People, Place and Power – The Grand Jury System in Ireland

3 The archives of the grand jury reflect the gradual changes that took place in society and national and local politics, while exposing the archaic nature of the grand jury system itself. The grand jury’s increasing workload is evident in the archives’ presentments, which refer to contracts for road works, bridges, asylums, hospitals, schools, prisons, courthouses, and many other services. Their reports and minutes document everything from local ‘disturbances’, difficulty in tax collection, the role of the Royal Irish Constabulary, issues with public works, allegations of corruption (including among their own members!), and poor performance by contractors. Grand jury collections are generally available at local archive services, or in libraries in the Republic of Ireland. There are also significant collections in the National Archives of Ireland, National Library of Ireland, and the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland. Some are already available to view online. Local Government Archivists and Records Managers’ exciting partnership with the Beyond 2022 research project will work to enhance access to digitized grand jury archives through the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland . In due course and for the first time, grand jury collections from across Ireland will become available in one digital repository. Digitization will also help to preserve the original collections for future generations. Through this growing partnership, we will work together at local and national level to enrich understanding and enable more in-depth scholarly research into these unique archives well into the future. Dr Niamh Brennan Chair, Local Government Archivists and Records Managers (LGARM) May 2021 Grand Jury Presentment Books, County Donegal Courtesy of Archives Service, Donegal County Council