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Home > News

ITMA to establish Digital Access and Development Officer for County Clare

Thursday 31 July 2025

Picture: Derek Barrett, CEO of the Michael Guinee Foundation, and ITMA CEO Liam O’Connor / Photo by Tony Kearns

The Irish Traditional Music Archive (ITMA) is delighted to announce the establishment of a dedicated Digital Access and Development Officer for County Clare.

The new position will facilitate the digitisation, cataloguing and increased access to the more than 10,000 Clare-related materials currently housed in ITMA’s extensive collection. This initiative has been supported by The Michael Guinee Charitable Foundation.

With access to the leading audio digitisation studio in the country and specialised training, the appointee will liaise with local communities and collectors who wish to have their archival collections digitised and made accessible by ITMA.

The project aims to provide the people of Clare with unprecedented access to their musical heritage, inspiring cultural engagement and contributing to the social, economic and cultural sustainability of the county in a way that is unrivalled by any other county in Ireland.

Speaking about the announcement, ITMA Chief Executive Liam O’Connor said:

Clare holds a unique place in the world of Irish traditional music, song and dance. With this new position, ITMA will be able to work with local communities to preserve, celebrate and provide free digital access to Clare’s rich collections of archival materials.

“This project has the potential to set an unrivalled standard for archival preservation and accessibility, making Clare a world-leader when it comes to digital access to its musical heritage

Derek Barrett, CEO of The Michael Guinee Foundation, said:

The foundation is delighted to support this initiative. We really value the important work of ITMA. Music connects us. Songs tell our story. This project ensures that these stories will not be lost—they will continue to be heard, not only in Clare, but across Ireland and beyond, available to audiences around the world.

Martin Hayes, a world-renowned traditional fiddle player from east Clare added:

A Clare Officer, supported by ITMA’s infrastructure and expertise, would present us with the unique opportunity to connect people all over the world with legends of Clare traditional music.

The role, which will be formally advertised during the first week of August as a 3-year contract, will be focused on cataloguing and rights clearance for local collections, metadata creation, rights management and ensuring collections are accessible.

To facilitate high-quality digitisation and training, the officer will spend time at ITMA’s headquarters, where they will have access to ITMA’s state-of-the-art digitisation facilities for intensive digitisation work. This structured approach ensures efficiency while maintaining the highest standards of digital preservation.

The Clare-based officer will enable ITMA to decentralise cultural access, bringing archival materials closer to rural communities and fostering deeper local engagement with their heritage.