Examine a historical source, or an historical narrative to construct a critical evaluation of its uses to an historian.

Overview.  The historical source chosen is a poster which advertises a night of traditional Irish entertainment in Newry Town Hall.  This presentation will examine the poster in detail to evaluate its uses to an historian by answering the many questions that is created by analysing such a poster.  What does the poster tell us/not tell us about life in Newry in 1960?  Who were the organisers of the event?  Who were the stars of the show and how famous were they nationally?

The source.  The source I have chosen is the poster on the right. I first came across it in Bagenal’s Castle on a Document and Artefact handling day.  My attention was drawn to it firstly by the bright red lettering of Gael-Linn who were the organisers of the event. I received a Gael-Linn summer-school scholarship when I was 13 and I was interested to find out more about their history. Secondly it was the sheer size of the event with such a variety of elite performers that interested me.

Interesting initial observations  The fact that such an important civic venue like the Town Hall was been used to hold the event.  There must have been a large nationalist population in Newry at the time to make this well organised concert worthwhile.  The admission price.  The use of red and black which are the colours of County Down.  The use of Irish translation for some of the English words.

What could a historian learn from the poster?  Gael-Linn's association with the event was an attempt to raise funding to 'promote the Irish language and its heritage' (Gael- Linn.ie). The efforts of Gael-Linn are backed up by Carr (2001,p.25) when he states that 'language is a social acquisition from the group in which he grows up'.  The participation of so many local performers demonstrates the immense efforts to retain the Irish traditions in the area of Newry and Warrenpoint in  'The study of history is a study of causes' (Carr, 2001, p.81).Why was this event held in Newry at this time? Post-World War Two and pre-Troubles. Cabaret Gael-Linn was founded in 1959 and 'was set up to perform in hotels and top tourist venues throughout the country' (Geal-Linn.ie). Population of Newry insured a large attendance census shows the population of Newry was 25,251 with 18,751 as Catholic.

What could a historian learn from the poster?  A historian could also deduce that there was an interest in ballet in Ireland at the time. As the ballet was based on a W.B. Yeats poem, it shows how the arts were flourishing nationally at this moment in time.  This poster also shows that this was a great opportunity for local talent to share the stage with some of the biggest stars of the time. This is reflected in The Performing Arts in Newry and Mourne (2014).  The fact that there were reserved tickets available at a significantly higher price suggests interest from the middle classes.

What could a historian not learn from the poster?  The poster does not show how well attended the event was. Despite the aforementioned results of the census of the 1961, there is no direct evidence on the poster that the event was sold out.  Despite being told that this poster is from 1960 there is no evidence of this on the poster itself.  What were Gael-Linn really trying to achieve nationwide by attracting a large number of people to such an event? Buntus Cainte is a teach yourself Irish guide which launched in this year.  There is also no mention of other events in the area that might be of more interest to a non-nationalist audience.  Price comparison with other similar events.

In conclusion The historian could detract a great deal of information about the cultural interests of the predominately nationalist population of Newry in It shows that Gael-Linn was determined to include all thirty-two counties in its aim to promote the Irish language. However, the poster does not assist the historian in understanding the bigger picture of the economics, social classes and other interests of the non-nationalist population of Newry. The poster also shows the historian that this event was pre-Troubles. Would all of these big stars have travelled to Newry if there was a major security risk? This poster is a vital link to the past but the historian would have to do more researching in the areas mentioned to obtain a more conclusive representation of Newry in 1960.

Bibliography.  Carr, E.H (2001) What is History? Revised edn., London: Palgrave Macmillan.  Evans, R.J. (2001) In Defence of History, London: Granta Books.  Williams, C.R. (2012) The Historian’s Toolbox: A Student’s Guide to the Theory and Craft of History, 3 rd edn., New York: M.E. Sharpe.  Years and Years , retrieved on 22/12/  (2014), The Performing Arts in Newry and Mourne,