Local Government Archivists and Records Managers (LGARM)

This publication was produced by the Local Government Archivists and Records Managers (LGARM) and commissioned by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage in 2020. It marks the centenary of the 1920 Local Government Elections which was a pivotal time for local government in Ireland.

The booklet contains images and information on areas such as the political climate at the time, the War of Independence, local government reform, rural and urban district councils, county and city councils and both 1920 local elections. It also provides an insight into the highs and lows of 1920 -1925, as well as the role that women played in the 1920 local elections.

Local archives

Within the book, the value of local archives is emphasised. As former LGARM Chair Dr. Naimh Brennan writes:

'Local Government Archivists and Records Managers maintain and preserve the archives of local authorities. They promote local and academic research, including research into this crucial period in our recent history. The local elections of 1918 and 1920 were among the defining events in this period, and the content of local archives reflect their importance. Many of the activities of the men and women who played nationally significant roles in the War of Independence are preserved and documented in local archives. Archives include local authorities’ minutes of meetings, correspondence, photographs and promotional material and papers privately donated by individuals or organisations connected to the period in a county, city or town. Most local archives’ collections of this period are accessible for research; some are now also online and thus accessible globally. Local archives of the ‘Decade of Centenaries’ can fill in some of the gaps in the history of this hugely significant time in Ireland’s recent history.'