Stephen's Green! Regards |
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