Recordings from volunteers who fought during the Irish War of Independence could soon be made public for the first time. 

An archive of over 100 veteran interviews was compiled during the 1960s and until now has only been accessible to a small number of historians and researchers.

Largely featuring northern based volunteers, the tapes give a unique and personal insight into the conflict and include an interview with Kathleen Clarke, whose husband Tom Clarke (pictured above) was executed for his part in organising the Easter Rising of 1916.

The Cardinal Tomas O Fiach Memorial Library and Archive in Armagh is planning to use a Lottery grant to develop a specialist listening kiosk and an outreach programme to bring the stories to a new audience. 

Paul Mullan, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Northern Ireland, said: 'We are pleased to be funding this project. The materials are of great historical importance and it will be gratifying to see them being made accessible to the general public.'