REPORT OF THE STEERING GROUP
ON
LOCAL AUTHORITY RECORDS AND ARCHIVES
March 1996.
Table of Contents
Chapter
1
Summary of recommendations
2
Preliminary
3
Role of local authorities
4
Present extent and condition of archives
5
Recommended approach
6
Dealing with records and archives
7
Accommodation and staffing
8
Finance
Appendix Survey of local authority archives - Summary findings
Chapter 1
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommended approach
1.1
Given the generally poor condition of the surviving
local authority archives, measures should be taken as
soon as possible to secure their future (par. 5.1).
1.2
Local authorities should carry out the required work in
relation to their archives in two phases, ie.,
Phase I - The commencement of the task of properly
retaining, managing, preserving and restoring their
archives.
Phase II - The putting in place of arrangements for
providing public access to archives (par. 5.2).
1.3
Local authorities should commence the task of properly
retaining and managing records under 30 years old.
This includes the orderly disposal of records which do
not warrant archival preservation and making suitable
arrangements in relation to records becoming archives
after 30 years (par. 5.3).
1.4
Unless archives are at present in conditions which are
an immediate threat to their survival, they should not be
moved until arrangements for the commencement of
Phase I have been put in place (par. 5.4).
1.5
The Department of the Environment should issue
guidelines to local authorities on the detailed aspects of
looking after their records and archives (par. 5.5).
1.6
Responsibility for the care and management of archives
held by other local bodies, such as health boards and
harbour authorities, rests with those bodies. However,
in time and as resources permit, local authorities and
those bodies should cooperate in the provision of shared
archives facilities containing all of their archives (par.
5.6).
1.7
The National Archives should, as far as resources
permit, provide assistance to and cooperate with local
authorities in relation to their archives services (par.
5.7).
Role of local authorities
1.8
Local authorities should in time be in a position to
acquire archival material from individuals or other
bodies and care for and provide public access to such
material (par. 3.2).
Dealing with records and archives
1.9
Local authorities, particularly the smaller ones, should
cooperate in matters of accommodation, staffing, etc.,
in meeting their responsibilities in relation to records
and archives (par. 6.1).
1.10
The most suitable place for the archives function in the
organisational structure of the local authority is within
the public library service (par. 6.3).
1.11
Local authorities should prepare as soon as possible a
plan of action for dealing with their archives (par. 6.4).
Accommodation
1.12
Proper accommodation will be necessary to deal
correctly with records and archives. The
accommodation should meet the recognised standard
for the storage of archives (par. 7.1).
1.13
The use of temporary accommodation should be
considered pending the provision of proper long-term
accommodation (par. 7.2).
1.14
Guidelines to be issued by the Department of the
Environment to local authorities should include advice
on the principal requirements to be met in relation to
accommodation (par. 7.3).
1.15
Plans for new library facilities should, where
appropriate, take account of the accommodation needs
in relation to archives (par. 7.4).
Staffing
1.16
1.17
Each local authority should nominate a Certifying
Officer who would have overall responsibility for
records and archives in the authority (par. 7.5).
The preparation and implementation of the plan of
action should be carried out by local authority staff in
conjunction with an archivist (par. 7.6).
1.18
Finance
1.19
Local authorities should share the services of archivists
in dealing with the present backlog of archives. As far
as is possible, having regard the Government's
restrictions on the recruitment of staff, local authorities
should initially aim to engage the services of at least
one archivist for every region established under the
Local Government Act, 1991, or for every smaller area
as may be agreed by the relevant local authorities.
Where they are to be employed on contract, the
contracts should be of sufficiently long duration to
attract those who have the necessary qualifications and
experience (pars. 7.7 and 7.8).
Options for financing the required work in relation to
records and archives should be explored by local
authorities and the Department of the Environment (par.
8.1).
Chapter 2
PRELIMINARY
Background
2.1
Section 65 of the Local Government Act, 1994, placed
a duty on local authorities for the first time to make
proper arrangements for the management, custody, care
and conservation of their records and archives and to
provide public access to their archives. The section also
contains a number of related provisions, including one
which enables the Minister for the Environment, having
consulted the Director of the National Archives, to give
advice or directions to local authorities on matters
relating to their records and archives.
2.2
In the light of the new legislation, it was decided that
the Department of the Environment should determine
what local authority archives exist in different areas,
what work has been done to date in relation to those
archives, what the immediate priorities are and how a
uniform and consistent programme of development
could best be put in place.
Steering Group
2.3
To advise and assist the Department of the Environment
in this work, a Steering Group, representative of the
different interests in local authority records and
archives, was appointed. The members of the Group
were:
John O'Connor (Chairman)* Department of the
Environment
Mary Clark Archivist, Dublin Corporation
David Craig Director, National Archives
Michael Doody Former City Manager, Waterford
Corporation
Norma Mc Dermott Director, An Chomhairle
Leabharlanna
Roibeard O Ceallaigh County Manager, Meath County
Council
Michael O Connell Department of the Environment
Tom Sheridan (Secretary) Department of the
Environment
* replaced John Cullen in August, 1995.
Survey
2.4
To establish what local authority archives exist and
what condition they are in, the National Archives
carried out a survey of local authorities on behalf of the
Department of the Environment. Because of the
historical connection between the local authorities, the
health boards and the harbour authorities, the survey
also took account of archives held by the latter bodies.
Records and Archives
2.5
In this report, references to the records of local
authorities mean records in any format, other than
library, museum or gallery collections or property deeds
and the like, which are made or received and held by
authorities in the course of their business. These records
include the records of the various bodies which existed
prior to the establishment of the present county councils
in 1899. References to the archives of local authorities
mean material held in local authority archives, local
authority records which are more than 30 years old and
other material which has been acquired as archives by
the authorities. These meanings coincide with those
given to the terms in section 65 of the Local
Government Act, 1994.
