Wikimedia Community Ireland/Meeting minutes 2025

November 25th (Final Meeting of 2025)

Attendance

• Sophie Fitzpatrick
• Shannon Eichelberger
• Eugene Eichelberger
• Amy O’Riordan
• Alison Cassidy
• Kate Sheehy

Roles

• Facilitator: Shannon Eichelberger
• Note-taker: Sophie Fitzpatrick

Agenda

1. Chair / Administrator Update
2. Project Manager Update
3. ILO Update
4. Community Q&A

Chair / Administrator Update

• Last meeting of the year – there will be no meeting in December.
• Farewell to Sophie, who will be leaving her role on 12 December.
• Staff transitions:
  • Amy will take on the role of Community Manager.
  • Interviews are underway for a new Irish Language Officer (ILO) to begin in January.
  • January will be a training and transition month.
  • Excited to have two strong Irish-language speakers in the team moving forward.
• Looking ahead:
  • In 2026, Shannon will step down as volunteer chair and continue in an administrative role, as recommended by the Foundation.
  • A discussion on this transition will take place in January.
• Eugene plans to focus more on:
  • Volunteer recruitment and engagement.
  • Collaborating with staff on Wikipedia content.
  • Supporting community growth.
• WCI will continue working on English-language Wikipedia while increasing work on Vicipéid (Irish-language Wikipedia).

Project Manager Update

Staff Transition

• Sophie has been preparing handover documents and training Amy for her new role.

Wiki Science Contest

• Deadline extended into December.
• Contest page: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Wiki_Science_2025_in_Ireland
• Judging panel includes:
  • Dr. Ruth Smith (Research Ireland)
  • Shakeela Singh (Science Week Ireland)

Wiki Loves Monuments 2025

• Contest concluded last month.
• Winners will be spotlighted with “Story Behind the Picture” features from winners and community members.

Education Outreach

• Guest lectures and Wikipedia editing tasks delivered at:
  • Maynooth University
  • University of Limerick
• Topic: Digital Media & Critical Digital Skills

Intern Programme

• New intern to begin in February 2026.
  • Role includes admin support, social media, and blog posts.

Art+Feminism Collaboration

• Collaboration with Coláiste Mhuire and The Hunt Museum (Limerick).
  • Secondary school editing project.
  • Target launch for articles: International Women’s Day 2026.
  • Sophie is preparing a project handover.

International Collaboration

• Collaboration with Wikimedia Indonesia for International Trees Day.

TAROCH Coalition

• WCI is part of the Towards a Recommendation on Open Cultural Heritage (TAROCH), led by Creative Commons.
• European coalition of 70+ organisations has developed a statement for UNESCO on Open Heritage.
• Advocacy phase now underway:
  • Strategic outreach and resource development in progress.
• Upcoming events:
  • January webinar
  • Amsterdam event – 2 March 2026
  • Paris conference – Spring 2026
• The Open Heritage statement is being translated into Irish.

Irish Language Officer Update – Amy O’Riordan

Oireachtas na Samhna

• Attended the event in Belfast (October) with Éamonn (Ériugena).
  • Met students using Vicipéid and made connections with university courses that incorporate Vicipéid.
  • Planning tool development in collaboration with Kevin Scannell.

SETU Collaboration

• Invited by the new Oifigeach Gaeilge at SETU to attend a staff Ciorcal Comhrá lunch and meet with university staff and the ILO.

Warsaw Conference (December)

• Will attend with Dr. Maggie Glass (TU Dortmund).
  • Co-presenting on a panel about breathing spaces for minority languages (follow-up to Celtic Knot presentation).
• Event: PLURILINGMEDIA General Conference – Media and Language Vitality
  • Theme: Languages on Digital Media
  • Website: https://plurilingmedia.eu/

ILO Handover

• Preparing a handover document and guide for the next ILO.

Outreach & Advocacy

• In contact with:
  • Irish Society
  • Ciste Gaeilge Co-working Committee (includes TDs)
• Meeting with WikiTongues team to contribute to the Mother Tongues Campaign.
  • Planning a satellite event in Ireland.

