Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland

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www.virtualtreasury.ie An All-Island & International Legacy from Decade of Centenaries Core partners: National Archives Ireland, The National Archives UK, Public Record Office Northern Ireland, Irish Manuscripts Commission, Library Trinity College Dublin

Composite image showing portions of four documents now available on the Virtual Treasury, and the Public Record Office of Ireland before and after the battle of 30 June 1922.
Sketch of the city of Limerick around 1680. Thomas Dingley's tour of Ireland, at the National Library of Ireland.
'An Independent Freeholder rejoicing', William Heath (1828). This cartoon demonstrates the hostile and negative impression many British politicians had about Irish forty-shilling freeholders and how they had been harnessed by O'Connell. © The Trustees of the British Museum. Shared under a Creative Commons License.
Minister Gordon Lyons MLA speaking at the launch of the PRONI Strategic Plan 2026 - 2031
Promotional graphic for Virtual Treasury 104, the VRTI's 2026 Research Showcase. A four-panel collage combines archival and digital imagery: a library storage aisle and search interface in the upper left, a handwritten historical document with a red wax seal in the upper right, a medieval manuscript illustration in the lower left, and an early map of the Irish coastline in the lower right. A translucent blue-green circular overlay spans the centre, with the title “Virtual Treasury 104” displayed in large white serif text across a semi-transparent green banner.
Detail from La_Liberté_guidant_le_peuple_-_Eugène_Delacroix_-_Musée_du_Louvre_Peintures_RF_129_-_après_restauration_2024 showing the Liberty Cap
Description English: Margaret Skinnider disguised as a man. She was a member of the Citizen Army during the 1916 Rising in Ireland, and fought alongside her male revolutionaries. Date 1916 Source Book: Doing My Bit For Ireland, 1917 Author Margaret Skinnider
A portion of The_Irish_House_of_Commons_in_1780_by_Francis_Wheatley showing women in the gallery above the Commons chamber. Registration link: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/d2a07314-33b1-4d5c-be97-341f0b31828b@aa52c40e-ac89-4a63-b2cf-7c570fdf1df2
Poster for the Women in Revolution webinar on 4 June at 7.00 pm. Showing portions of images from James Whately's 'The Dublin Volunteers on College Green, 1779' and 'The Irish House of Commons, 1780' featuring women.
Advertisement in the Dublin Gazette of 9 February 1754 for: A voyage to the moon: with some account of the solar world. A comical romance. Done from the French of M. Cyrano de Bergerac. By Mr. Derrick. The book was available from Richard James at the Newton's Head, Dame Street, Dublin.
Homepage of the Medieval Institute's Research Blog: Research Blog: “Gold among the Ashes: The Deeds of the Guild of St. Anne” showing the Irish Historic Towns Atlas of medieval Dublin.
Record of a property transaction from 25 January 1336. Peter de Wilby, Clerk, grants to Walter le Gret, clock maker (orlager)a piece of ground on St Patrick's Street Dublin, between peter's land on the south and Walter Flint's on the north ... From the Royal Society fo Antiquaries of Ireland, Calendar of Archbishop Alen's Register Item 452, p 203.
Masthead from the Dublin Gazette March 1788 https://www.virtualtreasury.ie/item/DGZ-1788-5047
Portion of a map showing Lough Derg and St Patrick's Purgatory, and part of Lough Erne. https://virtualtreasury.ie/item/LBC-EM-1 Eryn. Hiberniae, Britannicae Insvlae, Nova descriptio. Irlandt. (1572) West is at the top of this map. Courtesy of the L Brown Collection.
Cover of the full article by James A. Finnegan, available to download.
Seal of Mary Whitshead. RIA GSA/25/1, Deeds of the Guild of St Anne, 9 George I, Item 1 (13 February 1723) - By 1723, the heavy wax seals hanging from the bottom of the parchment have been done away with in favor of an image impressed into several drops of wax poured directly on the document itself. https://virtualtreasury.ie/item/RIA-GSA-25-1
Check out Elizabeth's Knowledge Graph entry to see he other letters to Arlington: https://kg.virtualtreasury.ie/entity-card/person/Butler_Elizabeth_c17/v1z89hn Thanks to our generous colleagues in https://www.dib.ie/ for sharing Elizabeth's biography, included in the Knowledge Graph. https://www.dib.ie/biography/Butler-Elizabeth-a1245
A specimen of the 1841 Census form (not Anne Evett's - it burned in 1922!) I, Anne Evatt, feeble, old, and poor, answer - may the devil scald the framers of this tyrannical inquisition, reminding the afflicted of their sorrows and losses; I lost the bulk of my fortune by the failure of the Grand Canal Company, in the reign of George the Third; I lost 1s. 8d. on every pound note in the reign of George the Fourth; since these losses I have had many sorrows, death having deprived me of many kind friends; a poor widow came to see me this morning, I told her it would cause just grief to three widows of my acquaintance; her eyes filled with tears, and she replied - ‘It will cause heart-scald to many to be obliged to record the deaths of their husbands.’ ‘Can you write’ - ‘can you read’, And whom do you feed? I’ll make you pay if you dare; Keep my little from from me of ev’ry day fare, And say ‘have you married another man’s wife?’ Answer with truth, as you value your life; Or should a wife stray within your walls, Pray send her to the Viscount’s halls.
