Hundreds of documents dating from between the 16th and mid-20th centuries and referring to every county in Ireland will be available to view on CD ROM from next week.
The National Archives of Ireland has produced the CD, Counties in Time, to introduce a sample of its records to the public. The disk includes county histories, national school registers, census returns and judicial records. Viewers can read "outrage reports" which relate to breaches of the law sent to Dublin Castle from judges, the constabulary and members of the public.
In Kerry one record relates to a dead baby found in a house in Ballyheige, Co Kerry, in 1842. A Leitrim outrage record was filed over the the suicide of a constable who was in debt.
Viewers can read trial records from the Court of Petty Sessions, which preceded the District Court. In Sligo a 20-year-old man was sent to Australia for 10 years for cattle-stealing in 1845. In Cork a 19-year-old woman was sent to Australia for seven years for the crime of vagrancy in 1846. Also included are eye-witness accounts of the Famine and the 1798 Rebellion.
The National Archives of Ireland is sending a free CD to all second-level history teachers, to help them teach a new Leaving Certificate curriculum which will be introduced in September.