CSO Collaboration

• Discussions underway with the Central Statistics Office (CSO) regarding potential use of Wikidata.
• Amy is learning about Wikidata and developing event ideas.

Irish Language Wikimedians Survey

• Survey remains open.
• A report will be completed and shared before Christmas.

26 August 2025

Attendance

• Sophie Fitzpatrick
• Shannon Eichelberger
• Eugene Eichelberger
• Kate Sheehy

Roles

• Facilitator: Shannon Eichelberger
• Note-taker: Sophie Fitzpatrick

Agenda

1. Chair / Administrator Update
2. Project Manager Update
3. Community Q&A

Minutes

Chair / Administrator Update

• The grant report for the period June 2024 – July 2025 has been accepted.
• Final report meeting will take place in early September.
  • Shannon is preparing the presentation.
• Suggested change to **October meeting date**:
  • Propose moving to **21 October** due to a clash with the Oireachtas.

Project Manager Update

Meitheal Wiki & Wiki Loves Monuments

• **September Meitheal Wiki Edit-a-thon** starts next week.
  • Theme: *Wiki Loves Monuments*.
  • Dashboard: Link
• **Wiki Loves Monuments (WLM)** opened early to align with Irish Heritage Week.
  • Contest page: Link
• Podcast recorded for Heritage Week with **Thomas Emmett** (Historic Houses of Ireland).
• Contest partners:
  • Agreed to promote WLM.
  • Participating on the judging panel.

CERV Grant Call

• Preparing an application for the **Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV)** programme.
  • Focus: combating misinformation, hate speech, racism, and discrimination.
• Partners: WM Basque, WM France, and Irish/Centre for Human Rights institutions.
  • Potential involvement from the Irish Network Against Racism and the EU Network.
• Internal planning meeting with partners on Thursday.
• Deadline: **16 October**.

Women's History Network Conference

• Presenting next Thursday.
  • Topic: *Wikipedia – Alternative Routes for Knowledge Activism*.
  • Case studies: *Art+Feminism* and *WikiWomen*.

Photo Contests

• **Wiki Loves Earth (WLE)** judging in final stages.
  • Winners to be announced next week.
• **Wiki Loves Pride (WLP)** judging to begin after WLE.
• Postcards printed:
  • WLM and Wiki Science designs.
  • Will be distributed at the Oireachtas.

= Rising Voices

• Financial report submitted.
• Blog post from the NLI event picked up by **Global Voices** and will be republished.

= Celtic Knot Conference

• Programme released:
  • View here
• Preparing final **yearly report**.

Irish Language Officer Update (Amy O’Riordan)

Training & Education

• Completing *Train the Trainer* course with WMUK this week.
  • Will use learnings to develop new training materials for incoming **Vicipéid** editors.

Oireachtas na Samhna Planning

• Event taking place in Belfast, 28 October – 2 November.
  • Open call to Vicipéid editors and community members to join as a volunteer.
  • Travel and accommodation are covered.

Wiki Muir

• Upcoming meeting with WMUK this week.
  • Updates to be shared at next meeting and in the newsletter.

Translation Work

• Translating competition materials for:
  • *Celtic Knot*, *Wiki Loves Monuments*, and *Wiki Science*.
• Working toward gaining translation marking permissions on Commons.

Rising Voices Follow-Up

• Expanding workshop roadmap to include:
  • Identified barriers, challenges, and needs.
• Will present findings to the Department of the Gaeltacht.

Vicipéid Strategy Planning

• Posted in *Halla Baile* about organising meetings for Vicipéid editors.
• Purpose:
  • Develop a Vicipéid-specific strategy aligned with the WCI 5-Year Strategy.
  • Establish metrics, goals, and identify necessary external support.