Seven fragments of the surviving Religious Census of Newchapel, 1766. These were rescued from the rubble of 1922. Preserved by the NAI. Then carefully cleaned, flattened and reunited into a single sheet by the dextrous Jessica Baldwin, Senior Conservator, NAI.
From ‘A Prospect of the City of Dublin, from the Magazine Hill’ (1753) James Mason, after Joseph Tudor. Yale Centre for British Art.
Screen grab of the National Archives Ireland's new webpage celebrating the anniversary of the 1766 Religious Census of Ireland. 'A crucial genealogical resource for 18th century Ireland. https://nationalarchives.ie/help-with-research/research-guides/religious-census-1766/
Typescript sheet of names in three columns. 'A list of the Protestants and Popish inhabitants of the parish of Inch' in 1766. PRONI T808/15267, pp 31-34 (typed). Many if these 1766 names also appear in the rare 1813 census abstract for Inch. Or see PRONI T808/15011 for handwritten copy.
A detailed map of Ireland showing which Civil Parishes have surviving names (originals or transcribed copies) and extra information, which have surviving population numbers (originals or transcribed copies) and extra data.
A map of Ireland showing the scale and type of census returns sent in by local clergymen. https://www.virtualtreasury.ie/gold-seams/1766-religious-census
NAI IHP/1/685. https://virtualtreasury.ie/item/VRTI-CEN-1766-2-685 Image of the original cover sheet, showing fold-marks to form an envelope. The red wax seal was broken to open the letter. The letter was sent from T.PERARY (Tipperary) shown at the top, the date AP|28 (April 28th) appears in a circle at the bottom. A century later this item was deposited in the new Public Record Office of Ireland at the Four Courts. While most of the 1766 census records perished in 1922, this survivor gives a good sense of how the originals looked.
The annexed return of Protestant and Popish families [list lost] has been very carefully made, and may be relied on. Protestant families, 63; Papist do, 690. Reputed parish priest, William Taaffe; reputed assistant priest, [not given] Roche. The only observation further necessary to be made to their Lordships is, that of the families above-named as Protestants, probably seven are only nominally such. Edward Whitty, curate of Killabban. M. Comerford, Collections relating to the dioceses of Kildare and Leighlin (Dublin, n.d.), volume 3, p. 405.
https://virtualtreasury.ie/item/VRTI-CEN-1766-2-696 Information shown: details on spouse. the number of sons above 14 years old, and below 14. the number of daughters above 14 years old, and below 14. the number of male and female servants. the number of male lodgers and female lodgers. the total number of Protestants and Catholics.
Map of Ireland showing the Church of Ireland diocese used for the 1766 Religious Census - but with no other information added. A detailed map of surviving records will be posted on our Social Media channels on Thu 5 March
M. Comerford, Collections relating to the dioceses of Kildare and Leighlin (Dublin, n.d.), volume 1, p. 271. The original compiled by Reverend Antoine Vinchon des Voeux, provided a full list of householders’ names., including these mixed-marriages.
'Bohoe - I may furter observe to you Sir that this D[istrict] is mostly under stock or grazing, & one Papist [Catholic] is generally a herdsman for a whole townland, there is not a Papist in the D[istrict] anyway considerable [worthy of consideration] either in circumstances or mental capacity, all poor low illiterate people'. National Archives, Ireland NAI PRIV/M/2476(D), pp 6-7. A transcript by Tenison Groves of original return compiled by Reverend John White. https://virtualtreasury.ie/item/NAI-PRIV-M-2476-%28D%29
Image of a surviving original return from the 1766 Religious Census. The rector blames the local 'insurrection called Hearts of Oak' on the 'Dissenters' (Presbyterians) who are 'the spawn of Scottish Covanenters, avowed enemies to all civil and religious establishment, and the most virulent, and furious persecutors of the Established clergy during the late tumults in the north of Ireland.' See full transcript here: https://virtualtreasury.ie/item/NAI-IHP-1-668 National Archives, Ireland IHP/1/668.