Acknowledgements
2.6
The Steering Group wishes to record its appreciation of
the National Archives for facilitating and arranging the
carrying out of the survey of local authority archives
and, in particular, Ms Frances Mc Gee, who organised
and managed the survey and assisted the Group in its
work, Mr Brian Donnelly who acted as assistant
manager of the survey, and Ms Mary Fitzpatrick, Mr
Colman Mc Loughlin, Mr Donal Moore and Ms Rachel
Scahill, who carried out most of the detailed work of
the survey. The Group also wishes to thank the City and
County Managers and the staff of all local authorities,
the Department of Health, the health boards, the
Department of the Marine and the harbour authorities
for their cooperation with the National Archives in the
course of the survey.
Chapter 3
ROLE OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES
3.1
The statutory functions of local authorities in relation to
records and archives are set out in section 65 of the
Local Government Act, 1994, which came into
operation on 1 December, 1994. To comply with this
section, local authorities will be required to -
- adopt appropriate policies and practices to retain,
manage, preserve and restore their records and archives,
- provide secure and suitable premises and facilities for
the custody and care of their records and archives, and
- generally provide public access to their archives.
The section also empowers the Minister for the
Environment to give advice or directions to local
authorities concerning local authority records and
archives.
3.2
Under the same provision, a local authority may also
acquire archival material from individuals or other
bodies and care for and provide public access to such
material. This power is important, not only because it
allows local authorities to enhance the quality of their
archives, but because it enables the authorities to take in
archival material that may otherwise be dispersed or
destroyed. However, the Group accepts that, given the
present state of development of archives in all but a few
local authorities, it will be some time before the
authorities are in a position to take in such material.
3.3
As well as meeting the new statutory obligations, the
development by local authorities of archives services
can contribute substantially to their respective areas.
Archives services can assist in safeguarding the local
heritage, in meeting the needs of researchers, in general
development and, particularly, in helping to further the
ever increasing opportunities in the cultural tourism
industry.
Chapter 4
PRESENT EXTENT AND CONDITION OF ARCHIVES
4.1
The results of the survey carried out in conjunction with
this report indicate that a large quantity of important
archives is held by local authorities. While there is a
variation in the extent and condition of archives in
different areas and much material has been lost over the
years, the surviving archives are the basis of a very
valuable collection. Some of the best archives which
have survived have been cared for by the public library
service and are held as part of local studies collections.
4.2
Only a very small proportion of the archives is properly
stored, organised or accessible by the public. This is, to
some extent, understandable given that the statutory
functions in this regard have only recently been placed
on local authorities. However, much of the material is
badly stored, in poor condition and not usable in any
sense and unless immediate and substantial rescue
measures are taken, it will not survive.
4.3
The survey revealed the following general problems Policy
Most local authorities do not have a considered policy
in respect of their archives, nor is there a senior officer
with overall responsibility in this regard. In these
circumstances, archives are not retained or cared for in
an orderly manner and they fail to attract the resources
and attention which they require. This has undoubtedly
contributed to the deterioration and loss of much
material over the years.
Storage facilities
In most cases, storage facilities used for archives are
both inadequate and unsuitable, leading directly to the
deterioration of material. In addition, such facilities are
dispersed, resulting in the fragmentation of collections
and difficulties in management.
Public Access
With the exception of Cork, Dublin, Fingal and
Limerick, where archivists are employed, specific
facilities for public access to archives are not provided.
Some public libraries make local studies collections,
which include some local authority archives, available
to the public but the extent of and facilities for this
service are limited.
4.4
Valuable archives relating to the health services were
found to survive in most hospitals. However, much
material has been lost over the years and a large
proportion of the remainder is of recent origin. Despite
this, the archives which have survived are very
important and should be preserved.
4.5
The archives of the health services are widely dispersed
and their condition and storage are generally
unsatisfactory. As in the case of local authority
archives, immediate and substantial measures are
required to prevent further material from being lost.
4.6
Archives of all the harbour authorities exist, the
majority in the custody of those authorities. While the
quality of their archives is high, the quantities vary from
one authority to another and the storage conditions are
generally unsuitable. Archives of some authorities have
suffered because of their proximity to water and some
have not survived.
4.7
A summary of the findings of the survey is contained in
the Appendix.
CONTENTS
Chapter 5
RECOMMENDED APPROACH
5.1
Given the generally poor condition of local authority
archives and the circumstances in which they are stored,
considerable work and expenditure is required before
local authorities will be in position to carry out fully the
functions now falling on them under the Local
Government Act, 1994. It is important that measures are
put in place as soon as possible to secure the future of
the surviving archives.
5.2
In view of the extent of the task to be undertaken by
local authorities in relation to their archives, it is most
realistic that it should be approached in two phases, ie.
Phase I - The commencement of the priority task of
properly retaining, managing, preserving and restoring
the archives.
Phase II - The putting in place of arrangements for
providing public access to the archives.
5.3
At the same time as the work in relation to archives is
proceeding, local authorities should commence the task
of properly retaining and managing records under thirty
years old. This task includes the orderly disposal of
records which do not warrant archival preservation and
making suitable arrangements in relation to records
becoming archives after 30 years.
5.4
Unless archives are at present in conditions which are
an immediate threat to their survival, they should not be
moved until arrangements for the commencement of
Phase I have been put in place.
5.5
To initiate this programme of work, the Group
recommends that the Department of the Environment
issues detailed guidelines to local authorities which
would provide advice on 


the different types of archives which exist, how
they should be retained, managed, preserved and
restored, the conditions in which they should be
stored and so forth,
the service which should be made available in
connection with the provision of public access
to archives, and
an orderly approach to the preservation and
disposal of records, including those in electronic
form, under 30 years old.
