TechArchives is a project that collects stories from Ireland – stories about the country’s long and convoluted relationship with information technology.
We record the recollections of pioneers in computing, software development and network services, publish them on this web site and preserve them, plus related digital files, in a secure repository that future generations will be able to consult.
Dive into the interactive timelines on this site to retrace the emergence and evolution of key technologies and industry sectors. Then read personal testimonies by authors whose experiences seldom feature in other public records. And visit the anniversaries section for retrospective accounts of landmark events.
Newsmail, operating as a social enterprise, manages the TechArchives project with support from Ireland’s information technology community.
April 1969: 100,000 missing passengers at Dublin Airport
The reservations system at Aer Lingus was the largest, most sophisticated, and most visible computing project of its era in Ireland – the result of years of planning, investment, network building, software development and user training. Sales offices and airports in eighteen cities on both sides of the Atlantic were able to access the airline’s passenger records. After the system went live, however, a data storage error posed a massive challenge for Aer Lingus and for IBM.
As this site grows, it will cover a broader range of subjects, feature a more diverse set of stories and display more types of content. TechArchives depends on individuals who are willing to record their experiences or to donate documents, images and digital files. All contributions are very welcome.
Write a testimony
If your experience falls into the subject area and timeframe of one of our archives, we would like to talk to you. In particular, we want to add testimonies from people who were involved in organisations and projects that are not covered by the existing contributors. We will provide guidelines and practical assistance with planning, fact checking, writing and content management.
Provide source material
We collect, index and preserve documents, photographs, illustrations and other digital records associated with information technologies in Ireland. What can you add ?
Commission special projects
The timeline tools and information management methods used on this site can support private projects as well. Discover Memory-as-a-service.
Make a donation
Last, but definitely not least, we need donors and fundraisers to provide financial support for TechArchives. The easiest way to assist is to click on the PayPal link below. Contact us directly if you would prefer to donate through a different channel.
Latest Testimonies
Brian Dent
Aer Lingus systems programmer 1968-88
Brian Dent
Timas technical manager 1988-98
John McEneaney
Aer Lingus console operator / programmer 1965-74
John McEneaney
System Dynamics customer support and pre-sales support 1977-78 / Honeywell Information Systems technical adviser 1978-85