Digitising the Conradh na Gaeilge archive

 February 2023, Maeve O' Neill

I was employed at the University of Galway in July 2022 to digitise sections of the archive of Conradh na Gaeilge. Prior to this I worked at the National Library of Ireland (NLI), where I was a digital photographer on the ‘Towards a Republic’ Collection.  

In Galway I work with a range of equipment to digitise the collection. The digital project digitises key documents from the Conradh na Gaeilge campaigns since the 1960s. Themes covered include Irish language television and radio services, the status of Irish as an official EU language, Irish in the education system, language legislation, the Gaeltacht Civil Rights Movement, local governance for the Gaeltacht and Irish speakers in Northern Ireland. When available to a broader public through digitisation, the archive will greatly enrich our understanding of the process of state formation in Ireland and the continuing use of the Irish language throughout the 20th Century.

 

Conradh was established in 1893 to preserve and revive the Irish language, which was near extinction and spoken by only approximately 3% of the Island’s population at the time. This collection encompasses material from its founding in 1893 through to 2018, when the collection was donated to the University of Galway. The Conradh archive is an exciting one, particularly to see the effect that local effort and grassroot activism can have in shaping a country, and seeing how numerous activist groups worked together to, for example, found alternative media outlets and independent schools - sometimes despite the best efforts of government. 

In archivist Niamh Ní Charra’s words:

 ‘Over the course of Conradh na Gailege’s existence its staff were actively involved in promoting and observing    the use of Irish across all aspects of everyday activities, and as such this collection provides an unparalleled insight into linguistic, cultural, social and political aspects of Ireland’s past. [...] In the latter half of the 20th century Conradh na Gaeilge, along with other organisations, was instrumental in community campaigns which led to the creation of Irish language radio and television stations (Raidió na Gaeltachta and TG4 respectively), to the enactment of the Official Languages Act [14 July 2003], and to making Irish an official language of the European Union [1 January 2007]. Campaign material in the collection also includes documents relating to prisoners’ rights and civil rights in Northern Ireland, in particular during the period of the Hunger Strikes [1980-1981].’  

Technical Specifications

 

The majority of the material is digitised on a Plustek OpticBook A300 Plus Photo Scanner, with Irfan Software. The BookEye 5 was on hand for the oldest and most delicate publications. For the photographic and large format material, a Guardian ICAM Floor Standing Modular Copy Stand System is used with studio lighting and a PhaseOne XF 150MP Camera System, Mamiya lenses, and Capture One Pro Software. Each image capture device is set to 600dpi and saved as a 24-bit colour TIFF. File sizes vary based on the size of material, but average at approximately 70MB. Over 44,000 images have been digitised to date. With almost eight months completed of an overall project time of approximately ten months, the digitisation of this part of the archive is 80% complete.

The most delicate material for digitisation are the Oireachtas and Ard Fheis booklets from the late 1800s and up to the 1910s, when the books became more robust. These older documents require careful handling and were digitised slowly to preserve the stability of the book spines and avoid paper tearing. Many, many rusted metal staples had to be painstakingly removed before the pages could be laid on the scanner surface or copystand base.

Material

The material selected for digitisation covers the Oireachtas and Ard Fheis publications, as well as sections from series on Media, Northern Ireland, Campaigns, Education, Comhaltas Uladh, Political Parties, and Language Organisations. Over the decades, Conradh has seen multiple governments come and go, and much correspondence with government officials has been digitised. Most series contain internal reports, press releases, correspondence, minutes, newspaper cuttings, brochures and informal notes, appearing in Irish and English. There is also a range of material from other countries with minority or suppressed languages, including Scots Gaelic, Welsh, and Limburgish.

The physical collection can be accessed by those interested in the Special Collections Reading Room by prior request, and in future the digitised material will be accessible online.

Digital project team

Digitisation: Maeve O Neill

Digital archivists: Catriona Cannon and Aisling Keane

Archivist: Niamh Ní Charra

Project manager: Cillian Joy

Project sponsor: John Walsh

Author

This blog was written by Maeve O Neill, digitisation professional for the Conradh na Gaeilge archive at the University of Galway.

More information

Conradh na Gaeilge archive listing

A more detailed breakdown of the archive series can be accessed here which forms part of the online digital exhibition.

