Gorey’s archive will be removed to the Wexford County Archive and stored in the archives strong-room on the first floor of a windowless chamber with proper steel shelving and air conditioning at Carricklawn, Wexford.
Members of Gorey Town Council, at last Tuesday night’s monthly meeting held in the Civic Centre, agreed that this was the best way of securing the archive following the proposed abolition of the town council next year.
The matter was raised following correspondence from the Archivist at Wexford Local Authorities, Gráinne Doran, which was circulated to members.
“An initial survey of the Gorey Town Council collection was undertaken by me in 2002, and at that time, I recommended that the collection, which dates from 1859, be centralised to facilitate processing and preservation and to warn against dispersal or disposal,” said Ms. Doran.
“A small body of good quality town commission archives has survived in Gorey, although it is disappointing that material relating to fairs and markets, town hall lettings and town court proceedings do not appear to be extant to any great extent.”
“The present position is not suitable,” said Cllr. Webb, who added, “They could easily be damaged or lost. I have had a chance to go through the minutes myself. They are very interesting to see how the town developed.”
Cllr. Malcolm Byrne hoped that they could be digitised and made available to historians and researchers.
He suggested making some of the minute’s available at the Market House Festival, to which the Cathoairleach replied, “We did that the first time.”
Cllr. Byrne referred to particular periods of history in the town such as 1916 and 1922 – key moments in the State’s history and the town’s history – and said that he supported the archivist’s suggestion.
The Cathaoirleach said that it should be properly recorded and he also suggested copies of records be located in the Town Council so people can find what they are looking for.
Eddie Taaffe, Town Manager, favoured temporary exhibitions, but he said ultimately the plan was to move them out of the Market House to a central archive.
The Wexford County Archive, established in 2002, is intended as a central repository for the archives of each local authority body in the county.
Ms. Doran reassures that in terms of research access, material is made available in a controlled and professional manner through the archive’s reading room.
Full story in this week’s edition of THE GOREY ECHO.
