History Studies: University of Limerick History Society Vol (22)

We may all be glad that the pandemic seems to be nearing an end, but its impact on our lives and work will remain for some time. The closure of our archives, museums and libraries has prevented the basic work of delving into the historical record, which in turn has held up the dissemination of this research to the public. How easy it was to take for granted access to collections and institutions. The crisis should remind us that our librarians, archivists and curators are essential to what we do as historians, relying on them to provide basic access as well as facilitating the use of collections through their careful sorting and cataloguing of materials. Digitisation has helped to provide ease of access to some collections. As many of the articles published in this volume indicate, it is possible to rely on certain electronic resources to answer particular research questions. It is always a pleasure to see History Studies produced year-after-year, and to observe the seamless transfer of the editorship to a new team. I am delighted to welcome and to congratulate Helene Haak and Barbara Watts on the publication of this, their first volume, and the twenty-second in the series. Through their careful stewardship, they have enticed contributions from a wide range of young scholars, eager to see their research published and engaged with. The editorship of the journal should not be underestimated, given the time it takes to review submissions, liaise with contributors, and the entire editing and printing process, let alone the annual obligation to raise money for its publication. In this regard, I join with the editors in acknowledging and thanking the President of the University, Professor Kerstin Mey, Vice-President for Research, Dr Noralee Kennedy, and the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Professor Shane Kilcommins, for their continued support of History Studies. Lastly, I congratulate each of the nine contributors for submitting articles to the journal. I have enjoyed reading them, as I think will most readers. Dr David Fleming Head, Department of History University of Limerick