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Oral History Research Guide

A compilation of resources on what oral history is, how to do oral history, and how to locate oral history interviews.

About This Interactive Oral History Map

This map for The Gathering: Collected Oral Histories of the Irish in Montana was created to provide an interactive research experience and indicate the geographic locations discussed in the interviews. The Gathering is a long-term interdisciplinary oral history project that records Montana Irish and Irish-American folk histories, memories, practices, and traditions.

How to Use This Map

To view and listen to clips in order as they were added to the map:

- Click on the large arrow on the right-hand side of the screen. To access a previous clip, click on the large arrow to the right of the screen. To view the map while you listen to a particular clip, click on “Map Overview” in the upper, left-hand corner of the map.

To search clips individually or in no particular order:

- Click on a location of your choosing. After you’ve finished with that clip, click “Map Overview” to see the entire map again and choose another clip.

Click on “Back to Beginning” to return to the map's home screen.

Accessible Index

This map is not accessible via a screen reader, so an index of each interview on the map, featuring a link to the full audio on ScholarWorks, is included below.

Anaconda

Belt

Boulder Valley

Butte

Fort Benton

Fort Shaw

Great Falls

Helena

Helmville

Kalispell

Lewistown-Winifred

Missoula

Seeley-Swan

Superior

The Gathering Map

More Information about The Gathering

The Gathering: Collected Oral Histories of the Irish in Montana was started in 2009 by the University of Montana’s Irish Studies department. To date over 100 oral history interviews have been collected. These interviews are available as Oral History Collection 435 at the Mansfield Library's Archives and Special Collections.

Archives and Special Collections has made available the audio for most of The Gathering interviews as well as some transcripts through ScholarWorks, the Mansfield Library’s open access, online repository. The Gathering on ScholarWorks can be accessed via this link: The Gathering on ScholarWorks. Visit The Gathering website for additional information about the project, its funding, and its volunteers.