Annual release of records of Departments of State, 2026

On 2 January 2026, records of Departments of State and scheduled bodies were released to the public in the National Archives’ Reading Room. The records mainly related to 1995, except for Anglo-Irish records relating to Northern Ireland, which dated to 2005.

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What was contained in the 2026 release?

In the 2026 annual release of State records, there were 22 series of records from transferred to the National Archives, comprising of nearly 14,000 files.

Currently, the finding aids are available in hardcopy format in our Reading Room. Our archivists are diligently working to upload these finding aids into the online catalogue, however due to the volume of material, we anticipate this process will take approximately 2-3 months to complete.

Records released include:

– 30-year-old records mainly dating to 1995 from six government departments and two scheduled bodies
– Anglo-Irish records relating to the peace process and Northern Ireland from the Department of the Taoiseach, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Justice and the Office of the Attorney General
– Minutes of the meetings of the Government for 1995

Issues Covered

As the National Archives opens thousands of files from 1995, we invite you to explore the stories behind these events.

The following five files, now transferred to the National Archives, offer insights into diplomacy, governance, cultural outreach, and significant historical events.

The files shed light on diplomacy, governance, cultural outreach, and historical events, including:

  • Edward VIII’s Abdication, 1936 (TSCH/2025/115/994)
  • Sea Mine Explosion at Dalkey, 1946 (FIN/2024/120/361)
  • Giant Pandas at Dublin Zoo, 1986 (DFA/2025/124/1)
  • Letters for Peace, 1995 (DFA/2023/50/164)
  • Bill Clinton’s Coat of Arms, 1995 (TSCH/2025/115/827)

Transfers included in the 2026 annual release

Department of the Taoiseach

  • Central registry files, 1995 (2025/115/1 – 994)
  • Northern Ireland Division files, c1988 – 2004 (2025/127/1 – 112)

Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade, HQ

  • Central Registry files, 1995 (2025/124/1 – 921)
  • Secretary’s Office files, 1995 (2025/123/1 – 52)
  • Anglo-Irish files, mainly 2005 (2025/125/1 – 357)
  • Anglo-Irish files, 1956-2003 (2023/50/1-532)
  • Embassy of Ireland to the Holy See, 1929 – 1988 (2001/20/1-258)
  • Embassy of Ireland to the Holy See (2025/82/1-3)
  • Embassy of Ireland to Sweden (2025/101/1 – 9)
  • Embassy of Ireland to the UK (2025/80/1 – 5)

Department of Finance

  • Property Loss Compensation files, 1940s (2024/120/1 – 1101)

Department of Health

  • ‘A’ series (institutional health services) files, 1936-1995 (2025/161/1 – 150)
  • ‘P’ series (Health Bill) files, 1961-1970 (2025/162/1 – 16)
  • Planning Unit: National Health Council files, 1959-1986 (2025/163/1 – 12)

Department of Justice

  • Northern Ireland Division, mainly 2005 (2025/120/1 – 37)
  • Criminal Justice legislation files, 1982 – 1994 (2023/156/1 – 73)
  • Prisoner files (H234/ series), c1920 – c1935 (2024/6/1 – 6390)

Department of Social Protection

  • Planning Secretariat files, mainly 1995 (2025/20/1-116)

Office of the Attorney General

  • SR (subject-related) files, 1995 (2025/1/1 – 2487)
  • PC (Parliamentary Counsel files, 2005 (2025/2/1 – 44)
  • Anglo Irish files, 2005 (2025/3/1 – 36)

Office of Secretary to the President

  • Office of Secretary to the President (2025/166/1 – 271)

 

Media Coverage (27–30 Dec 2025)

RTÉ News

  • “Explainer: What are the State Papers?” – A comprehensive overview published on 30 Dec 2025, outlining the preview process, legal framework, and the 1995 content now available. [rte.ie]
  • “5 things we learnt today from the State Papers” – Published on 30 Dec 2025, this article highlighted key revelations including the Gerry Adams–Patrick Mayhew correspondence and the panda visit. [rte.ie]
  • “5 things we learned from Day 3 of State Papers” – On 29 Dec 2025, coverage included Lansdowne Road riot affairs and diplomatic engagement in the 1990s. [rte.ie]
  • “Telecom companies opposed govt plan to shut down networks” – Report from 28 Dec 2025 covering a briefing on possible mobile network shutdowns tied to security measures. [rte.ie]
  • “5 things we learned from Day 2 of the State Papers” – Another 28 Dec 2025 article noting, notably, the 1986 panda trip to Dublin Zoo. [rte.ie]
  • “Pop, VIPs, abdication, unity – other State Paper stories” – Published 27 Dec 2025, this included mention of Edward VIII’s abdication documents and Boyzone gig safety issues. [rte.ie]

The Irish Times

  • 27 Dec 2025 Digital News Archive – Features items related to delays caused by visiting dignitaries, calls against releasing abdication records, and more on the State Papers. [irishtimes.com]
  • Politics Section (Dec 27–30, 2025) – Covers stories such as calls to withhold records on Edward VIII’s abdication and Boyzone-related safety concerns. [irishtimes.com], [irishtimes.com]

Irish Independent

  • “State Papers” tag page – Includes multiple reports between 27–30 Dec 2025 on topics such as NASA’s proposed use of Shannon as a shuttle landing site. [independent.ie], [independent.ie]
  • “State Papers: Shannon Airport was once proposed as an emergency landing site for NASA’s Space Shuttle” – Published 27 Dec 2025, detailing U.S. embassy correspondence on the issue. [independent.ie]

The Journal

  • “The 9 at 9: Saturday” – Morning digest on 27 Dec 2025, includes State Papers highlights like the Diana trip concern and Boyzone “hysteria”. [thejournal.ie]
  • “The 5 at 5: Monday” – On 29 Dec 2025, coverage included peace process-related revelations. [thejournal.ie]