Menu
23/06/2023
100 Key Records Unveiled To Mark PRONI Centenary
One hundred key records spanning more than 800 years have been unveiled to mark the centenary of the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI).
The records have been carefully collated to showcase Northern Ireland's "historical, social and cultural" history, said Department for Communities Permanent Secretary Colum Boyle at a celebration event on Thursday, 22 June – exactly 100 years after the establishment of PRONI.
Selected records include:
• The oldest document currently held by PRONI - a Papal Bull by Pope Honorious III dating back to 1219
• A lonely-hearts letter written to the Mayor of Belfast in 1935 from a Seattle man seeking a "colleen" for "matrimony…..knowing full well that the very best of people in the world come from the North of Ireland"
• Notebooks and letters related to accounts of the Battle of the Boyne and the Easter Rising
• Glens of Antrim song written in Irish from 1810 and a copy of Danny Boy Manuscript (1870 – 1914)
• Correspondence from Wolfe Tone (1798)
• Copy of Amy Carmichael's Bible (1906)
• Court cases including that of Sarah McAllister from Cushendall who was accused in 1892 of murdering a four-year-old child and making other children sick with sweets and sugar coated with arsenic.
The unveiling of PRONI's 100 treasures will continue as a rolling programme across social media channels during the year.
Speaking at the 'Celebrating a Century' event, Colum Boyle, said: "It is all too easy to think of archives as dusty inaccessible records languishing on shelves in darkened storerooms, but the work of PRONI clearly demonstrates the relevance and impact of archives in our society."
Among guest speakers were two well-known local personalities who have used the archives at PRONI as a source for radio, TV shows and books - comedian and writer Tim McGarry and former BBC NI political correspondent Stephen Walker.
Hole in the Wall Gang member Tim, told guests that PRONI
"is an oasis of knowledge, a treasure trove of documents and a paradise for history nerds like me. History comes alive in PRONI because you can see, touch, feel and smell the original documents". Stephen, a former investigative reporter with BBC Spotlight and author, described PRONI as "an important place in the fabric of Northern Ireland and helps us understand how our lives have changed over the decades".
'Celebrating a Century' was the flagship event of PRONI's centenary and a key part of PRONI's efforts to promote an enhanced awareness of its role and the treasures it holds to a wider audience, including underrepresented groups. Other recent events held as part of PRONI's centenary, which runs until March 2024, included a reflective event on the Belfast Good Friday Agreement and an American Declaration of Independence exhibition which runs until 24 July.
The records have been carefully collated to showcase Northern Ireland's "historical, social and cultural" history, said Department for Communities Permanent Secretary Colum Boyle at a celebration event on Thursday, 22 June – exactly 100 years after the establishment of PRONI.
Selected records include:
• The oldest document currently held by PRONI - a Papal Bull by Pope Honorious III dating back to 1219
• A lonely-hearts letter written to the Mayor of Belfast in 1935 from a Seattle man seeking a "colleen" for "matrimony…..knowing full well that the very best of people in the world come from the North of Ireland"
• Notebooks and letters related to accounts of the Battle of the Boyne and the Easter Rising
• Glens of Antrim song written in Irish from 1810 and a copy of Danny Boy Manuscript (1870 – 1914)
• Correspondence from Wolfe Tone (1798)
• Copy of Amy Carmichael's Bible (1906)
• Court cases including that of Sarah McAllister from Cushendall who was accused in 1892 of murdering a four-year-old child and making other children sick with sweets and sugar coated with arsenic.
The unveiling of PRONI's 100 treasures will continue as a rolling programme across social media channels during the year.
Speaking at the 'Celebrating a Century' event, Colum Boyle, said: "It is all too easy to think of archives as dusty inaccessible records languishing on shelves in darkened storerooms, but the work of PRONI clearly demonstrates the relevance and impact of archives in our society."
Among guest speakers were two well-known local personalities who have used the archives at PRONI as a source for radio, TV shows and books - comedian and writer Tim McGarry and former BBC NI political correspondent Stephen Walker.
