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Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland

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VRTI is an all-island and international research partnership hosted by Trinity College Dublin, working to reconstruct the Public Record Office of Ireland — a magnificent archive destroyed in 1922 at the outset of the Civil War. Launched in 2022 by Taoiseach Micheál Martin, it is an ever-growing, open-access resource, freely and permanently available online to all those interested in Ireland’s deep history, at home and abroad.

Through historical research, archival conservation, and technical innovation, VRTI restores and reimagines the lost archival treasures of the Public Record Office of Ireland. It enriches the public understanding of Ireland’s past and reconnects a global audience to our documentary heritage. 

VRTI does more than merely platform digital resources shared by partners. Rather, it creates something entirely new — a veritable Treasury of historical sources, newly translated, enhanced and contextualised — from the collections to which partner organisations provide access. VRTI is, in this sense, entirely unique in the world.

The Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland:

  • Democratises access to authentic archival records of Irish history;
  • Unites dispersed collections across Ireland and internationally;
  • Supports education and lifelong learning at all levels;
  • Strengthens all-island and international collaboration;
  • Engages the Irish diaspora, with over 50% of users based outside Ireland;
  • Supports the adoption of advanced digital technologies, including responsible AI, across the cultural heritage sector.

The research programme is hosted by Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, having been founded by Dr Peter Crooks, Department of History, in 2016.

Partners

VRTI draws strength from a unique research partnership which deepens collaborations among an expanding consortium of institutional research partners across Ireland and Britain, as well as Europe, North America and Australia.
The research unites records from over 75 memory institutions, including five Core Partners:

  • National Archives, Ireland (NAI)
  • Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI)
  • The National Archives UK (TNA)
  • Irish Manuscripts Commission (IMC
  • Trinity College Dublin Library

The Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland research programme is supported by the Irish Government through funding from the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport under Project Ireland 2040.

VRTI
VRTI