Public Record Office of Northern Ireland

PRONI was established by the Public Records Act (Northern Ireland), 1923. The new body opened to the public on Monday 3 March 1924 on the fourth floor of a former linen warehouse in central Belfast (at Murray Street). The immediate challenge was to identify and preserve surrogates of records lost in Dublin during the Four Courts fire on 30 June 1922. The first Deputy Keeper, Dr David A. Chart (born in Lucknow but educated in his mother's native County Kilkenny), successfully replaced many of these records by approaching solicitors, business people, politicians, churches and the landed aristocracy. The success of Chart's acquisition policy meant that PRONI needed more storage space. In April…

There is no entry fee for access to records. New visitors must produce photographic proof of identity in order to register and use the research facilities. Anyone over 16 can register as a PRONI visitor. The collection at PRONI can be accessed by the electronic catalogue. Documents are ordered using the onsite ordering system in the PRONI Search Room and are produced in the PRONI Reading Room. Visitors can order up to five documents at a time. Since December 2016, PRONI has allowed visitors to copy many records using their own cameras. PRONI also provides direct access to the most up to date births, marriages and deaths database hosted by General Register Office (Northern Ireland). In…