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Archive

An Daonchartlann

The Archive and Research Centre of the Genealogical Society of Ireland is currently located at the rear of the DLR Leisure Centre, Loughlinstown, Co. Dublin. The name of the facility ‘An Daonchartlann’ is in Irish and means ‘peoples archive’ which, very accurately, describes what a genealogical archive is and does. We research, record and preserve information on the lives of our ancestors and from that information, construct family trees, biographies and provide a resource for generations of family history researchers to come. Our members are passionately enthusiastic about researching people, places and the past – always a fascinating journey of discovery, sometimes shocking, sad and very tragic, other times so engaging that we almost come to know our individual ancestors as if we had just been miraculously transported back through the decades or centuries to their communities through the records.

So why an Archive?

The idea of establishing a genealogical archive and research centre was one of the core objectives of the founders of this Society back in October 1990 and we started small with a few books on researching your family history purchased at the library of the Society of Genealogists in London. Indeed, the library of that society was the inspiration for the establishment of such a facility in Dublin. From 1991 onwards books, records and files were donated by members and friends and/or collected by our first Archivist, Frieda Carroll, FGSI, who first generously gave up a box room in her home to house the growing collections and by 2002, one could barely move in Frieda’s dining room with books, boxes of files, microfiche readers, microfilm reader and, of course, the newly acquired computers. Frieda opened her home to members and visitors every Monday night and Saturday afternoon for over a decade. Always welcoming – it was a great introduction to the world of genealogy. Alas, like every young adult, we had to move out, our time at the family home was at an end – we had to find our own place.

Quest for a permanent home:

Our archive’s quest for a permanent home started in 1991 and by March 1997 the Councillors on Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council voted to allocate the Martello Tower at Seapoint, Co. Dublin, to the Society for restoration and refurbishment as a “permanent base of operation” for the Society. This historic tower dates from 1804 at the time of the Napoleonic Wars and although still structurally sound, its interior had been in a ruinous state for over a decade. The Society embarked on many years of fundraising and planning for the restoration and refurbishment of the Martello Tower in conjunction with Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council. In 2004, the Society and the County Council officially opened An Daonchartlann at the Martello Tower at Seapoint, Co. Dublin.
Sadly, the environmental conditions in the Martello Tower, despite adhering to all the expert advice and implementing the design measures etc, were not conducive to the housing of our archive and we, very regrettably, moved out in 2008. We firstly moved to a temporary facility on Lower George’s Street, Dún Laoghaire, courtesy of the Office of Public Works (OPW) and then after around two years, moved to a premises at the Carlisle Pier kindly provided by Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company.
From 2010 until February 2017, the Society provided an excellent service to GSI Members and visitors at An Daonchartlann at the Carlisle Pier – it became an invaluable educational and research meeting-point in Dún Laoghaire and in easy reach by public transport for the greater Dublin area. This was exceptionally well positioned to meet objectives of the Council’s public policy on an ‘Age Friendly Society’.
In late 2016, the management at Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company advised the Society that the premises at the Carlisle Pier was required for harbour business. We were on the move again and with the generous assistance of the management of Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council we were allocated our current home in Loughlinstown in the summer of 2017 and so, we’re here in Loughlinstown to this day.
So, what’s held at An Daonchartlann?
The catalogue of the Society’s Archives contains items which include published books on genealogy, heraldry, vexillology and history. We also have a large Irish and worldwide collection of genealogical and historical journals and various Irish street and town directories. An Daonchartlann also has custody of unpublished material e.g. manuscript collections, school and church registers.
Diaspora and Emigration Studies:
Since it was founded back in 1990, the Society has been amassing a unique resource for those wishing to access the published research on the Irish diaspora around the world. This collection of journals covers Great Britain, North America, Australasia and South Africa containing articles on the Irish settlement in those areas and genealogical resources. This is an excellent resource for those undertaking studies on the Irish diaspora, emigration and migration studies.
Local and Social Studies:
The Society’s Archives & Research Centre has various collections of local history publications; school, college and club yearbooks; and some special collections including the original minute books and records of the Workmen’s Club in Dún Laoghaire which was founded by Professor W. F. Barrett in the late nineteenth-century and closed at the turn of the last century.

Will Your Records Well:

As genealogists, heraldists and local historians we naturally amass a huge amount of paper and computer records during our many years of research. We love these records; we’ve worked hard to collect the information—it is of great value. Books, photographs, charts, interview notes, copy certificates, parish register and census transcripts—all lovingly collected over many years. But how many of us have made provision for the preservation of our own records, files and notes after we die? Don’t let your hard work end up as landfill or your genealogy, heraldry, and local history books be sold off piece meal after you’ve gone. Why not make provision in your Will to donate them to the Society’s Archives & Research Centre for future generations? In the meantime, should you wish to donate items to the Society’s Archives & Research Centre please contact the Director of Archival Services, Fíona Tipple, MA, FGSI, on archivist@familyhistory.ie

Our Future plans: The Society’s long-term objective is the establishment of the ‘Irish Institute of Genealogical & Heraldic Sciences incorporating a Centre for Diasporan and Migration Studies.
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