Blogs relating to the work of archivist Niamh Ní Charra in processing this archive can be accessed here:

Blog 1 Conradh na Gaeilge archive - First step

Blog 2 Appraising the Archive

Blog 3 Conradh na Gaeilge Phase Two

Blog 4 Conradh na Gaeilge Digitial Exhibition

Blog 5 Conradh na Gaeilge Archive catalogued

   

Leagan Gaeilge

Digitiú chartlann Chonradh na Gaeilge

 Feabhra 2023, Maeve O' Neill

Fostaíodh in Ollscoil na Gaillimhe mé i mí Iúil 2022 chun codanna de chartlann Chonradh na Gaeilge a dhigitiú. D'oibrigh mé roimhe seo i Leabharlann Náisiúnta na hÉireann (NLI), áit a raibh mé i mo ghrianghrafadóir digiteach don Bhailiúchán ‘Towards a Republic’.  

Bíonn raon trealaimh á úsáid agam i nGaillimh chun an bailiúchán a dhigitiú. Déanann an tionscadal digiteach príomhcháipéisí ó fheachtais Chonradh na Gaeilge ó na 1960idí i leith a dhigitiú. I measc théamaí an bhailiúcháin tá seirbhísí teilifíse agus raidió Gaeilge, stádas na Gaeilge mar theanga oifigiúil de chuid an AE, an Ghaeilge sa chóras oideachais, reachtaíocht teanga, Gluaiseacht Chearta Sibhialta na Gaeltachta, rialachas áitiúil don Ghaeltacht mar aon le cainteoirí Gaeilge i dTuaisceart Éireann. Ach leagan digiteach den chartlann a bheith ar fáil don phobal níos leithne, cuirfear go mór lenár dtuiscint ar an bpróiseas trínar cuireadh stát na hÉireann ar bun, agus ar úsáid leanúnach na Gaeilge i rith an fhichiú haois.

 

Bunaíodh Conradh na Gaeilge in 1893 chun an Ghaeilge a chaomhnú agus a athbheochan. Bhí an chuma ar an nGaeilge an uair sin gur ar an dé deiridh a bhí sí, agus gan ach tuairim is 3% de dhaonra na tíre á labhairt ag an am. Cuimsítear leis an mbailiúchán seo ábhar ó bhliain a bhunaithe in 1893 síos go dtí 2018, nuair a bronnadh an bailiúchán ar Ollscoil na Gaillimhe. Cartlann ríspéisiúil is ea cartlann an Chonartha, agus díol spéise ar leith is ea a éifeachtaí is a bhí feachtais áitiúla agus gníomhaíochas an phobail chun an tír a athrú chun feabhais. Ábhar suntais chomh maith is ea an chaoi ar oibrigh grúpaí gníomhaithe éagsúla le chéile chun, mar shampla, nuachtáin agus scoileanna neamhspleácha a bhunú – uaireanta in ainneoin an rialtas a bheith go mór ina n-aghaidh. 

Seo mar a labhair an cartlannaí, Niamh Ní Charra,  maidir leis sin:

 ‘Ón uair a bunaíodh é, chuir Conradh na Gaeilge chuige úsáid na Gaeilge a chur chun cinn i ngach gné de ghnáthimeachtaí an tsaoil, agus faireachán a dhéanamh ar an úsáid sin. Tugann an cnuasach seo léargas faoi leith, mar sin, ar ghnéithe teangeolaíocha, cultúrtha, sóisialta agus polaitiúla den saol in Éirinn san am a caitheadh. [...] Bhí ról ríthábhachtach ag Conradh na Gaeilge, in éineacht le heagraíochtaí eile, sa dara leath den fhichiú haois sna feachtais phobail a raibh sé de thoradh orthu gur bunaíodh stáisiúin raidió agus teilifíse Gaeilge (Raidió na Gaeltachta agus TG4), gur achtaíodh Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla [14 Iúil 2003], agus gur bhain an Ghaeilge amach stádas mar theanga oifigiúil de chuid an Aontais Eorpaigh [1 Eanáir 2007]. Áirítear le hábhar feachtais an bhailiúcháin chomh maith cáipéisí a bhaineann le cearta príosúnach agus cearta sibhialta i dTuaisceart Éireann, go háirithe le linn thréimhse na Stailceanna Ocrais [1980-1981].’  

