The Irish Archives Resource (IAR) is an online database which contains searchable archival descriptions.
Our Purpose
The purpose of the IAR Portal is to:
“Open access to archives enriches our knowledge of human society, promotes democracy, protects citizens’ rights and enhances the quality of life”
~ Universal Declaration on Archives, UNESCO
History
In 2007 the Heritage Council commissioned a Feasibility Study on the establishment of an online archives portal and following this study a pilot project was established. Martin Bradley (www.archives.ie) was commissioned to facilitate the development of a pilot project to cover 4 archival repositories in counties Cork and Waterford: Cork City and County Archives, University College Cork Library Archives, Waterford City Archives and Waterford County Archives. The portal was successfully tested in November 2009 and following feedback from this pilot phase it was decided to develop the portal site – Irish Archives Resource.
The Irish Archives Resource is a voluntary group supported by the Archives and Records Association, Ireland and the School of History and Archives, University College Dublin. It is an all island portal funded by the Heritage Council, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and the Department for Communities (Northern Ireland).
The Irish Archives Resource has been helping users locate archives on the island of Ireland since 2009.
Related Resources
We are always interested and open to meeting with potential collaborators and our moderators are available to assist archivists with creating suitable descriptive lists for inclusion on our site.
If you have any queries in relation to contributing, please contact us at info@iar.ie
Steering Group
The IAR portal is managed by a Steering Group made up of representatives from the following organisations:
- Archives and Records Association, Ireland
- Digital Repository of Ireland
- The Heritage Council
- Irish Manuscripts Commission
- Public Record Office of Northern Ireland
- National Archives of Ireland
- National Library of Ireland
- School of History and Archives, University College Dublin
- Waterford City and County Archives
- DLR, Lexicon
- Fingal County Archives
- History Teachers’ Association of Ireland
Joanne Rothwell
Chairperson
Waterford City and County Archivist
Dr. Elizabeth Mullins
Honorary Treasurer
School of History, University College Dublin
Karen De Lacey
Fingal County Council
Dolores Grant
National Library of Ireland
David Gunning
dlr, LexIcon
Cathy Hayes
Irish Manuscripts Commission
Natalie Milne
National Archives, Ireland
Deirdre MacMathuna
History Teachers’ Association of Ireland