Cork Folklore Project picks up a UCC award for research
THE Cork Folklore Project has been recognised with two awards for its outstanding work in the area of research by UCC at the recent University Staff and Research Awards.
The project’s Manager, Dr Tomás Mac Conmara; and its Research Director, Dr Cliona O’Carroll, were both honoured for their contribution to research on behalf of the project.
The Cork Folklore Project has been recording the memories, folklore and oral history of Cork City and County since the initiative was established under the Department of Folklore and Ethnology of UCC in 1996.
Almost 750 interviews have been conducted in that time, amounting to almost 1,000 hours of recorded testimony and tradition.
At the ceremony, held at the Aula Maxima in UCC, its Manager, Dr Tomás Mac Conmara, was the recipient of UCC Research Support Person of the Year and was acknowledged for the way he has “transformed and energised the work of the project since joining the team in January 2016”.
Clíona O’Carroll’s contribution to the role of cultural archives in open research was celebrated with the award of UCC Open Researcher of the Year.
According to Tomás Mac Conmara, the awards reflect the growth and intensity of work undertaken by the Cork Folklore Project in recent years and the increasing appetite and interest in the work across Cork:
There has always been a huge interest amongst the people the project has been able to engage with.
Over the last number of years, it has had to make significant efforts to make its material available, directly through memory events and its outreach hub activity; and remotely through its development of our online catalogue and other digital interfaces.
The public response to this has been incredible and has affirmed our view that with greater investment in the project, it can make a significant impact on the cultural and social landscape in Cork City and County.
The Cork Folklore Project can be visited at its Outreach Hub, based at the North Cathedral Visitor Centre; or through its website at www.corkfolklore. org