Taken together with the results of the survey, these
guidelines would provide a basis on which local
authorities could prepare a plan for dealing with their
records and archives and progress from their present
position on an uniform and consistent basis.
5.6
In relation to the archives held by other bodies,
especially the health services and harbour authorities,
responsibility for the care and management of this
material rests in the first instance with the bodies
concerned. However, it clearly would be wasteful for a
number of bodies to establish and run parallel archives
facilities throughout the country. It would also be
difficult for smaller bodies to meet the desired standards
for such facilities. Accordingly, the Group considers
that eventually, as resources permit, local authorities
and the other bodies within a county should cooperate
in the provision of shared archives facilities containing
all of their archives.
5.7
The likely development of archives services throughout
the country by local authorities raises the issue of the
relationship that should be put in place between the
National Archives and those services. Given that the
archives function of local authorities is new, the Group
considers that they will need on-going advice and
assistance from the National Archives. In addition, a
level of coordination and cooperation between the
National Archives and those services needs to be
established if they are to develop in a consistent
manner. Under section 4 of the National Archives Act,
1986, the Director of the National Archives has the
function of giving advice to local authorities and other
public service organisations on the management,
preservation and reproduction of records under their
control. The Group considers that the National Archives
should, as far as resources permit, provide assistance to
and cooperate with local authorities in relation to the
development of their archives services.
Chapter 6
DEALING WITH RECORDS AND ARCHIVES
6.1
Under the Local Government Act, 1994, responsibility
in relation to records and archives rests on each local
authority, ie. county borough corporations (5), county
councils (29), borough corporations (6), urban district
councils (49) and town commissions (26). However, the
provision of an archives facility in each of the 115 local
authorities would be impractical and uneconomical. It
would also be difficult for smaller authorities to meet
the desired standards for such facilities. The Group
considers it advisable, therefore, that local authorities,
and particularly the smaller authorities, should
cooperate in meeting their responsibilities. This
cooperation could include the preparation of a common
strategy covering all or part of a county, placing
collections for all or part of a county in one or in a
small number of locations or sharing staff and storage
facilities.
6.2
The extent and nature of the work required to deal with
the backlog of local authority records and archives will
vary from one local authority to another. However, in
view of the similarities in records and archives
throughout the country, the Group considers that a
uniform approach to dealing with them should be
adopted. The guidelines to be issued by the Department
of the Environment (par. 5.5 refers) will contribute
greatly towards achieving such uniformity.
6.3
As the survey has indicated, much archival material has
been assembled by the public library service over the
years as part of local studies collections. For this reason
and because of the similarities between the library and
archives services and the tradition of public use of
library buildings, the Group considers that the most
suitable place for the archives function in the
organisational structure of the local authority is within
the public library service.
Phase I
6.4
6.5
The first step to be taken by local authorities in relation
to their archives is the preparation of a plan of action.
The plan should set out in detail the extent of the work
required, the sequence of operations, the timing of the
different elements, the resources required and so forth.
It should take account of the data collected by the
survey and the guidelines to be issued by the
Department of the Environment.
After the plan of action has been determined, the
following general sequence of work should apply -
(1) Archives not worthy of permanent preservation
should be properly disposed of.
(2) All other archives should be brought together and
placed in proper accommodation.
(3) Archives should be cleaned and the priority archives
(ie. those to which public access is to be provided)
should be identified. The work of preparation for public
access (arrangement, listing, numbering, packing,
boxing and shelving) should be carried out on the
priority archives. Proposals for dealing with the nonpriority archives should be drawn up.
6.6
Phase II
6.7
As already indicated (par. 5.4 refers), unless archives
are at present in conditions which are an immediate
threat to their survival, they should not be moved until
arrangements for the commencement of Phase I have
been put in place.
Before providing public access to archives, the
following steps should be taken (1) The archives to be withheld from public access
should be determined. The circumstances for
withholding material should be similar to those
applying to national archives under the National
Archives Act, 1986, ie. on grounds of public interest, to
avoid a breach of statutory duty or good faith, to avoid
causing distress or danger to living persons or to avoid
an action for damages for defamation.
(2) Arrangements to maintain the security of archives
during public access should be made.
(3) Arrangements to provide a proper level of service to
the public should be made.
6.8
In time, other matters relating to the provision of public
access to archives, such as the making of security
copies, the carrying out of conservation and repair work
and the development of the service, should be attended
to.
Records
6.9
6.9 While the above steps are in progress, attention
should also be given to the proper retention and
management of records under thirty years old (par. 5.3
refers). In this regard, the following steps should be
taken - (1) Records should be surveyed with a view to
establishing their nature and extent. (2) Disposal
schedules, to facilitate the orderly disposal of records
which do not warrant archival preservation, should be
prepared. (3) Records being retained should be placed
in proper accommodation. (4) Arrangements in relation
to records becoming archives after 30 years should be
established. (5) Measures to ensure the preservation of
records in electronic form should be adopted.
Chapter 7
ACCOMMODATION AND STAFFING
Accommodation
7.1
As has been already indicated (Chapter 6 refers), the
placing of records and archives in proper
accommodation is an essential step in the task of
properly managing and preserving the material. The
accommodation should meet the desired standard for
the permanent or long-term storage of archives set out
in British Standard 5454 :1989.
7.2
If it is not possible to provide suitable long-term
accommodation within a reasonably short period of
time, temporary accommodation should be made
available. This would provide a period of time during
which the matter of providing permanent
accommodation could be pursued.
7.3
To assist local authorities in relation to the provision of
accommodation, guidelines to be provided to local
authorities by the Department of the Environment (par.
5.5 refers) should state the principal requirements to be
met in relation to permanent and temporary storage
accommodation and accommodation for public access.
