In pictures: The National Library’s new archive of life in Ireland during Covid-19 pandemic

The National Library of Ireland has acquired a new digital archive of photographs documenting life in Ireland during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Taken between 2020 and 2021, the archive comprises close to 200 digital images and features the work of more than 70 press photographers across the country.

The collection includes photos of social distancing; widespread mask-wearing; vaccination centres; sports teams playing to empty stadiums (and prospective spectators watching through locked gates); deserted streets; healthcare workers in full PPE, as well as how people communicated with the elderly or medically vulnerable, and communities coming together – in a socially distanced way – to pay respect to the work of Ireland’s frontline workers.

It also captures photos of key officials, such as Taoiseach Simon Harris, who was then minister for health; former chief medical officer, Dr Tony Holohan, and immunologist Professor Luke O’Neill.

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“The National Library of Ireland is Ireland’s memory-keeper. In the 21st century, as the world embraces digital over print, it is essential that we evolve with technology so that culturally significant ‘born digital’ collections can be collected, managed, and made available for future generations,” Director of the National Library of Ireland, Dr Audrey Whitty said.

“The pandemic was a very difficult time in Ireland and across the globe and we all have our own experiences and memories of it. The ‘Life under Covid-19 in Ireland’ digital archive is an incredibly valuable visual historical record of this time. It will possibly be even more valuable in the coming decades as that period begins to fade from living memory,” she said.

“In an era when digital photos can so easily be deleted to make space for other content, it is important that such digital photographic records are collected, preserved, and made available for researchers – professional or amateur – for years to come”.

Press Photographers Ireland donated the archive to the library and it will now become part of the national collections, alongside the books, manuscripts, newspapers, and other physical items the NLI has been collecting since 1877.

The digital archive will be made available to the public later this year, when it has been catalogued.

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