Who We Are

The Military Archives has been the official place of deposit for records of the Defence Forces, the Department of Defence and the Army Pensions Board since 1990, as defined in the National Archives Act, 1986. Our brief is to collect material from the foundation of the State up until the present day, including records from overseas missions. From as early as 1924, the National Army, recognising the importance of the War of Independence, undertook to preserve historical documents from that time. Some of the earliest collections preserved by the Historical Section include the Collins Papers, Civil War Operations and Intelligence files and Captured Documents (Civil War up to 1925), which continue to be made available today. 

What we Do

Apart from serving the evidential, legal and heritage needs of the Defence Forces and the Department of Defence, Military Archives can provide public services to a broad spectrum of interests, from family history queries to academic research, to material for television and radio documentaries. We also facilitate visits for second and third level educational institutions, on request, along with providing briefings on our collections to various interested groups. Institutions can also avail of our Irish Volunteer or 1916 Case Studies exhibitions on temporary loan.