7.4
Staffing
7.5
Where a local authority is preparing plans for a new
public library, particularly in the principal town, or
public library headquarters, consideration should be
given to the incorporation of accommodation for its
archives where this is in keeping with the authority's
plan of action for dealing with archives.
Apart from the issue of accommodation, the most
important step to be taken by a local authority is the
nomination of a Certifying Officer who would have
overall responsibility for records and archives in the
authority. The duties of the officer would be analogous
to those of a Certifying Officer in a Government
Department under the National Archives Act, 1986, ie.


overseeing the implementation of the statutory
duties of the local authority in relation to records
and archives, and
devising and implementing procedures
concerning
a. the disposal of records and archives, and
b. the withholding of archives from public
access.
The officer, who would be an existing local authority
official, should be of sufficient level of authority to
carry out the function.
7.6
The preparation and implementation of the plan of
action should be carried out by local authority staff in
conjunction with an archivist. The archivist should
work closely with and have direct access to the
Certifying Officer and cooperate with other local
authority staff, particularly library staff.
7.7
Bearing in mind the variation in the extent and
condition of archives in different areas, the amount of
archivist input required by each local authority to deal
with the present backlog of archives (Phase I) will
differ. For this reason, it is most realistic that local
authorities should share the services of archivists for
this work. The number of archivists required will
depend on the level of cooperation that can be
established between authorities. The Group suggests
that, as far as is possible, having regard to the
Government's restrictions on the recruitment of staff,
local authorities should initially aim to engage the
services of at least one archivist for each of the eight
regions established under the Local Government Act,
1991, or for every smaller area as may be agreed by the
relevant local authorities.
7.8
Where the archivists are to be employed on contract, the
contract should be of sufficiently long duration to
attract those who have the necessary qualifications and
experience.
7.9
Once the existing backlog of work has been cleared, the
nature and scale of the archives operation will depend
on such matters as the volume and type of archives
which are being retained, the extent of cooperation
which develops between local authorities and other
public bodies, and the type and level of service that is to
be provided to the public.
Chapter 8
FINANCE
8.1
As this Report indicates, the obligations that now fall on
local authorities in relation to their records and archives
are considerable. To meet these obligations, local
authorities will have to incur expenditure, especially in
relation to accommodation and staffing. It will be a
matter for local authorities and the Department of the
Environment to explore options for financing the
required work in relation to records and archives. The
possibility of subsidising the recommended
appointments and accommodation, at least until the
backlog is overcome, should be explored. This
subsidisation would be similar in principle to that
provided at present by the Arts Council and An
Chomhairle Leabharlanna in relation to the cost to local
authorities of employing Arts Officers and of leasing
premises in connection with the public library service
respectively.
Appendix
Survey of Local Authority Archives
SUMMARY FINDINGS
Introduction
The objective of the survey was to discover the extent and
condition of local authority archives (records dating up to 1965).
Apart from county councils, county borough corporations,
borough corporations, urban district councils and town
commissioners, the survey included health board hospitals and
harbour authorities (par. 2.4 refers). Most of these bodies are the
successors of older bodies, such as grand juries, rural district
councils, poor law boards of guardians and boards of health and
public assistance.
The survey, which was carried out during the first half of 1995,
involved - the completion of a questionnaire by local authorities in respect
of the archives held by them, and
- visits to all counties to assess the condition of archives in the
location where they are stored and the extent of work required.
The archives were examined, identified, described and
measured, using a standard method, and the storage conditions
were reported. This provided the data from which the following
summaries were compiled, and from which the amount of space
required for proper storage and working was estimated.
It was not possible to include comprehensively and in the detail
necessary other known sources of archives, such as graveyard
archives held by caretakers, county council area engineering
offices and community care offices of the health boards.
Archives from private, estate or business sources were outside
the remit of the survey.
Estimates of storage and working space
The estimates of storage and working space required given in
the summaries relate to Phase I (Par. 5.2 refers). They assume
shelving bays 1000 mm wide and 500 mm deep with between
four and eight shelves, depending on the size of the archives. An
allowance of floor space of 2 m2 per bay of shelving is allowed
and this is necessary for working on large quantities of
disordered material. Storage of maps is assumed to be in
horizontal drawers in AO sized plan cabinets and the estimate of
floor space is based on 2.5 m2 for ten drawers. At the end of
Phase I, there should be a small amount of space in hand.
Charts
There are two pie charts for each county, showing (1) the
breakdown of archives by body of origin, and (2) the breakdown
of archives now held by each body (the separate locations under
the control of these bodies are not shown).
Co. Carlow
Co. Carlow has a good collection of basic archives, with a fair
survival rate of archives of the County Council, urban bodies,
poor law boards of guardians and hospitals. The County Council
archives comprise county council minutes, committee minutes,
drainage board minutes, board of health and public assistance
minutes, and rural district council and miscellaneous archives,
dating from between 1899 and 1965. The county library service
has collected some grand jury and rating archives but is
hampered by lack of space. The two urban bodies, Carlow UDC
and Muinebeag Town Commissioners, hold small quantities of
archives, and archives of the Carlow Union Board of Guardians
are stored in Carlow UDC offices. There are hospital archives
from St Dympna's, the Sacred Heart and the District Hospitals,
with particularly good archives in St Dympna's. Almost without
exception, these archives are stored in a manner and in places
which are unsuitable.
Space required for storage and working: 84 m2
Co. Cavan
The situation in Co. Cavan is that very few county council
archives survive. The county library service has made a good
collection of archives, two of the three urban bodies have good
archives and the third holds none, and there are fair hospital
archives. The only archives held by the County Council are
Minutes. The library service has collected poor law board of
guardians archives from 1839, archives of the rural district
councils and board of health and public assistance, and a small
quantity of miscellaneous documents from the County Council.
