Destroyed Public Record Office brought back to life, virtually

The Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland was launched on Monday, allowing the public to ‘step back in time’ to explore a virtual recreation of the Public Record Office of Ireland.

For the first time in 100 years, the public can 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, simply by visiting https:// virtualtreasury.ie/

Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin T.D., launched the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland earlier this week.

“The Virtual Record Treasury is an enduring and meaningful legacy for our Decade of Centenaries. It belongs to the people of Ireland, democratising access to our rich archival heritage and making our shared history accessible for everyone,” the Taoiseach said.

When the Public Record Office of Ireland was destroyed by fire in 1922, hundreds of thousands of precious historical documents relating to all aspects of Irish life were lost — apparently forever.

The Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland is a vast and growing treasury of replacement documents newly discovered in partner archives around the world. Freely and permanently available online, everyone with an interest in Ireland’s past will be able to explore seven centuries of Irish history through tens of thousands of searchable documents

“It is an invaluable historical resource for people of all traditions across the island and for everyone of Irish heritage around the world. It is an immense achievement and testament to the commitment and dedication of the Beyond 2022 project team,” Taoiseach Micheál Martin added.

CULTURAL LOSS

According to the ‘Beyond 2022’ Programme Director, Dr Peter Crooks, Associate Professor in Medieval History, the Record Treasury at the Public Record Office in Ireland was one of the great archives of Europe and is now being brought back to life.

“The devastating cultural loss of the archive in 1922 has hampered our understanding of Ireland’s past. Thanks to the meticulous record-keeping of generations of archivists, historians, copyists, genealogists and clerks, thousands of duplicates and transcripts of Ireland’s records, scattered across the world, have been preserved.

“Record by record, shelf by shelf, historians, archivists and computer scientists are bringing Ireland’s destroyed national treasure back to life,” Dr Crooks said.