A Century of Recovery – and Beyond - Marking the centenary of the Four Courts fire (1922) and the launch of the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland

36 Irish Manuscripts Commission Autumn 2022 Analecta Hibernica , no. 53: Special Issue Marking the Centenary of the Destruction of the Public Record Office of Ireland Editors Elva Johnston with Peter Crooks and Timothy Murtagh Since 1930, Analecta Hibernica has served to promote and distribute the work of the Irish Manuscripts Commission, publishing shorter historical manuscripts and thus enhancing access to archives for the scholarly community. To mark the centenary of the Four Courts blaze, Analecta Hibernica is publishing a special issue focussed on replacements for records lost in the 1922 fire. These documents range from the thirteenth century to the early twentieth, covering everything from the medieval exchequer to the modern census. The special issue includes a report on the surviving ‘salved records’ held by the National Archives (Ireland)—documents salvaged from the explosion and fire of 1922, surviving in various states of conservation. This is the first available description of these unique and largely unknown documents. In addition, this issue will reproduce a selection of internal correspondence from the Public Record Office of Ireland before its destruction, shedding light on the creation of the first state archive in Ireland, including its day-to-day administration. To mark the publication of this Special Issue of Analecta Hibernica , the Irish Manuscripts Commission will host a seminar that explores the history of Irish archives, charting the many ways in which historical documents have been transcribed, calendared, preserved and — too often — destroyed throughout the centuries. Contributors Elizabeth Biggs & Paul Dryburgh Lynn Kilgallon & Peter Crooks David Brown Neil Johnston Bríd McGrath Sarah Hendriks Timothy Murtagh Brian Gurrin Ciarán Wallace Zoë Reid Jessica Baldwin Ciara Fahy Salved Probate Records (1688), 2B/105/9, National Archives of Ireland.