Government unveils newly completed re-development of the National Archives
- Published on: 2 June 2026
- Last updated on: 2 June 2026
Major state-of-the-art expansion of archive repository officially unveiled
Minister Patrick O’Donovan TD, Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport and Minister Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran TD, Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, have today marked an historic moment for the State, as they have formally opened the new archive repository building at the National Archives on Bishop Street, Dublin 8, following a major investment. The project, which began in May 2024 will future proof the records of the State over the coming decades in what is a purpose-built, modern archive building.
This re-development is a significant project under the National Cultural Institutions investment programme as part of Project Ireland 2040. The Project was completed within 98 weeks and within the approved budget of €37.1m.
The National Archives holds the official records of the State, as well as private collections. The collections held in the National Archives total over 60 million records dating from the 16th century to records relating to the modern Irish state. The National Archives also holds early Census records including the 1901 and 1911 censuses which are publicly available. The National Archives team has recently completed the public release of the 1926 Census, the first census of the Irish Free State, which took place on 18 April 2026.
The main collections of the National Archives are kept securely at buildings on Bishop Street, Dublin 8 where there are also public reading rooms, office accommodation and archival storage. It also has significant storage at the original building of the Public Record Office at the Four Courts. However, despite its very large footprint, the Bishop Street building (former Jacob’s biscuit factory) has been full since 2013. This re-development will accommodate over 300,000 archive boxes in a purpose built dedicated archival repository and will enable the National Archives to house its current collection of 60m records as well as receiving the vast quantities of state records held in government departments awaiting the completion of this project.
Speaking at the National Archives today Minister O’Donovan said:
I am delighted to be here today to unveil what is a truly transformative project for the National Archives. This is significant project for one of our Cultural Institutions and ensures that the National Archives can meet its evolving needs in a sustainable and future-proofed manner. We saw during the Decade of Centenaries and with the recent release of the 1926 Census, the vital role the National Archives plays in preserving the precious records of the State.
This expansion and conversion of the Bishop St building into a modern, state of the art, secure and environmentally-controlled repository, complying with internationally accepted archival storage standards will provide an increase of two-thirds in the total storage capacity of the National Archives and will enable the National Archives to continue to deliver on its statutory responsibility to protect and preserve the records of government.
Also speaking today, Minister Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran, Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works said:
Today’s opening of the new National Archives repository marks an important investment in safeguarding the State’s physical records and collections for the future. This purpose-built facility provides the necessary space required to accommodate not only our current volume of records but also ensures our archival heritage is protected, securely preserved and accessible for generations to come. I am delighted that the repository is now complete, ready to meet the evolving needs of the National Archives now and into the future.
Also at the unveiling, Director of the National Archives, Orlaith McBride, said:
This is an exciting time for us at the National Archives. We are thrilled to have such an incredible building completed for us by the OPW and Duggan Brothers Construction. This investment by Government in the National Archives is a real demonstration of the value it has in us as an institution and in our role. We look forward now to our next chapter when we will work closely with our partners across government departments to enable them to transfer their back-log records to our new building and enable them to be made available to the public.
The project is funded by the Department for Culture, Communications and Sport and delivered in partnership with the Office of Public Works. This development is a project under the National Development Plan, Project Ireland 2040, which will see many of our much-loved National Cultural Institutions, restored, renewed and future-proofed for generations to come.
ENDS
Editor’s Notes
- The National Archives Act 1986 established the National Archives and transferred to it the papers of the Public Record Office and the State Paper Office both of which were abolished. In 1992, the National Archives headquarters moved from the Four Courts to the former Jacob's biscuit factory in Bishop Street, Dublin 8.
- The National Archives preserves the memory of the State in the form of its written records. It acquires and protects Ireland’s public records, thereby ensuring their availability as a resource for all. These records relate to the social, cultural, economic and political history of the island of Ireland from the Middle Ages through to the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922 and into the modern era.
- Under the Act, records of Government Departments and agencies are transferred to the National Archives when they are thirty/twenty years old. Currently hard copy records still transfer to the National Archives.
- The National Archives repository has been full since 2013. The overflow has been stored in commercial off-site storage. To mitigate this cost, the National Archives has accepted less than half of the annual transfer of 30-year-old records and mainly those which have a significant public interest such as documents relating to Government decisions and 20-year Anglo-Irish matters. This intake is approximately 5,000 boxes out of an estimated 12,000 annual boxes resulting in a backlog in Departments which is also increasing each year.
- The new archive repository will enable all back-logs currently in government departments and bodies to transfer to the National Archives.
- The National Archives is also in the process of developing a Digital Repository to enable the transfer of born-digital records.