Projects

Mapping Galway’s Institutional Past through Connection and Co-Creation with Survivors and Those Affected

Funded by Research Ireland under the Research for Policy and Society Programme, this interdisciplinary project brings together historians, computer scientists, archivists, survivors, and those affected by Ireland's institutional past to create a pioneering digital resource for the West of Ireland. The project will map and document approx. twenty institutions across Galway, including mother and baby institutions, industrial schools, Magdalene laundries, and county institutions.

Led by Dr Sarah-Anne Buckley and Dr Attracta Brennan at the University of Galway, the project adopts a trauma-informed and co-creative approach, placing survivors and affected individuals at the centre of the research process. Through collaboration with national and international partners, including the Find & Connect Project in Australia, the project will develop an interactive online portal that provides historical information, signposts to records, oral histories, and innovative digital resources.

By combining historical research, oral testimony, archival expertise, and creative technologies, the project seeks to support access to information, promote understanding of Ireland's institutional history, and contribute to ongoing discussions around remembrance, justice, and historical accountability. The project aims to create a lasting resource for survivors, families, researchers, policymakers, educators, and the wider public.

Project Duration: 24 months

Funding: Research Ireland – Research for Policy and Society (COALESCE) Programme.