22 July 2025

Attendance

• Shannon Eichelberger
• Sophie Fitzpatrick
• Amy O'Riordan

Roles

• Facilitator: Shannon
• Note-taker: Sophie
• Additional Note-taker: [TBC]

Agenda

1. New Grant Period
2. Erasmus+ Grant Update
3. Staff Updates
   1. Project Manager Update
   2. Irish Language Officer Update
4. Community Q&A

Minutes

New Grant Period

• Previous grant report nearly complete.
• Less detailed than previous formats due to changes — now includes blog posts and narrative reporting.
• Draft will be circulated for review this week.
• Report is due by Wednesday, 31 July.
• Wiki Camp report is in progress — Amy will complete it for inclusion in the grant report.

Erasmus+ Grant Update

• Application was unsuccessful.
• However, Wikimedia Basque User Group is still interested in collaborating.
• Plan: Focus on applying for smaller grants to build credibility and reputation before reapplying for a larger grant in the near future.

Staff Updates

Project Manager Update (Sophie)

Rising Voices Workshop – National Library of Ireland

• 20 participants attended last week.
• Preparing a report for Eoin Ó Droighneáin (Digital Plan for the Irish Language).
• Roadmap outcome available here: [1]

Language Digital Activism Workshop – NLI

• Upcoming presenters:
  • Niamh Ní Riain – NLI Education & resources as Gaeilge
  • Panel discussion: Emma Ní Chearúil (Raidió Rí-Rá), Maitiú Ó Coimín (Tuairisc), Róisín Ní Mhaoláin (Raidió na Life)
  • Dr. Abigail Walsh – ADAPT's eSTÓR project (data curation)
  • Nóirín Ní Bhraoin – Founder of GaelGoer app
  • Cassie Ní Chatháin & Kate Ní Dhubhlaoich – Conradh na Gaeilge (activism and organising)
  • Cuán de Búrca – Podcaster, radio broadcaster, content creator
  • Session: *Creating a Roadmap for Digital Activism*
• Strengthened WCI's relationship with NLI.
  • Followed by Oireachtas and Conradh na Gaeilge on social media — boosted visibility.

Photo Contests

• **Wiki Loves Earth (WLE)** – 336 uploads; 9 days remaining to enter!
• **Wiki Loves Pride (WLP)** – 13 images submitted so far; open until 31 August.
• Special prize for images related to the sea: *Wiki Muir*.
• Competitions Dashboard in use.

Celtic Knot Conference

• Online conference scheduled for **23 September**.
• Public announcement at end of July.
• Full line-up to follow shortly after.

Trinity College Collaboration

• Board approved open access licensing policy for archive images.
• Planning a project to build an image bank for bulk upload to Wikimedia Commons.
• Met with Trinity to:
  • Discuss collaboration and promotion in the media.
  • Brainstorm potential events around the launch.

CERV Call – Wikimedia Basque and Wikimedia France

• WCI invited to partner.
• Why free videos?
  • Creating free videos and Open Educational Resources (OERs) supports Wikimedia's mission of global free knowledge.
  • Expands diversity of content (beyond text/images).
• Basque User Group’s project *Ikusgela* has created 220+ free videos, featured in 500+ articles.
• Still seeking other partners.

Intern Update

• New intern starting in October.
  • MLIS student at UCD with background in journalism, audience engagement, and lobbying.
  • Strong interest in open knowledge, digital libraries, and archives.
  • Will assist with programmes, marketing, blog posts, and will organise her own editing event at UCD Library.
• Applied to present at the National Open Research Festival (Digital Repository of Ireland).

Grant Updates

• Unsuccessful applications:
  • Science Week Event with eSTÓR
  • Rising Voices cross-border literacy project (Shaping Europe)

Meitheal Wiki – August

• Theme: **Pride** (Bilingual)
• Outcomes from last Meitheal for WLE:
  • 3 articles edited
  • 29 total edits
  • 2 editors
  • 78 uploads to Commons

Hunt Museum Collaboration

• Collaboration is progressing well.
  • Met to select themes and focus artefacts/artworks.
  • Currently curating sources and creating task lists.