Image of a rare surviving original return from the 1766 Religious Census showing the bare minimum totals for Ballymore Parish, Co. Armagh. https://virtualtreasury.ie/item/NAI-IHP-1-651 National Archives, Ireland IHP/1/651.
Image of a single sheet with a transcribed list of the names from the 1766 Census for the Parish of Inchigeelagh Transcript in possession of Cumann Staire Uíbh Laoire/Ballingeary and Inchigeelagh Historical Society. For a full transcript of this document see https://virtualtreasury.ie/item/VRTI-CEN-1766-6-757
Printed transcript of the 1766 return for Castlewellan, '15 families, 2 of whom were papists' and including names such as: Terence and Elizabeth Hagan; Lord and lady Annesley; William and Mary Bridges; Andrew and Rebecca Newell; Cromwell and Anne Nicholson; Joseph and Grace Lascells. Source: James O’Laverty, Historical account of the diocese of Down and Connor, volume 1, p. lxxi
https://virtualtreasury.ie/item/NAI-PRIV-M-5036-A-9 Handwritten copy of the Irish House of Lords resolution on 5 march 1766 ordering the 1766 Religious Census to be taken. Source: National Archives, Ireland, PRIV/M/5036A, p. 13.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Deborah Prentice, welcomed the Taoiseach (Prime Minister), Micheál Martin, to Cambridge to celebrate the appointment of the University’s first Childers Professor of Irish History. Photo of Prof Alvin Jackson, Taoiseach Micheál Martin, and Vice-Chancellor Prof Deborah Prentice standing in the Great Court, Trinity College, Cambridge. Photo credit: University of Cambridge The text of the Taoiseach's speech is available here: https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-the-taoiseach/speeches/address-of-taoiseach-miche%C3%A1l-martin-announcement-of-the-first-childers-professor-of-modern-irish-history-at-cambridge-university-trinity-college-cambridge-friday-20th-february-2026/
Sybil Kirkpatrick's transcription of a Prerogative Will in the Record Office, Dublin by Sir Fielding Ould, MD (1790) leaving his rights in a tontine to his granddaughter Elizabeth Ould. For 200 more references to Tontines in the Virtual Treasury see here: https://www.virtualtreasury.ie/search-results?totalElementsInt=100&kwOperList=ANY&kwList=tontine&kwSearchFieldList=all&resultSorting=relevance&pageNumberInt=0
Excerpt from PROI PUB/Statutes/2/17 Statutes, Ordinances and Acts in a Parliament held at Naas, 35 Henry VI.
TNA E 101/230/17 - Roll of diverse profits and revenues, Michaelmas 1280 - Michaelmas 1283: Stephen de Fulbourn, treasurer of Ireland
https://www.virtualtreasury.ie/item/NAI-KB-2-5-105-6-1 National Archives Ireland Justiciary Roll, 7 Edward II, roll 105, membrane 6 dorse. Tipperary. The assize came to recognise whether Patrick de Caunteton and Desiderata his wife unjustly disseised the prioress of the house of the blessed Brigid of Moylagh of her free tenement in Moylagh, and whereof she complains that they disseised her of six shillings and eight pence worth of rent with the appurtenances. And Patrick and Desiderata did not come.
ROD PR/TB/1/1/1 — Transcript of Memorial 1 (Inman to Hawkins). The original Memorial number is represented in each item reference code. Description created by the Registry of Deeds, January 2021.
LBC Townland/2/18 - Index map for the townland survey of County Limerick. Barony and Parish boundaries highlighted in colour (1835). Courtesy of the L. Brown Collection. Contrast enhanced.
RIA GSA/25/1 — Deeds of the Guild of St Anne, 9 George I, Item 1 (13 February 1723)
The National Archives building at Kew, London. Source: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, Wikimedia Commons
TNA HO 100/71.
Ordnance Survey map of 1847. Image taken from Frank Cullen's Book on the 1847 Dublin Ordnance Survey maps.
TNA E 159/171/Recorda/T/20/8 — Submission of Niall Óg O'Neill (Ó Néill) [Nellanus son of O Nel] to Richard II, rot. 20 dorse
Artist: Simon Francois Ravenet (1706 - 1774) Title: Richard II, 1367 - 1400. King of England Source: National Galleries of Scotland