Both Cavan Urban District Council and Belturbet Town
Commissioners have good quantities of quality archives, but
unfortunately those of Cootehill Town Commissioners are no
longer extant. Cavan General Hospital and St Felim's Hospital
each have a small quantity of representative 20th century
archives. With one exception, all the locations in which the
archives are stored are unsuitable.
Space required for storage and working: 52 m2
Co. Clare
There is a moderate quantity of archives in County Clare but all
the basic elements of a local archives are present. The county
library service has put together an excellent collection of the
surviving grand jury, poor law boards of guardians and rural
district council material. The County Council continues to hold
the important archives of its operations and there are good
archives held by the Urban Councils of Ennis and Kilrush and by
Kilkee Town Commissioners. There are few hospital archives
apart from those in Our Lady's Hospital, Ennis, where there is a
relatively large quantity of asylum archives dating from 1874.
Overall, the archives are dispersed throughout the county and
most of the storage is unsuitable. The situation of Ennis
Courthouse, where the County Council moved out leaving
archives behind, is not desirable.
Space required for storage and working: 75 m2
Cork
The situation in Cork is difficult and complex, despite the active
policy of Cork Archives Institute since 1970 which has brought
together a large and important collection of archives, including
most of the older material, from many of the bodies in Cork City
and County. A professional archivist is employed by Cork
Archives Institute and public access to archives is provided.
There is also an active commitment to exhibition and publication
work and to the collection of private and business archives.
However, the position in Cork is complicated by the very large
number local authorities and hospitals which exist in the city and
county and by the fact that most of them still hold archives,
although some of the quantities are small. There is material held
in ninety-seven locations in forty-four separate buildings. Some
series are badly fragmented between the locations. Cork
Corporation and Cork County Council still hold archives in all of
their offices and in some of their storage premises. All twelve
urban bodies also have small quantities of archives, although
some have made partial transfers to Cork Archives Institute.
Nineteen hospital/health bodies and three harbour authorities,
including Port of Cork which has a high quality collection, still
hold archives. The storage conditions vary from very poor to fair
and in general the situation gives reason for serious concern.
Cork Archives Institute is the obvious centre for these archives
but, with current levels of staff, is not in a position to undertake
the work required and also has a long-standing demand for
suitable accommodation. Cork Archives Institute was not
surveyed and the figures were calculated from information
supplied by the archivist.
Space required for storage and working:
Cork Archives Institute 120 m2
Cork Corporation 31 m2
Cork County Council 65 m2
Urban bodies 33 m2
Hospitals 64 m2
Harbour authorities 30 m2
Total 343 m2
Co. Donegal
There is a very large quantity of high quality archives extant in
Co. Donegal, stored in forty-five locations in twenty-four
buildings in different parts of the county, but the vast majority of
which comprises archives of the County Council. These factors
create problems of their own but the archives will form the basis
of a very fine local archives. Donegal County Council employed
an archivist on contract in 1995 but archives on this scale
require a great deal of work. The County Council holds very
good archives, the largest amount surveyed in any council. An
excellent collection of archives of the poor law boards of
guardians, rural district councils, board of health and public
assistance has been centralised in Lifford Courthouse, along
with some private archives. The four urban councils all hold
interesting archives. Apart from St Conal's in Letterkenny, there
are only small quantities of archives still held in the hospitals,
and there are none in Letterkenny General Hospital, Donegal
District Hospital or The Shiel Hospital, Ballyshannon. In general,
the poor storage conditions and the number of storage locations
in Co. Donegal give cause for concern.
Space required for storage and working: 213 m 2
Dublin
There is a large quantity of archives held in Dublin. Dublin
Corporation and Fingal County Council each employ one
qualified professional archivist to run a public archives service,
but it is not clear how the archives of other bodies, such as
Dublin Port and health bodies, could be accommodated within
these existing arrangements. Dublin Corporation was not
surveyed as the Corporation had already carried out its own
survey and the figures from that survey are included. Dublin
Corporation holds the oldest and most voluminous civic archives
in the country but while the pre-1940 archives have been listed,
conserved, consulted and exhibited, the bulk of the collection is
now stored in ten separate locations, most of it sub-standard and
without public access. It is hoped to provide accommodation
where the archives can be brought together. Most of the
archives of the three Dublin County Councils have been
collected together and are held by Fingal: this is a very good
collection and an example of the coherence that can be
achieved by bringing all the elements of the local authority's
archives together. Archives of other urban bodies are also well
represented, with a small quantity in Balbriggan and an
extensive collection from urban bodies now abolished, from Dun
Laoghaire Corporation to the small town commissions, now in
Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Council premises. Dublin Port
continues to hold a large and important collection, but the older
material is in the National Archives. There are high quality
archives in the Health Board hospitals; of particular note are
those of St Brendan's, which have unfortunately been
fragmented by the removal of some material, and of the fever
hospitals. These archives are held in storage conditions which
vary between good and very poor, and they are also are
dispersed and fragmented.
Total space required for storage and working:
Dublin Corporation 1000 m2
Fingal County Council 90 m2
Dun Laoghaire Corporation 50 m2
Port of Dublin 95 m2
Hospitals 70 m2
Total 1305 m2
Galway
All of the bodies surveyed in Galway County and City held
archives and there is a large quantity in total. The Central Library
holds a good core collection of mostly poor law boards of
guardians, board of health and public assistance and hospital
archives, but some archives are stored in Tuam Branch Library.
Both the County Council and Galway Corporation still hold large
quantities of archives in their offices and strongrooms, and some
archives of the Corporation are in UCG Library. The surviving
archives of Galway Harbour Commissioners are of very high
quality. Both Tuam and Loughrea Town Commissions have
archives and those of Ballinasloe Urban District Council are
particularly interesting. There are the usual fairly small amounts
of hospital archives, but those in St Brigid's in Ballinasloe are
one of the best collections of asylum archives. However, the
archives are fragmented and dispersed throughout the county
and fifteen surveys in fifty-one separate locations were carried
out. Apart from the conditions in St Brigid's, Ballinasloe, which
give cause for concern, no disastrous situations were seen, but
storage is nevertheless universally unsuitable.
