
Out of the Box
Out of the Box is linking Dubliners from across the city with The National Archives of Ireland to support them on a personal research journey. From Uncles who fought in 1916, to the history of a local pub and its inhabitants, Out of the Box is facilitating ten participants living in Dublin to research a person of local or family interest, their family tree, the origins of their surname, the history of their home, their street or a building of local or personal interest. All the while, also encouraging the individual researchers to bring contemporary records to the Archives in order to build a social and historical picture of themselves, their family and their community.
Out of the Box is utilising the expert knowledge and experience of the team in The National Archives to support the participants on their research journeys. Through regular one-on-one meetings, they are guiding the researchers through the myriad resources available to them within The National Archives itself as well as other organisations such as The National Library, Dublin City Archives, and the General Register Office etc.
Through the development process of the project, we have spoken to people from across the city including Ballymun, Ballyfermot, Irishtown, Sandymount and the North Inner City. The curiosity and enthusiasm to discover their personal or local history is astounding, regardless of the age or background of the individuals. We also discovered that many people are unaware of the work done by The National Archives and the services they offer to the public free of charge, including a professional Genealogy Service.
Each participant’s journey will be captured on camera by documentary filmmaker Wissame Cherfi. The mini documentaries which will be released online in 2017 will chart the progression of genealogical and local history research as experienced by budding researchers with the support of The National Archives.
Out of the Box is seeking to raise awareness of what The National Archives has to offer the general public by linking in with the five other National Neighbourhood projects and inviting their community groups and artists to visit the Archives for a tour of the building and a show-and-tell of a small but incredible selection of highlights from their holdings, including the original State copy of the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty, and the Good Friday Agreement, along with Architects plans for the refurbishment of the GPO in 1915 – which didn’t last very long due to the 1916 Rising! The privilege to see these documents up close has been a very special experience for all present so far. The sheer amazement at the opportunity to see such historically important documents has been a highlight of the project.
WHERE
Out of the Box is working with individuals and community groups from each of the five administrative areas of Dublin. As part of ‘Out of the Box’, The National Archives of Ireland is facilitating people from across the entire Dublin City Council region to work on research projects.