Limerick City and County Council is delighted to welcome the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland Roadshow to the city, offering the Limerick public a unique opportunity to explore centuries of local history through an innovative digital archive.
On Wednesday 11 February, the Roadshow will visit The People’s Museum of Limerick, Pery Square, where the Virtual Treasury team will showcase newly accessible digital records that illuminate the story of Limerick and its people, from the 19th century back to medieval times. The event begins at 6:30pm and is free to attend, with advance registration required due to limited capacity.
Reuniting Ireland’s Lost Records
When the Public Record Office of Ireland was destroyed during the Battle of the Four Courts in June 1922, seven centuries of Irish history were lost. In recent years, historians, archivists and computer scientists in Ireland and abroad began the painstaking work of identifying replacement documents scattered across local and global archives.
This work led to the creation of the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland, launched in June 2022. The platform provides free public access to tens of thousands of replacement records - more than 50 million words of searchable text - sourced from 70 partner archives and libraries worldwide.
Now, the team behind the Treasury is coming to Limerick to share their findings and highlight rich local collections.
Ciarán Wallace, Deputy Director, Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland commented:
“We are delighted to bring the Virtual Treasury Roadshow to Limerick. The city has an exceptionally rich documentary heritage, and many of the records now reunited within the Treasury shed new light on the everyday lives of Limerick people across seven centuries. This project is about restoring access to the stories that were thought to be lost forever, and we are excited to share these discoveries with the public.”
Sarah Hayes Hickey, Archivist, Limerick Archives added:
“Limerick Archives is thrilled to welcome the Virtual Treasury team. Their work not only helps recover Ireland’s archival past, but also enhances the resources available to local researchers, historians, and families tracing their heritage. This event is a fantastic opportunity for anyone interested in Limerick’s unique place in Irish history.”
Event Highlights
Speakers at the Roadshow will include:
- Ciarán Wallace, Deputy Director, Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland
- Lynn Kilgallon, Virtual Treasury project team
- Brian Gurrin, Virtual Treasury project team
- Staff from Limerick Archives and Local Studies, who will present complementary local history resources
The event forms part of the continuing legacy of the Decade of Centenaries, bringing Ireland’s deep history into sharper focus through cutting-edge digital research.
About the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland
The Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland is the outcome of a five-year, State-funded research programme titled Beyond 2022, led by researchers at Trinity College Dublin and supported by the Government of Ireland under Project Ireland 2040, through the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport.
Combining historical investigation, archival discovery, conservation, and technological innovation, the programme digitally reimagines and recreates the public records destroyed in 1922. This extensive and still-growing online treasury brings together documents once scattered across space and time, making them freely available to all and ensuring that the lives of ordinary people—long buried in official documents—are once again visible.
More information on Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland is available at www.virtualtreasury.ie.
Book your place at the Limerick roadshow event by visiting Limerick.ie/Discover