Latest News

Annual Releases of Records of Departments of State, 2025

25.01.02

In the 2025 annual release of State records, there were 41 series of records transferred to the National Archives, comprising nearly 12,000 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 anticipatethis process will take approximately 2-3 months to complete.

This year the releases comprise a mixture of material released under the 30- and the 20-year rules:

  • 30-year old records mainly dating to 1994 from a variety of departments and scheduled bodies &
  • Anglo-Irish (AI) records relating to the peace process and Northern Ireland, including the Good Friday Agreement, from mid 1990s to December 2004, 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 1994.

A transfer to the National Archives refers to the process by which eligible records (30 years or older and in certain cases, 20 years) are prepared, catalogued and physically moved from a department, court office or scheduled body to the National Archives for permanent preservation and public inspection, in compliance with the National Archives Act, 1986.

Transfers in the 2025 annual release:

GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS

Department of the Taoiseach:

  • Central registry files, 1994 (2024/5/1 – 470)
  • Northern Ireland Division registry files, c1978 – 2001 (2024/28/1 – 58)
  • Northern Ireland Division registry files, c1991 – 2003 (2024/130/1 – 55)

Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade, HQ:

  • Central Registry files, 1994 (2024/52/1 – 624)
  • Secretary’s Office files, 1994 (2024/51/1 – 29)
  • Anglo-Irish files, mainly dating to 2002 (2022/49/1 – 708)
  • Anglo-Irish files, mainly dating to 2003  (2023/10/1- 403)
  • Anglo-Irish files, mainly dating to 2004 (2024/71/1- 398)

DFA, Irish Missions abroad:

  • Embassy of Ireland to the USA, Washington, DC, c1931-1960 (2022/25/1 – 1027)
  • Embassy of Ireland to Germany, 1966 – 1993 (2023/56/1 -46)
  • Permanent Mission of Ireland to the UN, New York, mainly dating to 1993 (2023/60/1 -180)
  • Consulate General of Ireland to the USA, New York, mainly dating to 1992 – 1993 (2023/61/1 – 4)
  • Rep. to the EU, Brussels, 1970 – 1993 (2023/74/1 – 151)
  • Embassy of Ireland to the UK, London, 1992 – 1994 (2024/57/1 – 8)
  • Embassy of Ireland to the Holy See, mainly dating to 1990 – 1994 (2024/64/1-12)

Department of Justice:

  • Civil Law Reform Division, files mainly dating to 1989  (2019/150/1 – 102)
  • “H8” series: Prisoner files, 1922 -1926 (2023/130/1 – 1135)
  • Weights and Measures, 1962 – 1983  (2024/106/1 -15)
  • Film Censorship, 1923 -1999 (2024/108/1 – 10)
  • “Hawkers”, 1934 -1954 (2024/109/1 – 3)
  • Tribunals of Inquiry/League of Nations Advisory Committee, 1948-1977  (2024/110/1- 5)
  • Charges against the Army, 1922-1929 (2024/111/1 – 76)
  • Security & Northern Ireland Division, 1997 – 2004  (2024/112/1 -17)

Department of Communications:

  • Atlantic Satellite construction, 1984-1989 (2024/33/1 – 4)

Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht:

  • Irish Language Division, 1957-1988 (2018/48/1 – 58)

Department of Finance:

  • Compensation (Personal Injuries) claims files re 1916 – 1920s (2022/28/701 – 4291)
  • Compensation (Personal Injuries) claims files re ‘Bloody Sunday’ Croke Park, Dublin, 1920  (2021/92/1 -22)
  • Finance series files opened in 1920s (2023/86/1 – 8)
  • Finance series files opened in 1990s (2023/84/1 -2)
  • Civil Service Census files, 1924 – 1950 (2024/121/1 – 30)

Department of Health:

  • Psychiatric care “L” series files, 1942-1988 (2023/91/1 -16)
  • Institutional Health Services “A” series files, 1943-1993 (2024/74/1 – 120)
  • Health Bill, 1969 (2024/75/1- 14)
  • Pharmaceutical services “M” series, 1971 – 1986 (2024/94/1- 7)

Department of Transport:

  • Air Navigation Services Division, 1951 – 1976 (2023/145/1 – 32)
  • Air Navigation Services Division, 1960 -1979 (2024/98/1 – 48)

SCHEDULED BODIES

Office of the Attorney General:

  • ‘SR’ (subject-related advice) files, 1994 (2023/174/1 -1808)
  • ‘PC’ (Parliamentary Counsel) files, 1994 (2023/175/1 -81)
  • Anglo-Irish files, 1999 – 2004  (2023/176/1 – 2)

Office of Secretary General to the President:

  • Registered files, c1990-1993 (2024/104/1/1 – 254)

Revenue Commissioners:

  • Customs and Excise Division, c1921 -1994 (2020/7/1 – 113)