ARA Ireland Launch of Explore Your Archive 2024/25

The focus week for the annual year-long Explore Your Archive campaign takes place from the 21st to 30th November this year. The ARA Ireland launch for this focus week takes place on Thursday 21st November, in the Oak Room, Mansion House, Dawson Street, Dublin 2.

The purpose of Explore Your Archive, as always, is to promote archives to a wider audience, through events, featured archives and the always popular social media campaign which runs throughout the focus-week. At ARA Ireland, we also invite a carefully chosen guest every year to accept the role of EYA ambassador, who we feel understands the nature and importance of our work, and is in a position to promote it to a wider audience.

We are thrilled to announce that ARA Ireland's Explore Your Archive ambassador for 2024/25 is historian, author and broadcaster Donal Fallon. Donal is presenter of the podacst series "Three Castles Burning" and curated the exhibition 'Evil Literature: Banned Nooks in the Collections of Dublin City Library Archive' as part of Dublin City Council's One City One Book iniative. He works for Dublin City Council Culture Company (Richmond Barracks and 14 Henrietta Street) as a social historian, he lectures on Dublin history and has published several studies on Irish history. His publications include "The Lamplighters of Phoenix Park" and "14 Henrietta Street: From Tenement to Suburbia". We are delighted that he will be joining us for our official EYA launch.

We hope you will help us celebrate Explore Your Archive Focus Week 2024/25 with lots of events. We also hope that as many of you as possible attend our launch in this unique setting and avail of the opportunity to meet colleagues, old and new, in person.

A special welcome is extended to all UCD students of the MA Archives and Records Management course.

Details of proceedings are as follows:

18.00 Doors

18.45 Welcome and housekeeping message

18.50 Message from Lord Mayor of Dublin James Goeghegan (tbc)

18.55 Message from ARA Ireland Chair, Niamh Ní Charra

19:00 Introduction to and message from Donal Fallon, EYA 2024/25 ambassador for ARA Ireland.

19:15 Brief synopsis of EYA 2024/25 focus week and conclusion of speeches - Niamh Ní Charra

20:00 Event ends.

Drinks will be provided. However due to the nature of the location, provision of finger food is not possible. Attendees are however welcome to join us in Buswells bar following the event for some nibbles, in an informal setting.

P lease note: this venue is fully accessible. Access to the Oak Room is via the entrances to the left of the Mansion House

Photograph details:

Chair of ARA Ireland, and outgoing Campaigns Officer, Niamh Ní Charra with EYA 2024/25 ambassador Donal Fallon, taken by , at the .

Host or Publisher ARA, Ireland