Our archives

Rising from the ashes: salvaged material from the Public Record Office of Ireland, 1922

In 2017, the National Archives, in partnership with the Irish Manuscripts Commission, began a survey of archival material salvaged from the Public Record Office of Ireland, following the destruction of the record treasury during the Civil War in 1922. This collection of 378 brown paper parcels had not been opened since they were recovered in the aftermath of the destruction. The material was assessed, documented and photographed. The documents range in date from the 14th Century to the early 20th Century. Condition grades were assigned to the documents in a range from Grade 1 (Stable) to Grade 5 (Vulnerable). Watch our film to learn more.