County Westmeath has a rich industrial heritage. Industries that were active in the county include extractive (e.g. quarrying), manufacturing and utility industries, transport and communications networks, and fishing. Each of these industries contributed to the social, historical, technical, engineering, and architectural development of County Westmeath.  

Many people have personal experiences of working in these industries and this project aims to capture living memories of these industries and industrial life in Westmeath in the form of oral history recordings. The project will record experiences from different individuals who worked in different industries in the County. 
  

These interviews will then be preserved as a permanent resource on the industrial heritage of the county and will be stored with Westmeath County Library.

Excerpts from two interviews, and some photos, can be viewed below. Brian Quinn talks about Kilbeggan Distillery, and John Joe Quigley is a fourth generation traditional boatbuilder.