Covid Archive , in conjunction with June Fest 2021

In fifty or a hundred years’ time, our grandchildren and great grandchildren will wonder how our community ‘survived’ the Covid-19 epidemic. They will want to know:

• About our fears and hopes. How we coped with the restrictions on our daily lives?
• How education, weddings, funerals, bereavements, religious observance, business, sport, travel, meetings of all kinds, family relationships and regular social activity were impacted?
• How young people handled returning to living and working in the family home, and how this affected family relationships?
• Who did we ‘bubble’ with during this time?
• What we did to break the monotony?
• What books we read, what films we watched, what new interests we took up?
• Where did we walk, run or cycle?
• What did we discover about ourselves and our locality?

Future historians will be eager to access first-hand accounts of our experiences in 2020 and 2021. Here is the chance to provide them with this material.

As we cautiously emerge from Lockdown, Newbridge Local History Group invites you to tell us your Covid stories from your perspective. How Covid impacted on health, family, work, education, sport, business, relationships. We want to hear from the young and not so young.

The aim is to create a permanent archive on what it was like to live in Newbridge during the pandemic. This archive will be permanently available on our website: newbridgehistory.org.

While there will be prizes for the three best submissions, we welcome contributions from people of all ages with a story to tell.

Arrangements for the project are as follows:

• Submissions of up to 600 words to be made to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Submissions may include images (closed businesses, shop queues, people walking/cycling, social distancing, facemasks, etc.) If including a photo of people you know, please name them – with their permission.
• Include full name, residential address, mobile number if you want your submission to be considered for a prize. Your age would also be of interest but none of your personal details will be published without your express permission. We will be happy to publish under pen names where requested.
• 1^st (€200), 2^nd prize (€100) & 3^rd prize (€50) in the form of vouchers for local businesses. Prizes sponsored by Glenveagh Homes.
• The best 10 submissions will be published on the June fest website.  
• The winning submissions will be judged by a panel nominated by Newbridge Local History Group.
• Individuals may make more than one submission. 
• Submissions are invited from people of all ages resident in Newbridge and its environs. 
• Details of the project will be available on June Fest’s website (https://www.junefest.ie/) & Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/junefestnewbridge/) and on http://newbridgehistory.org/