Friday the 13th was a lucky day for the audience attending the October expert workshop in the RIA, Dawson St.

Deirdre McParland, senior archivist of the ESB, gave a spirited introduction to the resources in the ESB archives, newly accessible to researchers. It contains manuscript and printed documents, photos, and film.

On the day, Deirdre brought her expert knowledge of the collection to the benefit of the audience.

In what proved a very lively talk, her main theme was that the history of the ESB is part of our national narrative. The archives are a treasure-trove for Irish social history.

A sincere thank you to Deirdre, who was particularly kind, in remaining to answer questions for almost 40 minutes.

By Fiona Fitzsimons