Irish-Language Oral Histories in Greater Boston and Portland: An Online Resource of Shared Cultural Connections

The New England and the Irish Language Oral History Project is an online public archive of oral history interviews that demonstrates the importance of the Irish language in maintaining a connection between recent emigrants from Ireland to New England and their familiar contacts in Ireland amidst change and adaptation. Accompanied by Irish texts, English translations, biographies, and summaries, the video-recorded interviews are based on a predetermined set of questions concerning language, upbringing, education, neighbourhood, employment, local history, and other aspects of culture. Following an introduction to the history of the Irish language in North America, particularly in New England, this article provides excerpts from the first ten interviews, offering a glimpse into a rich variety of representative themes with suggestions for the future of this valuable resource for research, teaching, and heritage.