The Kinawley Community Association are currently developing a “living history” digital media archive, that will cover all aspects of life in the wider parish area of Kinawley, Killesher and border areas of Swalinbar. 

Chairman of the association, Paul Melenaphy, said the project hadn’t been up and running long but already had received a great local response, including at a public in the community hall held recently, where a scanner was on hand to copy locals’ memorabilia that will now be included in the digital archive. 

“We started a piece of fundraising activity in the hall over two years ago, and it was one of the core commitments of that fundraising activity that we’d start to look about putting together something of a focal point of the history of the community as well as trying to put facilities in place for community groups and so on,” explained Paul, who said they were getting good support from the County Museum. 

As for what they plan to include in the archive, Paul said they were hoping for “absolutely everything.” 

“We’ve an number of categories we’re trying to target,” he explained. We’re looking at the whole agriculture aspect of it, that’s very prevalent in Kinawley, health and social, political, economic, and all of that sort stuff. Any photographs, videos, we’re trying to get our hands on absolutely anything.”

Paul said they were also hoping to record stories of older residents of the area, and had one man who was donating a manuscript on the history of the parish that he’s been working on ten years. 

It is hoped the archive will be located in local community hall, which the association are currently seeking funding to develop its upstairs space. 

If you have any material, from photographs to video or even tickets and other old ephemera, that would be suitable for the archive you can email a copy to kinawleycc@gmail.com.