Total space required for storage and working: 190 m2
Co. Kerry
The overall quantity of archives in Co. Kerry is moderate but it is
potentially a collection of very high quality. The county library
service has appreciated the value of archives and the public
interest in them for many years and has a policy of active
collecting. The Central Library has an impressive collection of
poor law boards of guardians, county council, rural district
councils, board of health and public assistance and harbour
archives and has employed archivists for short periods in the
past. There is still a good range of archives held in the various
bodies around the county. The County Council holds some
interesting material and Tralee UDC has a large collection, with
smaller quantities in Killarney and Listowel UDCs. There are
small amounts of archives still in the general hospitals and high
quality archives in St Finan's in Killarney. There are harbour
authority archives held in Tralee and Fenit Pier and Harbour
Commissioners and those of Dingle Harbour Commissioners are
in the Central Library. Some of the series are fragmented
between the different bodies and most of the archives are stored
in unsuitable conditions. Despite the work already done, there
remains a very large task before these archives can be used.
The present Central Library was designed to have an entire floor
for the archives, but this area is used by the Motor Taxation
Office. It is regrettable that one of the only designated archives
facilities in the country should not be available for its original
purpose.
Space required for storage and working: 142 m 2
Co. Kildare
There is a fairly small but high quality collection of archives in
Co. Kildare. The county library service has made a good basic
collection of poor law boards of guardians, rural district council,
boards of health and public assistance, hospital and some
county council archives. Further miscellaneous county council
archives are retained by the County Council in Naas. The three
urban bodies each hold small quantities of archives. There are
some hospital archives held by the library service and in Athy
Hospital, but there are no archives of Naas General Hospital.
The storage conditions are fair, but the archives suffer from
dispersal throughout the county and the fragmentation of series
between different locations.
Space required for storage and working: 75 m2
Co. Kilkenny
The situation in Kilkenny is relatively positive. The quality of the
archives is good and most of them are well stored. The County
Council continues to hold a large volume of archives. The county
library service has played an active role in collecting archives for
a number of years and has accommodated the archives in
Kilkenny Courthouse. There are also several other good
collections, notably in Kilkenny Corporation which are among the
oldest archives anywhere in the country. There are interesting
archives in St Canice's Hospital, and also in Thomastown
Hospital but none survive in Castlecomer Hospital or St Luke's
Hospital, Kilkenny. Callan Town Commission was abolished in
December 1994, and the remaining documents are due to be
taken in by the library service. However, although much work
has been done in Kilkenny, it is far from complete.
Space required for storage and working: 106 m 2
Co. Laois
There is a fair sized collection of archives held in Co. Laois but
they are spread throughout the county in a variety of unsuitable
locations. Few county council archives have survived. The
county library service has gathered good quality archives of poor
law boards of guardians, rural district council, board of health
and public assistance and some county council archives, but
they are stored in two branch libraries. There are small
quantities of 20th century archives in Abbeyleix Hospital and St
Vincent's Hospital, Mountmellick. St Fintan's Hospital holds
archives of the Board of Health and Public Assistance and Laois
County Hospital but, surprisingly for an asylum which opened in
1833, none of its own archives dates before 1900. Urban
archives are poorly represented, with only a small quantity for
Portlaoise Town Commissioners and none for Mountmellick
Town Commissioners. The storage is generally unsuitable, and
St Fintan's Hospital is very poor in this regard. The archives are
seriously fragmented and dispersed between the different
locations.
Space required for storage and working: 48 m2
Co. Leitrim
In Co. Leitrim there is a fair quantity of good quality archives
which would form the nucleus of a local archives. The county
library service has been active in this area and has collected
archives of the poor law boards of guardians, rural district
councils and a small amount from the County Council. There are
still some archives in the custody of the County Council,
including board of health and public assistance archives dated
1925-43, and a good cross-section of miscellaneous archives.
Only a disappointingly small quantity of hospital archives
survives for St Patrick's, Carrick-on-Shannon and Manorhamilton
Hospital, with none for Mohill Hospital. Proper storage is
required for all the archives, and there is a serious threat to the
safety of the archives in the Courthouse in Carrick-on-Shannon
which is no longer occupied.
Space required for storage and working: 36 m2
Limerick
Large amounts of high quality archives relating to a range of
bodies survive in Limerick County and City. Limerick Regional
Archives holds an excellent collection of archives, including
those of Limerick Corporation, Limerick Harbour Commissioners,
poor law boards of guardians, rural district council and board of
health and public assistance. This collection reflects the
presence of an archivist there over the last 15 years. Apart from
Limerick Corporation, which has transferred most of its older
archives, there are still large quantities of archives held in the
various bodies, especially the County Council which retains its
most important series. The archives of Foynes Harbour Trustees
and those remaining in Limerick Harbour Commissioners are
good collections of their type. Croom Orthopaedic Hospital holds
one of the best collections of patients' case archives surveyed,
but the small quantity of the archives surviving in St. Joseph's
Hospital, one of the oldest mental hospitals in the country, is
disappointing. The archives are stored in fairly good conditions
but are dispersed.
Space required for storage and working: 210 m 2
Co. Longford
Very few archives survive in Co. Longford. This is partly due to
the small size of the county and the fact that there is now in
effect only one hospital, which holds a small number of volumes.
However, County Council archives were destroyed in recent
times and most of the surviving archives are in Longford
Courthouse, which is due for refurbishment. The Central Library
holds grand jury presentment books and poor law boards of
guardians minutes, and each of the two urban bodies in
Longford and Granard also has a small quantity of archives. The
storage is in the range fair to poor.
