First public collection day at the National Library of Ireland

The first Inspiring Ireland 1916 collection day was held on 31 October 2015 in partnership with the National Library of Ireland, Dublin. Members of the public brought treasured objects from 1916 to be digitised and told the stories of how they came to possess them. Trained interviewers collected the facts and family folklore surrounding the objects, photographs were made, and the digital objects were catalogued and deposited into the Digital Repository of Ireland for long-term preservation.

Contributed items appeared in a dedicated collection space alongside curated exhibitions from Inspiring Ireland 1916 partner institutions. Further collection days were planned across Ireland and internationally with the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Diaspora Affairs. A follow-up Dublin day in December 2015 collected remaining objects and stories from the first round.