This research unit (and its archive) is a model of long-term, slow qualitative data collection, preservation and dissemination. It is also a model of research rooted in and engaged with the geographical, social and cultural communities of Cork. The archive of material (collected from 1996-present) relating to everyday life in Cork City from the 1920s to the present day, experiences of inward and outward migration, Traveller experiences, trades and crafts, LGBT experiences, and the home, sporting, leisure, work, religious and aesthetic experiences of the city, provides a rich research resource for researchers of a wide range of backgrounds and interests. Its status as a permanent, active, research archive and community outreach project make it unique as a research resource and a model of practice, and it has been recognised as such internationally. It consists of over 600 audio interviews, with attendant transcriptions, log sheets, interview summaries and field notes.