If you’ve researched your Irish ancestors, you likely know that when the Public Record Office of Ireland was reduced to rubble and ashes in the Irish civil war 100 years ago, seven centuries of historical documents — including census records — were lost.
Now, there’s great news that’s making historians, archivists, and researchers rejoice.
The Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, and Catherine Martin T.D., Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, yesterday launched the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland.
Some have described it as an historic day, and I agree.
For the first time in 100 years, the public is able to step back in time to explore a virtual recreation of the Public Record Office of Ireland and its collections, as they were on the eve of their destruction at Dublin’s Four Courts at the outset of the Civil War. The video, Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland, shown at the launch is available on YouTube.
as existed pre-Civil War, is available on YouTube.
The Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland is a vast and growing treasury of replacement documents newly discovered in partner archives around the world.
This is not a complete replacement of all the destroyed records, what you may find a document that will help you with your research.
Beyond 2022
The Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland is the outcome of a five-year state-funded program of research, entitled Beyond 2022.
Led by Trinity College Dublin, Beyond 2022 has combined historical investigation, archival conservation, and technical innovation to re-imagine and recreate, through digital technologies, the archive that was lost on June 30, 1922.
The National Archives at Kew in London is among 70 archives and institutions worldwide to have sourced and digitally contributed replacement and duplicate documents and maps as part of the Beyond 2022 project, led by Trinity College Dublin.
Search tips
Everyone with an interest in Ireland’s past can explore tens of thousands of searchable documents.
perhaps because it was launch day.
During my initial 90 minutes of research, I wasn’t successful in finding any of my ancestors, although I did find a Thomas Haire, a Protestant in County Armagh, in a 1776 religious census. The religion and location fit the bill for my family, but I don’t know how he is related to my great-great-grandfather Thomas A. Haire, who was born in about 1821. Still, the name and location have given me something to work with.
I was, however, more successful finding documents about small towns, such as Kilmacrenan in County Donegal where my Diver (Dever) ancestors lived.
Perhaps because it was launch day and many were likely exploring the website, the most trying aspect of the website was waiting for the search results to appear and then moving from page to page in a document.
While the wait time is much faster than travelling to an Irish archival centre and waiting for a document to be pulled, my patience was frequently tested.
To learn more and improve my rate of success, I plan to continue exploring the collection, read blog posts, and watch for webinars about the website.