TAROCH Coalition Membership

• WCI has joined the **Towards a Recommendation on Open Cultural Heritage (TAROCH)** Coalition.
• Led by Creative Commons to advance open access to public domain cultural heritage.
• Working with UNESCO Member States to promote free knowledge and shared history.

Irish Language Officer Update (Amy O'Riordan)

Wiki Muir

• All Wiki Muir trips must take place before October.

Wiki Camp

• Goal: Transition to youth worker-led camp model.
• Proposal:
  • Train trainee teachers during a weekend workshop.
  • Provide admin support for local organisers.
• Shannon suggested budgeting for external groups to run events — similar to WMUK model.
• Foras na Gaeilge may also support this.

Train-a-Trainer (Irish)

• Amy plans to create an Irish-language-focused training programme.

Reporting & Events

• Final report and ILO reports being prepared for Meta-Wiki.
• Oireachtas package to be ordered soon.
  • Call to community to be issued via Newsletter.

Plural Media Warsaw Conference

• Scheduled for December.
  • €450 travel cap, but all other costs covered.

WLP Update

• Judges still to be confirmed.
• Query to be made regarding Competitions Dashboard.

Next Meeting

• **Tuesday, 26 August**
• **6:00 PM via Google Meet**
• Details to follow.

27 May 2025

At 6:00pm on Google Teams

• Website Post Invite
• Meet-up Event

Attendance

Shannon Eichelberger, Eugene Eichelberger, Rebecca O’Neill, Sophie Fitzpatrick, Amy O'Riordan, Claire Murray, Ciaran O'Hagan, User:瑞丽江的河水

Roles

• Facilitator: Shannon
• Note-taker: Sophie
• Additional Notes Taker:

Agenda

1. Strategic Plan

• Content presentation
• Q&A and Community Discussion
• Vote

2. Staff Updates

• PM Update
• ILO Update

3. Community Q&A

Minutes

1. Strategic Plan

• SE presents an overview of the proposed Strategic Plan Draft.
• Floor open for discussion, comments, and concerns.
• CM: Highlights institutes of technology no longer exist bar two in Ireland raises this is an issue as most are universities now. Maintaining relationships that have been made in the past should be included. Metrics described could be an issue - should be more solid and quantifiable.
• SF: Agrees that relationship maintenence is something we are working on all the time but perhaps does not come across in the strategy.
• RO'N: Suggestion to reword the disinformation campaign to include combating and make it clearer. Raises that AI issue is a key issue that the Foundation has been focused on, which may be important to mention in the strategy.
• CO'H: Raises the importance of highlighting AI as an issue, particularly in the context of Vicipéid. Suggests that focus should be on creating more content that's relevant to schools ie Textbooks. Highlights need to improve engagement with the media to increase media coverage. Highlights his expertise in this area, but explains he does not want to offer time/skills for the improvement of this area. Highlights that Irish-specific events are needed, ie Oireachtas events. He is against the participation of students on Wikipedia. Highlights that the improvement of methodology and tools on Vicipéid is missing from the strategy. Requests less interaction with European Wikimedia Partners and more national collaboration with organisations such as Adapt.
• SF: Highlights the positive outcomes of engaging student editors in the WikiWomen Erasmus+ Project, the importance of collaborating with other minority language communities in Europe for knowledge exchange and alignment with government policy papers.
• AO'R: Explains that she has attended Oireachtas for the last two years and highlights the valuable educational tools created for schools during the WikiWomen Erasmus+ Project.
• SE: Emphasises that the strategy is for five years and thus the objectives need to be adaptable rather than too detailed.
• EE: Highlights the foundation's position paper on AI. Suggests two main takeaways to keep in mind: AI is a new tool for humans to use and the ecosystem should use tools where helpful, and the bar is higher for editors and those creating content online due to AI tools that help in terms of quality outputs. Explains that WCI will need to navigate the use of AI in the community, and this is part of our outreach campaign.
• SF: Highlights that AI is being used, but we can play a role in helping community members use it in an educated way.

