Local communities

From the very beginning we focused on local communities, very strong in Ireland

So far we worked with over 500 community groups

We rely on them for on-site recording, transcriptions, training, solve privacy concerns and partially for funding

The RAMS in action

Newcastle, Co. Dublin

4 years - 13 graveyards - 1436 geo-referenced and transcribed headstones

The Ballyhoura Graveyard Project

Limerick, Co. Limerick

4 years - 40 graveyards - 3712 geo-referenced and transcribed headstones

1 conference "Beyond the Grave" 25th-27th April 2014

Kilkenny Military Heritage and Graves Project

Limerick, Co. Limerick

3 partners - 33 graveyards - 50 military headstones - 10 stories

Historic Graveyards of West Cork

Funded and promoted by West Cork Development Partnership and supported by Cork County Council

25 graveyards - 4883 geo-referenced and (mostly) transcribed headstones

Methodology

low-cost   easy to learn   accessible   standardised

Three steps:

1. in the field
2. in the office
3. on the Web

In the field

1. number each grave memorial with masking tape and a marker
2. one geotagged photo of each memorial
3. on-site transcription
4. a sketch plan
5. storytelling

One photo for each grave, no grave without a photo

In the office

1. data processing
2. quality checks
3. contact sheet

On the Web

1. publish graveyard record
2. graves bulk upload
3. digital trascriptions
4. publish immediately, fix as you go

1 day from the field to the Web!

Instant publication is highly engaging for our volunteer groups: they see immediate results for their work

Project philosophy

We provide the system, the training and the digital infrastructure

Communities take responsibility for quality and completion

Much of the project is based on community participation, teamwork and storytelling

We are essentially the junior partners in all of the surveys

We are building community datasets

We do not collect opinions, but data

Each community can download their own dataset

Multiple ways of founding

1. EU Rural Development Funds
2. Irish Heritage Council
3. County Councils
4. Rural development limited companies
5. Local communities

No advertising, no monthly subscription, free registration required to contribute not to enjoy

Some numbers

Count(y)

Sophisticated headstones

Gaelic inscriptions

I NDIL- CUIMNE
AR
DOMNALL O SULLEABAIN O.S.
CUL NA GCORRAN
AN SCIOBAIRIN
DEAG MEITEAM 19 AD 1935
AGUS AR
NEANSAI A BEAN-CEILE
D'EAG 26 AD MEAN FOMAIR 1962
GO N'DEINID DIA TROCAIRE ORTA

I gCuinne Ar
Muintir Ullaig
On gCeim Mor
R I P

Latin inscriptions

RENO NOAH WEBB S T B
DECANUS LEIGHLINN NECNON VICARIS
DUNSHAUGHLIN HIC UNA CUH NUMERO
SA PROLE TUMULATUS JADET
OBIII 7MO AUG ANNO DOMI 1696
AETAT SUAE 58.

IN MEMORIAM
EDWARDI STENSON
ALUMNI COLEGII OMNIUM
SANCTORUM
QUI EX HAC VITA MIGRAVIT
DIE 3A MARTII 1943
AETATIS SUAE ANNO 24
REQUEIM AETERNAM DONA
EI DOMINE

Gravestone lettering

Users feedback

Stephen Due, Geelong - Australia:

“Congratulations on your brilliant website of Historic Graves! By what seems a miracle the site has enabled me to locate the grave of Jonathan Clerke MD (c1804-1869).”

Brendan O'Reilly, Wales:

“CONGRATULATIONS on an absolutely amazing project. I have been searching family history from Wales and ... I discovered this website and both of us were absolutely amazed. Being able to read the headstones is phenominal. Your work here is hugely important. Huge congratulations. Super.”

Michael Coleman, U.S.A.:

“I just wanted to say thank you to those of your group who catalogued the graveyards in Inch, Co.Cork. Without their work I would never have found the last resting place of the uncle that I was named after ... I subsequently visited it and was astonished to meet a man tending his own family grave (the Deanes) who knew all of my father's family and informed me that his father owned the original house where my father was born. Thank you so much for making this happen!”

Margaret Jackson, Orange NSW - Australia:

“Just wanted to send a huge thank you to Colum Hardy and all the wonderful transcribers! Thanks to you, I've just found the 1809 grave of my 3x g/grandparents Martin and Sarah Heaghney nee Kelly. I never knew they were in this area...”

Debbie Lawrence, Sydney - Australia:

“Thank you. Please pass on my thanks onto Níall Garahy who transcribed the headstone for my 3xgreat grandfather Samuel Lawrence at Ballybough (12 Feb 1855 Dublin). Never in my dreams did I expect to find a photo and transcription of this headstone. In fact, I thought I had read that these headstones did not exist. What a wonderful project and thankfully, with technology, we can now share and research anywhere, anytime. I do appreciate the hours of work that your transcribers have undertaken. Congratulations on a job well done.”

The Web platform

Developed on OpenSource or free technology

My toolkit

Drupal, MySQL, Apache, Google Maps, Cloud Zoom JQuery ...

My other community driven projects

Exiliad@s Republicanos

Andalucía y América

Sistemas históricos de regadio en Granada y Almería