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New discoveries in the Virtual Record Treasury
National Archives collections and the Population Portal
Mr Patrick O’Donovan, Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, said: ‘The Virtual Record Treasury offers an invaluable historical resource for people of all ages and traditions across the island of Ireland and abroad, and democratises access so that our shared history is more accessible and engaging for everyone.'
Mr Patrick O’Donovan, Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, said: ‘The Virtual Record Treasury offers an invaluable historical resource for people of all ages and traditions across the island of Ireland and abroad, and democratises access so that our shared history is more accessible and engaging for everyone.'
To mark the 103rd anniversary of the destruction of the Public Record Office of Ireland in 1922, the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland (VRTI) has unveiled over 175,000 newly recovered historical documents—many sourced from the National Archives of Ireland and partner institutions worldwide.
A major highlight is the launch of the Population Portal, curated by Dr Brian Gurrin. This new gateway brings together tens of thousands of names and detailed census data from the 18th and 19th centuries, offering a powerful resource for genealogists and historians alike.
A special focus of this release is the work of Gertrude Thrift (1872–1951), a pioneering female genealogist. In the late 1920s, Thrift donated 23 boxes of her working notes to the Public Record Office. These notes, compiled from pre-Famine census records she studied in the reading room of the Public Record Office of Ireland in the Four Courts, prior to its destruction have been available to researchers since the 1940s and have been available on microfilm for many decades.
Now, through collaboration with the VRTI team, Thrift’s notes are fully searchable and integrated into the new Population Portal. This portal also features examples of the 1821 and 1841 census material she used in her professional research, offering a unique glimpse into both the records and the researcher.
Thrift’s legacy is further highlighted by her 1911 Census return, where she is one of only two women in Ireland to list her occupation as “genealogist.”
View Gertrude Thrift’s 1911 Census Return
These additions reflect the National Archives’ ongoing commitment to preserving and sharing Ireland’s documentary heritage. We invite researchers and the public to explore these rich resources and reconnect with Ireland’s past.
To read more:
https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2025/0630/1520941-irish-archive-project/