September 2004 Edition

Minister Martin Cullen launched the guide Local Authority Archives in Ireland (produced by the Local Authority Archivists' Group) on Thursday, 24 June 2004, in the Custom House, Dublin. For the past year or more, the Group—conscious that local authority archives are a generally untapped resource for local government study—set about producing a work that would highlight their importance to historians and to first-time users of archives alike. The project was funded by The Heritage Council.

Local authority archive services play a vital role in identifying and preserving the past and ensuring it is made accessible for public research. The book is intended to make researchers aware of the existence and range of local authority archives and to educate and encourage them to exploit these primary sources fully in their research.

In addition to the main series of records found in local authorities, the book outlines records generated by the predecessor bodies of the present local government system, including grand juries, poor law unions, rural district councils and boards of health and public assistance. Over the decades, there has been a great deal of change and development in the work done and the services provided by local authorities, particularly in the areas of public health and planning. The provision of vital services such as sanitation, were to the forefront in greatly improving standards of public health, and their development and the evolution of other functions can be mapped through the centuries to illustrate their significant impact on the lives of the public. The archives of urban authorities and harbour authorities are also outlined. Images are generously interspersed throughout the text to provide visual evidence of the types of documents generated by the various bodies and sections.

Archives of private origin are also included in the publication. Local authority archive services are more than custodians of the archives of local authority bodies in their areas. Each service maintains an active policy of acquiring additional collections to expand and enrich their existing holdings. These archives of private origin, be they estate papers, school records, archives of private individuals or records of local businesses, provide an invaluable resource for the examination of people's lives and preoccupations.

It is hoped that future researchers will recognise that any study of the social, economic, maritime, religious and cultural life of a community is not complete without exploiting the potential offered by local authority archives. They not only provide unique insights into the development of local government but also into almost every aspect of life at local level in Ireland over the last few centuries.

Gráinne Doran, Archivist
Wexford County Council

Further Information