Archives held in the National Archives
National Archives hold records of government of the modern Irish state from its foundation to approximately 1988.
Departmental records include all records made, or received, and held in the course of business by all government departments, court offices and bodies listed in the schedule to the National Archives Act, 1986.
Our holdings also include a number of major collections acquired as a result to the amalgamation of the Public Record Office of Ireland (PROI) and the State Paper Office in 1988, following the establishment of the National Archives. These include archives of the British administration in Ireland from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, the largest collection of which is the Chief Secretary’s Office Registered Papers.
National Archives also continues to uphold the tradition begun by the PROI to acquire private collections that complement our holdings, including business records, medical collections, solicitors’ collections and some landed estate collections. Our collections are particularly useful for anyone interested in researching the political, social and economic development of Ireland from the 18th century to the present day. Many of our collections are also extremely valuable for family and local history research.
For further information on our collections and undertaking archival research see Historical records.