An Chomhairle undertook the re-design of the www.askaboutireland.ie website in 2008, with the aim of re-launching the site in the spring of 2009. The process of redesign and rebuilding of the site aimed to streamline access to the large quantity of information and to provide scope for further content expansion.
The migration of all of the existing site content was undertaken and there are now over twenty subjects covered, including the Physical Landscape; Flora and Fauna; Language and Legends; Traditional Music, and Irish Writers and Sport.
Three topics were added to the site in 2008: Art and Artists; Folklore of Ireland, and an overview of the History of Ireland.
The Art and Artists feature covers the evolution of art in Ireland from pre-historic times to the present day, and looks at the themes which run through the ages.
Folklore of Ireland traces the movement to record Irish folklore, profiling renowned storytellers of the past such as Peig Sayers and Éamon a Búrc.
Both features are richly illustrated with a wide range of images.
Ask About Ireland Home Page
The film clips depict notable events such as the 1913 Dublin strikes, the Easter Rising, the Custom House fire, signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1921, the Civil War, and Michael Collins’ funeral.
Also included are the Eucharistic Congress of 1932, the Londonderry riots in 1969, the Common Market Referendum and the signing of the Hillsborough Agreement. The footage provides the opportunity to see key figures of our recent past live in action, including Éamon de Valera, Michael Collins, Arthur Griffith, Countess Markievicz, William T. Cosgrave, Edward Carson, Liam Cosgrave and Jack Lynch.
An environment section is also being developed for the site, which will become the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government’s first port of call for environmental queries. The section will provide a body of environmental information, together with a single access search across key environmental websites and a news and information resource. Users will be directed to the relevant locations to find further information on an environmental topic.