The Oral History Network of Ireland (OHNI) is delighted to announce details of its 2025 annual meeting, which will take place in the Absolute Hotel, Limerick on 13-14 June 2025. The annual meeting is a gathering of academic and community oral historians, and anyone with an interest in recording, collecting and preserving oral history and heritage. This two-day event offers interactive workshops, presentations and project showcases designed to inspire discussion, learning and networking. Whether you are experienced in oral history or just beginning your journey, we invite you to join us and share your insights and ideas.
This year’s meeting is based on the theme ‘What we say and how we say it: exploring words, silences and language in oral history’. It focuses on what is said, how it is said, and what is not said during an oral history interview. The languages, dialects and even sentence structures we use, shape how we communicate and how we are understood.
We are delighted to welcome Dr Steven High, Professor of History at Concordia University in Canada, who will deliver the keynote address at this year’s meeting. Based in Montreal, Quebec, Dr High will speak on the topic ‘Oral History as a Community of Practice: Creative Approaches to Interviewing and Interpretation’, and will also facilitate a workshop (see details below).
An award-winning historian, he co-founded Concordia’s Centre for Oral History and Digital Storytelling (COHDS) and led the prize-winning Montreal Life Stories project from 2005 until 2012, where he worked in close partnership with survivor groups. He authored or co-edited a number of books and articles out of this project, including Oral History at the Crossroads: Sharing Stories of Displacement and Survival. More recently, he has been leading a large transnational project investigating the politics of deindustrialization, with partners including Queen’s University, Belfast. He served as President of the Canadian Historical Association from 2021-23. He has published extensively on race and empire in Newfoundland, Bermuda, and the British Caribbean during the Second World War. His other research interests include just transition, populism, public history, forced migration, capitalism, genocide, and urban change.
WORKSHOPS
There will be three workshops offered as part of this year’s meeting. Please note that Workshops A and B will run concurrently on Friday morning, so please select which of the two workshops you would like to attend.
Workshop C will be held on Saturday morning. Spaces are limited for each workshop so please book early to avoid disappointment. Participation is included in the cost of registration. Reservations will be accepted on a first-come, first served basis.
Workshop A: Practical Approaches to an Oral History Project (Friday 13 June), with Arlene Crampsie
Workshop B: Oral History for Graduate Students and Early Career Researchers (Friday 13 June), with Matthew O’Brien and Daniel Carey
Workshop C: Interpreting the Underlying Interview Dynamic in Oral History (Saturday 14 June) with keynote speaker Steven High
Early Bird registration (up to 30 May 2025)
Full Member: €60
Full Member reduced*: €45
Non-Member: €90
Non-Member reduced*: €60
* reduced rates are for students, seniors, and unwaged individuals only.
Please note there is no day rate available. OHNI annual dinner (optional): Friday 13 June. Venue: Absolute Hotel (conference venue); Cost: €38.
Please register using the form on our website
https://oralhistorynetworkireland.ie/2025-meeting
Also check out other Workshops in Limerick, Meetups in Limerick, Sports events in Limerick.