• Vote
• SE: Explains that we will return to the strategy and make adjustments before we vote. Highlights that the strategy framework must be dynamic, and more specifics can be found in grant proposals that are viewable online and open to all, including metrics, etc. She will send out the revised version via mailing list, and we will vote at the meeting in June.
• SE: highlights that the grant has been approved for multi-year funding for the next three years.

2. Staff Updates

PM Update (SF)

• Rising Voices Workshops and Open Call
• Podcast with Igbo Wikimedian Lucy Iwala
• WLE collab with Ulster Wildlife
• Podcast Gaelic Forests Project WLE
• Wiki Loves Folklore Winners
• Erasmus+ Grant Application for conservation project with Wikimedia Portugal, Basque and Greece
• Science Week Application with ADAPT Centre
• GLAMS: Hunt Museum, National Gallery Art+ Feminism, Institute of Archaeology Ireland
• Trinity Library Editathon with Sae Wikimedia Japan Wikimedian in Residence
• Education Outreach: UL, UCG, DCU, UCD, University of Maynooth
• Community Editing Event for Wiki Loves Earth is upcoming.
• More details found in newsletters.

ILO Update (AO'R)

• Africa Day event Waterford Integration Centre with Dagbani Wikimedian
• Wiki Loves Pride starts next week
• Wiki Camp with Waterford Youth Service using WikiWomen Toolkits
• Meitheal Wiki to make a comeback
• University of Galway presentation and future science week collab.
• Pride of the Deise Wiki Commons tutorial event 14th June
• Bari Trip/collab with Wikimedia Italy
• Wiki Muir Project update - on pause atm.

Next Meeting

• Tuesday, June 24th
• At 6pm on Google Meet.

Please find more info here.

24 June25

At 6:00 pm on Google Teams

• [2]
• Meet-up Event

Attendance

Shannon Eichelberger, Eugene Eichelberger, Sophie Fitzpatrick, Amy O'Riordan

Roles

• Facilitator: Shannon
• Note-taker: Sophie
• Additional Notes Taker:

Agenda

1. Strategic Plan

• Discussion of Updated Plan
• Vote

2. Staff Updates

• Admin Update
• PM Update
• ILO Update
• Meitheal Wiki Knowledge Sharing for June theme (Wiki Loves Earth)

3. Community Q&A

Minutes

1. Strategic Plan

• SE shares updates and opens the floor to discussion.
• AOR raises that a Vicipeid strategy may be needed down the line
• EE suggests keeping growth metrics
• SF confirms that the updated strategy will be uploaded on Meta and on wikimedia.ie by the end of the week.
• Vote
• Voted in by consensus
• SF: Rebecca votes Yes in her absence

2. Staff Updates

Administrator Update (SE)

• New grant period is starting this month.
• The report is due end of July
• WikiWomen Erasmus+ final payment has come through, less than anticipated due to lower number of attendees at Celtic Knot 2024.

PM Update (SF)

• Wiki Loves Earth is on-going until July - judges will be announced tomorrow
• Wiki Loves Pride on ongoing also, postcards have been sent to Pride organisations and GLAMS.
• Taroch Coalition joined
• Wikimedians in residence
• Working on Application for National Open Research Festival at Digital Respositary Ireland
• Intern interviews happening
• In the midst of organising Celtic Knot online Event on Sept. 23rd in collaboration with Wikimedia UK- looking for community members who would like to participate
• Rising Voices Workshop to take place in July. Potentially at the National Library of Ireland in Dublin or Aras na Gaeilge in Galway.
• IMMA residencies open potential for Wikimedian in residence.

ILO Update (AO'R)

• WikiCamp is happening with the Youth club in Waterford
• Will do Train a Trainer online in July and August with Wikimedia UK
• Irish language funding scheme (foras na Gaeilge Business Support Scheme) open is for packaging, printed materials and signage. Will contact about going for this but asking for a digital version.
• SF: Suggests applying for funding for translation.

Next Meeting

• Tuesday, July 22nd
• At 6pm on Google Meet.

Please find more info/RSVP here [3].