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

7 Record collections that lay unopened or little explored in the past suddenly achieved a new relevance. The conservation of fire-damaged records by Jessica Baldwin at the National Archives, and other ancient documents in the collections of our partners, captured the public’s imagination. The power of interlinking collections digitally to reveal a more powerful collective story became self-evident. Technology advanced so rapidly that through machine transcription we can now mine information hidden deep in handwritten records, undiscoverable even to the staff of the PROI who had access to the original records before the fire. Most of all, the depth and richness of Ireland’s documentary heritage at local, regional, national and international levels was a revelation—perhaps surpassed only by the depth of generosity shown to the programme by individuals and institutions across Ireland and around the world, who have joined the common enterprise of reconstructing a lost national treasure. These internal and international collaborations have brought remarkable value to the research programme and to Irish cultural life. And so much more remains to be discovered and made accessible. So many stories remain to be told. Common Pleas, Outlawries (1741-43) approximately 100 parchment sheets which are charred and fused together as a result of the fire in 1922. National Archives of Ireland. Trinity’s Dr Peter Crooks, Beyond 2022 Programme Director (centre) with Dr Ciarán Wallace (Beyond 2022 Deputy Director) and Zoë Reid, Keeper and Head of Public Services, National Archives. In the foreground, the ‘Mills Album’ of 1914 shows a unique photographic record of the Record Treasury prior to its destruction.