Partners

The National Archives holds the records of the modern Irish State which document its historical evolution and the creation of our national identity. Its holdings have enormous research potential as they provide essential primary source material for people seeking to understand the political, economic and social forces which have shaped our nation. It delivers formal services to both the public and government, and is working to develop and deploy new services to meet the challenges of the digital age.

The National Archives (UK) is a non-ministerial department, and the official archive and publisher for the UK Government, and for England and Wales. We are the guardians of over 1,000 years of iconic national documents and are expert advisers in information and records management as well as being a cultural, academic and heritage institution. The National Archives holds an extensive archival collection relating to the governance of Ireland, its people and its history from 1200-1922. These records are fundamental to understanding pre-modern Ireland, its subsequent history and its relationship with the rest of the United Kingdom to the present day.

The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) is the official archive for Northern Ireland. PRONI is distinguished from other archival institutions in the United Kingdom by its unique combination of private and official records. The Record Office combines the functions and responsibilities of a range of institutions: it is at the same time Public Record Office, manuscripts department of a national library, county record office for the six counties of Northern Ireland, and holder of a large range of private records. This range of remit, embracing, among others, central and local government, the churches and the private sector, is unique to Northern Ireland. By approaching solicitors, business people, politicians and the landed aristocracy, Dr Chart and successive Deputy Keepers were able to compile a significant substitution for some of the destroyed manuscripts. The drive to secure and protect this archival heritage has resulted in holding 58 kilometres of shelf-filled records covering every aspect of life in Northern Ireland, a veritable treasure store of information about our past, protected for our future.

The Irish Manuscripts Commission (IMC) is a public body founded in 1928. Its remit is based on the principles of dissemination, preservation and promotion of original source materials in public and private ownership for the history and cultural heritage of Ireland. Since 1930 the Commission has established a proud record of publication and it is recognised nationally and internationally as a publisher of primary sources for the histories and cultures of Ireland. It has overseen the publication of over 200 titles, mainly editions of original manuscripts. Its serial publication, Analecta Hibernica, of which the first volume appeared in 1930 and the 48th volume was published in 2017, is devoted to the publication of shorter manuscripts, lists and reports. It also carries reports of the Commission's activities. IMC continues to promote awareness of primary sources for history among the general public and to advise the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, when requested, on matters relating to manuscripts.

The Library of Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, dates back to the establishment of the College in 1592 and it is the largest library in Ireland. Today it has over 6 million printed volumes with extensive collections of journals, manuscripts, maps and music reflecting over 400 years of academic development. The Library was endowed with Legal Deposit privilege in 1801 and continues to receive copies of material published in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The Library supports the learning and research needs across all disciplines of the College; it is a major research library of international repute; it provides services to a wide range of external users and institutions; it contributes to the development of creative initiatives in information provision and its exhibitions of manuscripts and other treasures attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to visit the Old Library each year. Although an institution of great antiquity, the Library pioneers modern methods of resource discovery and developments in the teaching, learning and research processes.