Friday, 28 August 2015

'Great Famine Voices' crowdsourcing project launched

http://www.greatfaminevoices.ie/?q=documents/1842-rent-book/pages/1842-rent-book-page-1
A new crowdsourcing project has been launched called Great Famine Voices which seeks to build an online community of people willing to transcribe documents from the Strokestown Famine Archive, to research and share discoveries about some of those named in the documents, and to share their own family stories relating to the Famine and/or 19th-century emigration from Ireland.

The project website says: "Through your stories and records, we hope to elaborate upon the picture that the documents of the Great Famine Archive gives us.

"Together we can construct a clearer picture of this terrible yet fascinating time, while also raising awareness and bringing benefit to Strokestown."

Three documents have been uploaded to the website so far: the Cloonahee Petition, the 3rd Day Meal, and an 1842 Rental of the Strokestown Estate. The Cloonahee Petition has already been transcribed. The other two await transcription. They are full of names and will be a terrific resource for those with Roscommon ancestors once transcribed.

Find out more by exploring the new website: GreatFamineVoices.ie