Promoting Irish-American Culture
and Preserving Local Histories
Through Year-Round Programs

FAQs

How will the Oral History be recorded?

An interviewer will meet with you at a location that is comfortable to you ā€“ your house or another location. The conversation will be recorded on a digital audio recorder. Many interviews are also recorded by video camera, too. Ideally, interviews will be held on a one-on-one basis.

What type of information or stories are you looking for?

For men and women who emigrated from Ireland, we are interested in giving you an opportunity to tell the story of your life in Ireland, your departure from Ireland and the kinds of experiences you had after arriving in this country.

For men and women who were born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, we are interested in giving you an opportunity to tell the story of your life, your family, your childhood neighborhood, and your experience as an adult living and working in the Bay Area.

The interviewer will have questions about the kinds of work, family, and social environments that may have played a role in your life in the San Francisco Bay Area. However, we are interested in the details of your own experience, and will let you lead the way in the conversation.

What purposes will the oral histories be used for?

The recordings will be part of a digital audio archive of oral histories. In the future, this collection can be made available to those doing research about the local Irish community.

Where will the archive be housed?

The San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) has committed to be a partner with this archive project and will provide access to the audio, video and transcribed versions of the interviews. We will also make portions of the audio, video and transcribed versions of the interviews accessible on this website.

How will the directors of the project decide whom to interview?

Our goal is to conduct an oral history interview with every person who expresses an interest to have his or her voice be part of the archive.

Do you plan to interview other men and women from other generations?

Our aim is to eventually interview individuals who emigrated from Ireland during other decades (the 1960ā€™sĀ  to the present) as well as to create an oral and video history archive that highlights members of the Irish-American community as a whole, in the San Francisco Bay Area. The part of the project that we are currently undertaking, however, focuses on the eldest members of our community.

Will you be creating an archive of photographs and other memorabilia, too?

Our primary objective is to collect oral histories. However, if you have photos and/or other memorabilia that could give visual breadth and depth to the oral history project, we would be happy to speak with you about ways to scan, duplicate or archive that material.

Will I receive a copy of the interview?

Yes, every interviewee will receive an audio and/or video copy of his/her interview.

How Can I Contact You?

If you or someone you know would like to participate in this project, please contact:

Margaret Mc Peake – 707-235-9858

Hillary Flynn – 415-810-3774

info@irishamericancrossroads.org