Hole in the Wall Gang member Tim, told guests that PRONI
"is an oasis of knowledge, a treasure trove of documents and a paradise for history nerds like me. History comes alive in PRONI because you can see, touch, feel and smell the original documents". Stephen, a former investigative reporter with BBC Spotlight and author, described PRONI as "an important place in the fabric of Northern Ireland and helps us understand how our lives have changed over the decades".
'Celebrating a Century' was the flagship event of PRONI's centenary and a key part of PRONI's efforts to promote an enhanced awareness of its role and the treasures it holds to a wider audience, including underrepresented groups. Other recent events held as part of PRONI's centenary, which runs until March 2024, included a reflective event on the Belfast Good Friday Agreement and an American Declaration of Independence exhibition which runs until 24 July.
Related Northern Ireland News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.
06 March 2024
PRONI Launches Special '100 Treasures' Publication
A new special publication has been launched by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) to mark the end of its centenary year. 'PRONI 100 Treasures' features a selection of 100 fascinating documents, dating from 1219 to the present day. It documents the interesting and important items which now form part of the public record.
PRONI Launches Special '100 Treasures' Publication
A new special publication has been launched by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) to mark the end of its centenary year. 'PRONI 100 Treasures' features a selection of 100 fascinating documents, dating from 1219 to the present day. It documents the interesting and important items which now form part of the public record.
04 April 2023
Good Friday Agreement Returns To Belfast
The Belfast Agreement has returned to Northern Ireland for the first time since its signing on 10 April 1998. Also known as the Good Friday Agreement, the historic treaty, will be available for members of the public to view at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI), located in Belfast's Titanic Quarter.
Good Friday Agreement Returns To Belfast
The Belfast Agreement has returned to Northern Ireland for the first time since its signing on 10 April 1998. Also known as the Good Friday Agreement, the historic treaty, will be available for members of the public to view at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI), located in Belfast's Titanic Quarter.
01 October 2024
PRONI Launches New Guide To Sporting Records
To commemorate National Sporting Heritage Day, the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) has released a new guide to its sporting records collection. Communities Minister Gordon Lyons encouraged researchers to explore the Alphabetical Index to Sports Records at PRONI.
PRONI Launches New Guide To Sporting Records
To commemorate National Sporting Heritage Day, the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) has released a new guide to its sporting records collection. Communities Minister Gordon Lyons encouraged researchers to explore the Alphabetical Index to Sports Records at PRONI.
09 September 2014
PRONI Releases '83/'84 Records
Previously secret records relating to Northern Ireland history and politics in 1983 and 1984 are now available online. Over 200 documents have been added to the Conflict Archive on the INternet (CAIN) website as part of ongoing work between the University of Ulster and the Public Record Office (PRONI).
PRONI Releases '83/'84 Records
Previously secret records relating to Northern Ireland history and politics in 1983 and 1984 are now available online. Over 200 documents have been added to the Conflict Archive on the INternet (CAIN) website as part of ongoing work between the University of Ulster and the Public Record Office (PRONI).
16 November 2023
PRONI Marks Centenary With Tour Of Historical Documents
A number of historical documents, including a letter by Seamus Heaney and passenger logs from emigration ships that departed Foyle Port for North America in the mid-1800s, are to be put on display as part of a regional tour of local libraries by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI).
PRONI Marks Centenary With Tour Of Historical Documents
A number of historical documents, including a letter by Seamus Heaney and passenger logs from emigration ships that departed Foyle Port for North America in the mid-1800s, are to be put on display as part of a regional tour of local libraries by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI).
-
Northern Ireland WeatherToday:A showery start with outbreaks most frequent north of Lough Neagh and through the morning, before dwindling during the afternoon as the northwest breezes ease and brighter spells of weak sunshine prosper. Maximum temperature 8 °C.Tonight:A dry night, save for a few light showers around the coasts, with prolonged clear spells and light winds bringing a frosty dawn for many in central and southern parts. Minimum temperature -3 °C.
