The National Centre for Research and Remembrance (NCRR) will be located on the site of the former Magdalene Laundry in Seán McDermott Street in Dublin’s city centre.
It will include a:
- Centralised repository of records related to institutional trauma in the 20th century, which will form part of the National Archives
- Museum and exhibition space, the development of which will be led by the National Museum of Ireland
- Place for reflection and remembrance
Work is underway on the construction of the NCRR, including the development of a purpose-built repository and reading room for the National Archives on the Seán McDermott Street campus. The facility will act as a second site of the National Archives and will be governed by National Archives legislation, and operated by National Archives staff.
This facility is intended as a specialised archive within the overall National Archives, to preserve and provide access to records relating to the State’s role in the operation and oversight of a range of institutions in Ireland in the 20th century, as well as the records of various commissions and other bodies established by government over the past 20 years.
The archive will include records such as policy files and case files. While policy files are generally made available in the National Archives when they are 30 years old, case files are more complicated given the nature of the personal information they contain.
Under current legislation, all records transferred to the National Archives are on open access and must be released to the public. We understand this arrangement may not be suitable for all records expected to be held in the NCRR. This issue is currently being examined by a Legal and Legislative Sub-Group established to examine access and data protection concerns and recommend changes to the law, where necessary.
Current status of the project
The National Archives has engaged directly with the main Government departments and agencies holding relevant records and has carried out audits and site visits as part of the overall preparation. This work has helped to inform a wider project plan for the National Archives to determine the scope and identify priorities. The initial focus is on records falling within the current remit of the National Archives Act, 1986.
Priority has been given to departments holding extensive backlogs of historical records relevant to the aims of the NCRR. However, as our work and aims evolve, it is expected that these priorities will change to align with the recommendations of the Legal and Legislative Sub-Group, including changes to National Archives legislation.
A dedicated team of experienced archivists has been established in the National Archives and has carried out extensive work onsite in several government departments to identify and prepare records for transfer to the National Archives in advance of the opening of the NCRR. The National Archives is also working closely with the HSE to ensure the transfer and permanent preservation of records of institutional healthcare, including surviving records of former asylums.
Relevant records already in the National Archives
Extensive work is also underway onsite in the National Archives to prioritise collections relevant to the NCRR for cataloguing and digitisation. Current holdings in the National Archives include some 19th and early 20th century records from:
- Department of Health
- Department of Justice
- Department of Education
- Department of Taoiseach
- Department of Foreign Affairs
- Private collections including hospital collections
- Board of Guardians records
Maternity Health, Employment Equality and Preservation of Certain Records Act, 2024
In November 2024, new legislation was enacted which provides statutory protection to certain classes of privately held records for the first time. Part 3 of this legislation amends the National Archives Act, 1986 and grants the Director of the National Archives new powers to compel information sources holding relevant records, as defined in the Act, to provide the Director with a statement of records held.
The legislation also makes it a criminal offence for records defined as relevant records within the legislation to be concealed, destroyed, mutilated or falsified in any way. It is also an offence to remove relevant records from the jurisdiction. The legislation is not retrospective and there is no compellability to repatriate records already removed from the State.
The legislation relates to the preservation of relevant records only and does not include any compellability for bodies holding relevant records to deposit these records in the National Archives. The legislation requires only that such organisations or individuals inform the National Archives of records in their custody.
Information on statements of relevant records received by the Director of the National Archives is available here.
Please note, these records remain the property of the organisations or individuals in question and any queries relating to these records should be directed to the appropriate body. The National Archives has no role in the management of these records, including requests for access or information about content.
Further information on the wider NCRR project can be found at the National Centre for Research and Remembrance – gov.ie.