The Cork Folklore Project, a community-based oral history archive (www.corkfolklore.org) supported by Béaloideas/Folklore and Ethnology, is collecting testimony of the pandemic on a range of online platforms in its ‘Chronicles of COVID-19’ collection initiative. We invite people living anywhere in Ireland, or with links to Ireland, to add their voice and experiences to this record, so that they and future generations can access the experiences of these days through descriptions of our daily routines, preoccupations, challenges, jokes and stories.

We're delighted to share some material from our initial responses here: 

• https://westcorkpeople.ie/coronavirus/add-your-voice-to-the-peoples-archive-of-covid-19-experiences/

One unexpected, immediate outcome is that respondents remark on feeling a benefit from filling out the online questionnaire, and we are working with local organisations on the distribution of paper questionnaires (available on our website) as an element of support packs for those cocooning. Some comments here:

From an 'extremely medically vulnerable' person:

‘It was actually a great experience. So important to put some shape on our experiences. Thanks so much.’

From another participant:

'I think this survey is a brilliant idea. It has already helped me to write about how I am feeling and well done to you for thinking it up. I don't want to forget that this happened. I want to keep feeling that it must change our society for the better once we are back in action and back in action we will be for sure.'

• The online questionnaire in English is at: https://forms.gle/ifov9id9qvcG2VLs9.
• The online questionnaire in Irish is at: https://forms.gle/Bda7QLgxLdEViERn8.

More information on the ‘Chronicles of COVID-19 project at:

https://corkfolklore.org/cork-folklore-projects-covid-19-chronicles-collection/

https://corkfolklore.org/bailiuchan-cuntais-covid-19/