Space required for storage and working: 30 m2
Co. Louth
There is a good quantity of archives surviving in Co. Louth and
they are of high quality. The County Council still holds most of its
important archives and also the surviving archives of the board
of health and public assistance archives. The county library
service has made a good collection of core archives from the
grand jury, municipal corporations, rural district councils, poor
law boards of guardians and the county council. The poor law
boards of guardians archives are held in three separate libraries
and there are also some in Drogheda Museum. The urban
archives are particularly good in Co. Louth; Drogheda has one of
the largest and best collections seen and those of Ardee are one
of the oldest in the country. The Drogheda Harbour
Commissioners archives are also among the best of their type in
the country. The storage conditions varied from poor to good.
The dispersal and fragmentation of these archives is a problem
for their security, as is the impending refurbishment of County
Buildings in Dundalk.
Space required for storage and working: 142 m 2
Co. Mayo
This is a fairly small collection of archives which is explained by
a history of accidents, disposal and archives now held outside
the county. The vast majority of surviving County Council
archives are still in Council custody, but Castlebar Courthouse is
due for refurbishment and a large quantity of archives will have
to be moved. The county library service's collection is small but
includes most of the poor law boards of guardians archives still
in the county. All the other known poor law archives for Mayo are
in the National Library. There are archives in both Castlebar and
Ballina UDCs and the latter are voluminous and interesting, but
Westport UDC archives were destroyed in a fire in 1969. The
River Moy Commissioners hold a small quantity of archives and
those of Wesport Harbour Commissioners are in the National
Archives. There are the usual small quantities of hospital
archives, including some for the now closed Swinford Fever
Hospital, but Mayo General Hospital destroyed archives in
recent times. St Mary's Hospital Castlebar has a high quality
collection of asylum archives, but is at risk from the
encroachment of the RTC which shares its building. Archives of
the Mayo Board of Health and Public Assistance were seen by
the survey in Merlin Park Hospital in Galway. In general the
storage is poor, the surviving archives are spread throughout the
county and, unless action is taken, there could be further losses
in Castlebar Courthouse and St Mary's Hospital.
Space required for storage and working: 85 m2
Co. Meath
There is a substantial collection of high quality archives in Co.
Meath, much of which has been collected over the years by the
county library service. The County Council continues to hold a
small quantity of archives, including minutes from 1899. The
excellent library collection includes county council archives from
1898, poor law boards of guardians Minute books some of which
date from 1839, archives of rural district councils and the board
of health and public assistance, urban archives for Navan, Trim
and Kells and some hospital archives. The Urban District
Councils of Trim and Kells continue to hold other archives and
there are some archives both in the Meath County Infirmary in
Navan and in St Joseph's Hospital, Trim, but none in Our Lady's
Hospital in Navan. The archives are stored in a variety of
unsuitable conditions, and apart from those held by the library
service, they are dispersed throughout the county. The library
service is at a relatively advanced stage of archival development
but is still some distance from a satisfactory situation in terms of
accommodation and work on the archives.
Space required for storage and working: 94 m2
Co. Monaghan
A fairly small quantity of quality archives survives in Co.
Monaghan. However the archives are widely dispersed
throughout the county, with the County Council, five urban
bodies, the county library service, the Museum and three
hospitals all holding material. Only a small quantity of county
council archives survives but this includes the core archives. The
library service holds a wide-ranging collection of archives, from
mid-19th to mid-20th centuries, including poor law boards of
guardians, board of health and public assistance, rural district
councils, hospitals and urban archives. The County Museum
holds a small miscellaneous collection of similar and related
archives. All five urban bodies also hold archives, with a good
quantity in Castleblayney. Some 20th century hospital archives
were found in Monaghan General and St Mary's, and St
Davnet's holds good material dating to its foundation in 1869. In
addition to the problem of a large number of bodies holding
archives, there is confusion caused by the fact that archives are
fragmented between the bodies. The library and the museum
have carried out admirable work which has saved archives from
destruction, but it is difficult to see that two institutions can hold
worthwhile and coherent collections when the total quantity is
not large. Most of the storage is unsuitable.
Space required for storage and working: 57 m2
Co. Offaly
There is a relatively large quantity of good quality archives
extant in Co. Offaly. The interest and efforts of the county library
service over the years is reflected in the excellent collection,
which includes grand jury, poor law boards of guardians, board
of health and public assistance, rural district council, county
council, urban councils and hospital. The County Council
continues to hold some important archives. The UDCs of
Tullamore and Birr both have interesting material, but few
hospital archives have survived apart from some miscellaneous
volumes in Tullamore General Hospital.
Space required for storage and working: 75 m2
Co. Roscommon
Co. Roscommon holds a good quality but small collection of
archives. The older archives of the County Council have been
placed in the Central Library, but a fair quantity is still held in the
Courthouse. The Central Library has been closely involved with
archives for a number of years and has made a core collection
comprising grand jury, poor law boards of guardians, rural
district councils, board of health and public assistance, county
council and Roscommon Town Commission. Boyle Town
Commission holds a small number of archives. A small amount
of archives, including some relating to other bodies, is kept in the
Sacred Heart Hospital, and Roscommon County Hospital has no
archives. The projected closure of St Patrick's Hospital in
Castlerea may place the archives there in danger. The storage
varies from poor to good.
Space required for storage and working: 62 m2
Co. Sligo
Co. Sligo holds one of the largest quantities of archives
surveyed. The principal county council archives are in the
custody of the county library service, with only a small quantity
remaining in the Council. An important collection of archives was
put together by the library service, including archives of Sligo
Corporation for the early period, grand jury, county council, poor
law boards of guardians, county infirmary, rural district councils
and board of health and public assistance. Other miscellaneous
county council and health archives dating from the 19th and 20th
centuries are stored in the Courthouse but are not accessible.
