Dublin City Archive
If you have come to Dublin to research ancestors who originated in the city or resided here for a period of time, you may want to visit the Dublin City Archive. Located on Pearse Street the Dublin City Library and Archive are housed in the same building, which was previously known as the Gilbert Library.What You Will Find in the Dublin City Archive
The Archive holds microfilm copies of burial registers for some of the Dublin City Cemeteries like Deansgrange and Mount Jerome, as well as copies of newspapers, civil registration indexes and electoral rolls. A large collection of electoral rolls for Dublin City have now been published online. Please note: post-1915 electoral rolls are only available in hardcopy in the archive reading room. The minute books for Dublin Corporation are available to browse on the open shelves along with a complete set of Thoms Dublin Directory and the Dublin Historical Record (with index). There is an excellent collection of publications on the history of Dublin city and it is often far more convenient to work from this collection, which is on the open shelves, than accessing the same material in the National Library of Ireland. There are also reference works in the library collection that must be ordered in advance. Please check the Library catalogue.
There are also local studies files, so if you are interested in a particular building or part of the city, check for a specific file. The reading room is dotted with catalogues for different collections (Theatre ephemera, Lord Mayors of Dublin, Local Studies Collections, etc), so give yourself some time to browse. You can also access the catalogues online at the Heritage and History page.
Dublin City Archive – Access and Opening Hours
The reading room at Dublin City Archive is open by appointment only from 10am until 4:30pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Please email [email protected] or dublinstudi[email protected] to request material and to make an appointment.
The archives are located on the first floor of the building and you will find the lift and stairs at the main entrance. You will first need to apply for a Research Card before you will be admitted to the archives. The application form can be obtained from the reading room desk on arrival and you will need to produce one form of photographic ID, such as a passport or drivers license. There is no charge for the card or admission to the archive. Visit their website for the full terms of membership. There is free wifi available in the reading room and each desk has a power outlet. There are also study desks for students, so the archive can get busy during exam time.Printing and Photocopying
You can print from the research computers and digital microfilm machine. Please note, the printer only accepts cash at this time. Most archival and reference collections can also be photographed for personal research use.
The staff are not always helpful and there is no dedicated genealogist on staff, so be prepared to navigate the collections yourself, to make sure you don’t miss anything.
Dublin City Archive
138 – 144 Pearse Street
Dublin 2
D02 HE37
Ireland
Dublin 2
D02 HE37
Ireland
Email Address
[email protected]
Opening Hours