Sonraíochtaí Teicniúla

 

Déantar formhór an ábhair a dhigitiú le bogearraí Irfan ar Scanóir Grianghraf Plustek OpticBook A300 Plus. Bhí an scanóir leabhar BookEye 5 ar fáil do na foilseacháin is sine agus is íogaire. Maidir leis an ábhar grianghrafadóireachta agus ábhar i bhformáid mhór, úsáidtear Córas Seastán Cóipeála Modúlach Saorsheasaimh ICAM Guardian le soilsiú stiúideo agus Córas Ceamara 150MP PhaseOne XF 150MP, lionsaí Mamiya, agus bogearraí Capture One Pro. Déantar gach gléas gabhála íomhá a shocrú do 600dpi agus sábháiltear gach íomhá mar chomhad daite TIFF 24-giotán. Athraíonn méideanna comhad de réir mhéid an ábhair atá i gceist, ach isteach is amach le 70MB a bhíonn i gceist go hiondúil. Rinneadh breis agus 44,000 íomhá a dhigitiú go dtí seo. Tá beagnach ocht mí den deich mí, nó mar sin, a leagadh amach don tionscadal caite anois agus tá 80% den digitiú a bhí le déanamh ar an sciar seo den chartlann déanta.

 Is é an t-ábhar is íogaire atá le digitiú leabhráin an Oireachtais, agus na hArd-Fheise, ó dheireadh an naóú céad déag suas go dtí na 1910idí, nuair a chuaigh na leabhair i dtéagar. Ní mór na cáipéisí níos sine sin a láimhseáil go cúramach, agus rinneadh iad a dhigitiú go mall chun cobhsaíocht na ndromanna a chaomhnú agus chun nach stróicfear na bileoga. Bhí líon mór stáplaí miotail meirgeacha le baint as go cúramach sula bhféadfaí na leathanaigh a leagan ar dhromchla an scanóra nó ar an seastán cóipe.

Ábhar

Is iad na hábhair a roghnaíodh le haghaidh a ndigitithe foilseacháin an Oireachtais agus na hArd-Fheise, chomh maith le míreanna ó shraitheanna ar na Meáin Chumarsáide, Tuaisceart Éireann, Feachtais, Oideachas, Comhaltas Uladh, Páirtithe Polaitiúla agus Eagraíochtaí Teanga. Is iomaí rialtais a tháinig i gcumhacht sa tréimhse atá i gceist, agus tá digitiú déanta ar go leor den chomhfhreagras a bhí ag Conradh na Gaeilge le hoifigigh rialtais. I measc na hábhair a bhíonn sa chuid is mó de na sraitheanna tá tuarascálacha inmheánacha, preasráitis, comhfhreagras, miontuairiscí, gearrthóga nuachtáin, bróisiúir agus nótaí neamhfhoirmiúla, i nGaeilge agus i mBéarla. Tá raon ábhar ann freisin ó thíortha eile ina bhfuil mionteangacha nó teangacha faoi chois, agus san áireamh leis sin tá Gaeilge na hAlban, Breatnais agus Liombuirgis.

Is féidir leo siúd ar spéis leo é rochtain a fháil ar an mbailiúchán fisiciúil i Seomra Léitheoireachta na mBailiúchán Speisialta ach iarratas a dhéanamh roimh ré, agus beidh fáil ar an ábhar digitithe ar líne amach anseo.

 

 

Foireann an Tionscadail Dhigitigh

Digitiú: Maeve O Neill

Cartlannaithe digiteacha: Catriona Cannon agus Aisling Keane

Cartlannaí: Niamh Ní Charra

Bainisteoir Tionscadail: Cillian Joy

Urra an Tionscadail: John Walsh

Údar

Is í Maeve O Neill a scríobh an blag seo, arb í an gairmí digitithe do chartlann Chonradh na Gaeilge in Ollscoil na Gaillimhe í.

Tuilleadh eolais

Catalóg chartlann Chonradh na Gaeilge 

Is féidir miondealú níos mionsonraithe den tsraith cartlainne a fháil ar an leathanach gréasáin seo a leanas ar cuid den taispeántasdigiteach ar líne é. 

Is féidir teacht ar bhlaganna a bhaineann leis an obair a rinne an cartlannaí Niamh Ní Charra chun an chartlann seo á phróiseáil anseo:

Blag 1 Cartlann Chonradh na Gaeilge - Chéad Chéim

Blag 2 Cartlann Chonradh na Gaeilge - An Chartlann a Mheas

Blag 3 Cartlann Chonradh na Gaeilge - Céim 2

Blag 4 Cartlann Chonradh na Gaeilge - Taispeántas Digiteach Seolta

Blag 5 Catalógú déanta ar chartlann Chonradh na Gaeilge

English Version