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

Foreword The Decade of Centenaries (2012-2023) offers an open invitation to everyone, to explore the most important and transformative period in our modern history, in all of its complexity. As we look back one hundred years to our Civil War, we are conscious that this is a painful and difficult centenary for many. The impact and legacy of this period has resonated deeply within families and communities. Some aspects of this traumatic time are only being properly examined and discussed now, bringing about the possibility of reconciliation and healing. The catastrophic destruction of the Public Record Office of Ireland in the opening engagement of the Civil War was arguably, the most traumatic and devastating loss of our cultural heritage. Seven centuries of Ireland’s invaluable historical, genealogical and administrative records were obliterated – lost, seemingly forever, in the Four Courts blaze of 30th June 1922. One hundred years later, what seemed utterly hopeless and impossible has been achieved – the magnificent restoration, in virtual reality, of the Public Record Office and the archival riches contained within its collections. In 2018, the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland was welcomed by the Expert Advisory Group on Centenary Commemorations as an imaginative, meaningful and enduring legacy of the Decade of Centenaries Programme and funded by my Department under Project Ireland 2040. It has been so inspiring to see the project develop from its initial concept and then exceed all of the original expectations – both in terms of the building of the virtual Treasury itself and the exciting new archival discoveries. A key ambition of the project throughout has been to inspire public engagement. The Virtual Record Treasury will make the examination of our history an empowering and enriching process for people of all ages, underpinned by access to materials in the collections of seventy archival partners around the world. The project’s imaginative and innovative approach, which combines historical research, academic rigour, archival conservation, technical innovation, and collaboration on a scale never undertaken before in this field, will very powerfully enhance the collective memories of all traditions on this island to enable a new understanding of Ireland’s shared past. The archival discovery element is particularly exciting, with the unearthing of previously unknown Irish material from across the breadth of the archives – national and international. I would like to express my appreciation to the five core archival partners for their generosity and support; the National Archives of Ireland; The National Archives UK; The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland; The Irish Manuscripts Commission; and the Library of Trinity College Dublin. Their goodwill in sharing archives, resources, time, and expertise, has greatly enriched the project. It is, in every sense, a truly all-island and internationally collaborative initiative. 4