Archives blogs and links
On this page you will find links to other institutions holding material relating to Irish transport and industrial history, as well as our occasional CIÉ Group Archives blog.
Institutions holding archives relating to Irish transport and industrial history
The Guinness Archive contains records relating to the narrow-gauge railway system within the Dublin brewery, as well as canal and other transport records for the transport of its products throughout Ireland.
The Irish Railway Record Society (IRRS) holds a large archival collection that relates to the operations of railways in Ireland during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Among its holdings are staff records of many of the pre-1945 railway companies, photographic collections, and large collections of mechanical and civil engineering records. The IRRS also maintains a library dedicated to the study of Irish railways.
The National Archives (NAI) holds the official records of the Irish state and former British administration in Ireland. The records of the Department of Industry and Commerce (1924-1959) and Department of Transport (1959-) are of particular relevance to the development of transport policy in independent Ireland. For nineteenth century transport infrastructure, the records of the Office of Public Works and the Chief Secretary's Office may be consulted. The NAI also holds a large collection of business records from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland
The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) holds most of the records of the historic railway companies that operated within what became Northern Ireland after 1920. These are catalogued as part of the Ulster Transport Authority (UTA) collection.
The UK National Archives holds the records of the historical railways companies in the United Kingdom prior to nationalisation in 1947. Among these holdings are some collections relating to Irish railways, including the Fishguard and Rosslare Railway and Harbour Company, the Cork City Railways Company, and the Dundalk, Newry and Greenore Railway Company.
The UK Parliament's archives hold numerous railway acts, bills and orders relating to the construction of railways in Ireland before 1922, and also accompanying land plans, land reference books, and railway plans.
The Waterways Ireland Archive holds collections relating to canals and river navigation systems in Ireland, including a large number of engineering plans and photographic collections.
CIÉ Group Archives blog
This blog is an occasional series that will highlight interesting finds in the collections and aspects of archival work.
