World Wide Diplomatic Archives Index: Ireland
Legislation
Access to the National Archives is governed by the National Archives Act of 1986 and the Freedom of Information Act of 1997. All Government Departmental records which are more than 30 years old must be transferred to the National Archives and made available for inspection by the public with exceptions for records that are contrary to the public interest. The Freedom of Information Act gives members of the public the right to request access to unavailable documents.
Location
The National Archives, Bishop Street, Dublin 8.
Procedures
Researchers must acquire a Reader’s Ticket to access the archives. This can be done by visiting the archives and presenting a photo ID. Members of the public may just present themselves in person to the Archives. However, the Archives’ staff recommends that researchers contact them ahead of time in order to expedite the process of ordering files. Additionally, there is an on-line search engine.
Website
Published Documents
The Department of Foreign Affairs, the National Archives, and the Royal Irish Academy combine to publish the series, Documents on Irish Foreign Policy.