Fréa Renewing Roots Review of the Year 2025: Oral History Project

At the first meeting of the Crann Sailí Community Group, oral historian Dr Brigid Power spoke with survivors and people affected by Ireland’s institutions to explore whether they wished to have their testimonies and experiences recorded and archived.

“There’s something really powerful about oral history that you don’t get in other kinds of history. There’s something about sitting and telling your story in your own words that gives you a sense of empowerment.”

There was an overwhelming sense that people wanted to tell their stories, so that future generations could have first-hand accounts of what happened behind the closed doors of the institutions. Participants also expressed a desire to go beyond those experiences, to speak about life after the institutions - coming to England, settling, building new lives, careers, families and everything else that followed.

Over the following months, Dr Power sat down with contributors to record these experiences of incarceration, loss and separation, but also of resilience and new lives created. Six people were interviewed directly, while a further two chose to write and submit their stories. This was an important part of the project: contributors were encouraged to share their experiences in the way that felt most comfortable to them, because ultimately, the project belongs to those who contributed to it.

Dr Power speaking at the launch of the Fréa Renewing Roots Oral History Project

The Oral History Project will be stored in the Special Collections and Archives at the University of Liverpool. This, too, was the choice of the contributors. Having made their lives in the North of England, they felt their testimonies should reside there.

The project was formally launched in October at the University of Liverpool’s Institute for Irish Studies. The event was attended by Ireland’s Ambassador to Great Britain, Martin Fraser and the Consulate General of Ireland to the North of England, Cillian O’Kelly. During the launch, many contributors spoke movingly about their participation in the project and their life experiences.

The Oral History Project will continue throughout 2026 - listening, recording and preserving these voices for future generations. As one contributor told us: “Thank you for giving me a chance to record my mum’s story. It is too important for it to disappear.”