This past year I was living in Cork, Ireland. It was probably the best thing I could’ve done for myself and I highly recommend the European experience to anyone. (even if you have to go alone, which I initially did) I must say, the best part about Europe is, obviously, the fact that the evidence of their history is still in existence today. Maybe the reason I’m so marvelled by this is that Canada is a fairly young country and so our history does not dig as deep into the ground as our European friends. I mean living in Ireland was amazing. They have so much history and a lot of physical evidence for you to investigate. Seriously guys, Ireland has ruins like North America has mini- malls! You can quote me on that. It’s absolutely ridiculous! On a weekend off, my boyfriend and I would rent a car and head out on their alley-like highways to see what we could find. We would drive until we saw little signs that said something like ‘Dunguare castle’. Then we’d swerve off searching for these old ruins, sometimes finding ourselves in the middle of a field riddled with cows just to see remnants of a church or castle. (no joke!)
Well the one day we set off to Galway and found ourselves at Bunratty Castle. It was located in a small town (which is not rare in Ireland) and consisted of not only a castle but also little villages from different eras. This castle was one of my favourite places to go in Ireland. Most of the castles or forts that you see are empty or broken down a bit, which can also be fun because you can do some investigating to see what you can figure out about the place. However, this 800 year old castle is different. It was threatened to be demolished in the 1950s but was thankfully rescued and is now taken care of by Shannon Heritage. One of the most appealing features of Bunratty castle is the collection that is held within its walls, which range from the years 10 000 BC to the 20th century.
The item that I became most interested in was the Armada Table. The ornate legs of the table were, as 16th century sources say, salvaged from a Spanish ship that sank off the coast in 1588. This massive oak table was amazing to see. It was absolutely stunning. The one part I liked about it was that our tour guide said how he was in charge of cleaning it and looked forward to it every year. He would sit down on a little stool, with his special kit (which probably has Q-tip like instruments!) in order to preserve this 8 x 3ft piece of history. Now that’s dedication to preservation!
Part of the point I wanted to make about this was that, being in that castle, with some of the most amazing artefacts, really makes a person feel a part of history. I know some historians get annoyed with stuff like this but I seriously think that in order to get history across to people, they must be able to feel it. Now don’t get me wrong. I do see the benefits of digitizing history and I do agree with the steps taken towards it. I know it’ll make it easier for historians to see and read historical documents from all over the world. (which is amazing in itself). BUT what is going to happen with these artefacts that can’t be digitized. I doubt there is a historian out there that doesn’t get that excited, overwhelming feeling when seeing the artefacts in person. It’s the feeling like you’re immersed in history that, as far as I’ve seen, an online photo can never truly give you. So what’s the solution?
Well, I’m not sure there is one. Museums and archives will have to continue to upload photos of their collection on the internet. However, if a historian, or the public, wants to get the feeling that they are in the presence of history, I guess they’ll have to take the time to travel and see it! (at least until now!)