Sligo Corporation holds Minute books from 1869 and a wide
range of other archives. There is a small but interesting
collection held by Sligo Harbour Commission, dating from the
late 19th century. St John's Hospital holds a small quantity of
20th century archives and the archives of St Columba's Hospital
are in the National Archives. The Old Gaol in Sligo contains a
large volume of material, some relating to county council
engineering but the important archives are those of 20th century
health and assistance, but with some rare 19th century material,
all of it in extremely poor condition. Apart from the Gaol, the
storage conditions are fairly satisfactory, but the archives are
seriously fragmented and refurbishment of the Courthouse is
due to take place in 1997.
Space required for storage and working: 245 m 2
Co. Tipperary NR
North Tipperary has one of the largest quantities of archives
surveyed and they are also of good quality. The county council
holds a large amount of archives. The joint library service has
actively collected the archives for both ridings and an archivist
worked here in the late 1970s. The results of this work can be
seen in the quality, quantity and order of the archives in the
County Council premises in Nenagh and in the very fine
collection in the Central Library in Thurles, which comprises the
usual series in the basic collections. The three urban authorities
also hold large amounts of interesting archives. Another good
collection, including archives from closed hospitals, is held in
Thurles Hospital but Nenagh General Hospital has no archives.
The storage conditions vary from poor to excellent.
Space required for storage and working: 230 m 2
Co. Tipperary SR
The older core archives of obsolete bodies of South Tipperary
are stored in the Central Library in Thurles, and further material
of this type is held in the County Museum, Clonmel, including
county council, board of health and public assistance, Clonmel
Corporation and some urban archives. The County Council
continues to hold some archives, and Clonmel Corporation has a
very high quality collection for which it has equipped an
exemplary storage strongroom. There is a good quantity of
hospital archives in this county, with a strong collection of
asylum archives in St Luke's Hospital, mostly poor law board of
guardians archives in St Patrick's in Cashel and fair quantities in
three other hospitals, but none in Our Lady's in Cashel. The
urban councils all have good collections. The storage varies
from excellent to fair, but the archives are seriously dispersed.
Space required for storage and working: 82 m2
Waterford
Waterford County Council holds good archives and the county
library service has assembled the basic items from grand jury,
poor law boards of guardians, rural district councils and some
county council sources. There are small quantities in the two
Town Commissioners and Dungarvan UDC has very good
archives, including those relating to the harbour. There are
archives of the board of health and public assistance and other
archives in Dungarvan Hospital. Waterford Corporation holds a
large collection of high quality archives, most of which are in City
Hall, but some are still in offices around the city. The city library
service has collected a small amount of archives and Waterford
Harbour Commissioners, who have deposited a very large
quantity in the National Archives, still retain some archives.
There are good asylum archives in St Otteran's and St Patrick's
Hospital houses a miscellaneous collection including poor law
board of guardians, rural district council and board of health and
public assistance. The conditions vary from good to very poor,
and the archives are held in a large number of locations.
Space required for storage and working:
Co. Waterford 80 m2
Waterford Corporation 85 m2
Waterford City other bodies 50 m2
Total 215 m2
Co. Westmeath
There is a large quantity of high quality archives extant in Co.
Westmeath, almost all of it stored in extremely poor conditions.
The County Council has deposited the core archives with the
county library service but continues to hold large amounts of
other archives in locations which have serious problems of
dampness. The library service has rescued archives over the
years but has no more space and is obliged to store archives in
unsuitable rooms. The archives in the Central Library consist of
County Council material (from 1899), grand jury, poor law
boards of guardians, rural district councils, board of health and
public assistance and the county infirmary archives, all from the
19th and 20th centuries. There is a good quantity of archives in
Athlone UDC. St Loman's Hospital holds a large amount of
archives from its foundation in 1855 and St Mary's Hospital,
Mullingar, holds 20th century hospital archives. Apart from some
of the archives held by the library service, the storage conditions
for the archives of Co. Westmeath are totally unsuitable.
Space required for storage and working: 145 m 2
Co. Wexford
The local authority archives of Co. Wexford are of good quality
and range and survive in fair quantities. The County Council
holds a small quantity of the most important archives in County
Buildings and has moved most of the older archives to Wexford
Gaol. Most of the county library service collection, comprising
poor law boards of guardians, rural district council and board of
health and public assistance material, as well as some other
archives, is also stored in the Gaol. Further archives, consisting
mostly of Wexford Harbour Commissioners but also Board of
Health minutes, are stored in the Central Library premises.
Urban bodies are well represented, with good archives for
Wexford Borough Council, Enniscorthy, Gorey and especially
New Ross, which are among the oldest in the country. New
Ross Harbour Commissioners also hold good quality archives
and, apart from the asylum archives in St Senan's, there are few
hospital archives. The storage varies from fair to very poor, and
the archives are widely dispersed.
Space required for storage and working: 80 m2
Co. Wicklow
County Wicklow holds good quantities of excellent quality
archives. Few archives are still held in County Buildings but a
large amount is stored in Wicklow Courthouse, where most of
the archives of Bray UDC, one of the best collections of urban
archives surveyed, are also housed. There is also a good core
collection of poor law boards of guardians, rural district council
and board of health and public assistance archives in Wicklow
Courthouse. The hospital archives consist of the usual small
quantities, and those of Newcastle Hospital, one of the earliest
TB hospitals, are particularly interesting. The urban councils hold
good collections of the usual archives and the harbour
authorities in Wicklow and Arklow both hold small quantities of
interesting material. The storage varies from good to poor, and
that in Wicklow Courthouse was greatly improved during the
course of the survey.
Space required for storage and working: 172 m 2