Why local authority records from 100 years ago are vital for researchers in 2022
Local authority records are a source of local history and expertise through which they tell the story of the development of our local communities. Archival collections are useful in marking anniversaries and commemorations, particularly in the Decade of Centenaries, as they bring to wider attention the human stories found within them.
A motion of sympathy on the death of Arthur Griffith (President of Dáil Éireann) was passed at the half yearly meeting of the Athy Urban District Council on 14 August 1922. At the next monthly meeting of the UDC, a letter of thanks was read from his widow, Maud Griffith, Clontarf, Dublin, for the message of sympathy she received on the death of her husband.
The beautiful penmanship evident in the minutes of the Athy UDC is the work of Joseph Andrew Lawler who was the Athy Town Clerk for over 30 years. Born in 1873, he was the son of Andrew Lawler and Margaret Pender, and his father was the caretaker of the Park in Athy. Joseph was appointed Town Clerk in 1890 and his brother, James W. Lawler, was the assistant clerk. Joseph died aged fifty-two on 4 June 1927.
Digitised local authority records of Co. Kildare can be accessed here.
