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March 2003 Edition |
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Newly
Released Government Archives |
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As the national institution charged by law with preserving the archives of central government in Ireland, the National Archives annually receives transfers of archival records that become thirty years old on 31 December of each year and these are made available for public research use the following January. This year, the archives of government departments released relate primarily to the year 1972 and include the original minutes of meetings of Government and Cabinet, and files of such bodies as the Departments of the Taoiseach, Foreign Affairs, Finance, Defence, and Enterprise, Trade and Employment, as well as the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of Secretary to the President. The records transferred document the activities of these government departments and offices in the performance of their administrative functions, and those that might be of particular interest are files of the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of the Taoiseach relating to Northern Ireland matters, particularly the shooting dead of thirteen people in Derry on 30 January 1972, i.e. the Bloody Sunday shootings, the burning of the British Embassy on Merrion Square on 2 February 1972, and meetings between the Taoiseach, Jack Lynch, T.D., and the British Prime Minister, Edward Heath, M.P., to discuss Northern Ireland security matters. Researchers who have been following the saga of the alleged attempt to import arms illegally into Ireland, which gave rise to the dismissal of two Government Ministers and the Arms Trial in 1970, will be delighted to note that records released by the Office of the Attorney General include a further installment of files, some of which document the attempt to recover public money paid to a German arms dealer for the arms consignment. Given that approximately 1000 archival boxes of government records are currently transferred each year, it doesn't seem fair to those colleagues in government departments and the National Archives who prepare the material for release to favour any one body of material over another. However, my particular favourite in this year's release is the records of the Committee of the Mansion House All-Party Conference on Partition. These records, comprising 93 files and one volume of minutes, were generated by the activities of a committee appointed by the Mansion House All-Party Conference on Partition, a conference convened by the Taoiseach, John A. Costello in January 1949 to raise funds to assist activities aimed at ending the partition of Ireland. This Committee oversaw the work of the Conference and the disbursement of funds raised for such anti-partition efforts as the publication of anti-partition pamphlets, articles and books, and the support of anti-partition candidates contesting seats at parliamentary elections in Northern Ireland and at general elections for parliament at Westminster in London. Another
gem transferred is the Aras an Uachtaráin visitor's book for the
period August 1962 to June 1966, which was transferred by the Office
of Secretary to the President (ref PRES 2, 2003/19/1). It provides
an insight into the array of persons who travelled along the broad
avenues of the Phoenix Park to the residence of Ireland's first
citizen during President Eamon de Valera's period in office:
Dwight D. Eisenhower, former President of the United States of
America, and his wife, Mamie, members of the diplomatic corps,
representatives of voluntary and charitable organisations, members
of the hierarchy and of religious congregations of men and women.
Those who avidly follow the doings of European royalty will be
thrilled to learn that, among the signatures of such persons, appear
those of Prince Rainier and Princess Grace of Monaco, who visited
President de Valera on 29 August 1963. They were accompanied by
their children, Princess Caroline and Prince Albert. |
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The
signatures of Prince Rainier,
Princess Grace, Princess Caroline and Prince Albert, |
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All of these records, and other archives in the National Archives can be viewed in out Reading Room at Bishop Street, Dublin 8, between 10.00 and 17.00, Monday to Friday—with the exception of public holidays. No appointment is necessary, but members of the public who wish to consult archives must hold a valid Reader's Ticket. Finding aids to some of our holdings and information on gaining access to them can be seen on our website at <www.nationalarchives.ie>. Tom
Quinlan |
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back
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