Guidance for Students

Selecting a topic

For ideas on selecting a topic for your research, click below.

The pdf document also provides information on the programme, awards criteria and process.

UL's beginner’s guide to historical research

The University of Limerick has some useful guidance on how to interpret historical evidence through primary and secondary sources.

'Historians can never completely explain events of the past or the motivations of the individuals they study, because the evidence is always partial in some respect. They identify and interpret the evidence to determine the most likely possible explanation. As new research is carried out, new evidence is identified, or new perspectives are taken, interpretations might be refined or reassessed.'.

Conducting an interview

Threads is an initiative that provides an online space for schools to store and share student’s oral history projects. It has excellent guidance on selecting a topic and provides some good examples of different formats of storytelling.

Sources: Leitrim Library

• Cultural heritage projects including:
• Leitrim Chair
• Leitrim Sweathouse Project

• A Heritage Week project showing how to research your place (townland, home, family). Includes six short recordings about Lisgillock Glebe, with instructions on how to adapt the format for any other townland.
  

Using newspapers

• Leitrim Newspaper Index (1822 – 1905) and Local Studies Index is a fantastic catalogue of articles and items in old Leitrim newspapers. Just enter a search term (eg Jimmy Gralton) in the search field opposite 'Library catalogue' and click Go (or press Enter).
  Note: the database search provides headline details only; the actual newspaper is available on microfilm at the library, or use sites like like www.irishnewsarchive.com to get the full story.
• Commercial sites like www.irishnewsarchive.com are excellent, and include the Leitrim Observer and Anglo-Celt, but costs €29.50 a month to subscribe.
• Similarly, The Irish Times online has a full archive at  https://www.irishtimes.com/archive. Costs may vary, but for now it costs €1 for the first month, and €3 pw afterwards.

Leitrim Decade of Centenaries

The Decade of Centenaries 2021 website hosts commemorative content for county Leitrim for the Decade of Centenaries programme. The site has a valuable library of digitised books and articles of historical interest as well as recordings of interviews with Dr Padraig McGarty and Frank McGrail. It also showcases the Leitrim Local Studies Library and Archives Collections.



Leitrim Library has its own YouTube channel.

Other online sources

There is a wealth of sources on the history of Co Leitrim, many of which are online.

Loughrynn.net has direct links to online sources, including:

• Leitrim and the Revolution.
• Census Returns, Griffith's Valuation, Tithe Applotment Books.
• NLI digitised rent books from Lord Leitrim’s estate at Lough Rynn.
• Irish Folklore Commission, The Schools’ Collection 1937-39.
• Historic 6" and 25" maps of towns.
• National Library images of Leitrim.
  

Books about Leitrim

There are a number of wonderful books about Leitrim and its history. Some of these are highlighted on www.loughrynn.net.

Books about Leitrim parishes

Leitrim County Library has digitised and published a treasure trove of parish histories that can be read online. These include histories of Annaduff and Dromod, Aughavas, Ballinagera, Carrigallen, Cloone, Dromahaire, Drumshanbo, Eslin Bridge, Glenfarne, Kiltoghert, Kiltubrid as well as the Church of Ireland Story.

Articles about Leitrim

As part of its Decade of Centenaries Programme, Leitrim County Library has a website that hosts all commemorative content for county Leitrim for the Decade of Centenaries programme.

Articles of historical interest, including ones on Selton Hill, have been reproduced with the support of the Leitrim Observer.

Example 1: Attic finds

A story from The Irish Times about how the Fawsitt family found a historical treasure trove in the loft of an old farmhouse in Manch, west Cork 

The most significant find was a typed letter from Michael Collins sent from IRA general headquarters on August 19th, 1922, just three days before he was shot dead at Beal na Bláth.

Example 2: Attic finds

Ken Boyle writes about how discoveries at his family home led to his book about the murder of Dr Muldoon, as well as his research on Dr Mulcahy of Ballyduff. The article on Dr Mulcahy was published in the Leitrim Guardian 2021.

Example 3: Attic finds

Fiona Slevin's research on Mohill was helped enormously when a local person unearthed an account book for a local shop, dating back to 1872.

This is a unique, very rare and invaluable resource for historians.

If you find something like this, first - mind it! – and please do let us know by using the contact form below.