Public Record Office of Northern Ireland
- PRONI
Address
Phone
Fax
History
PRONI is the official archive and record office for Northern Ireland with a statutory remit to receive, preserve and make available public records and privately deposited archives.
Mandates/Sources of Authority
PRONI, the only archive in Northern Ireland with Archive Service Accreditation has the vision of “Protecting and Providing Archives for All”.
PRONI aims to identify and preserve records of historical, social and cultural importance and make them available for the information, education and enjoyment of the public.
PRONI is the official place of deposit for public records in Northern Ireland. In addition, it collects a wide range of archives from private sources. PRONI also advises on and promotes best practice in archive and records management to ensure that today’s records will be available for future generations.
Records Management and Collecting Policies
Seeing the need to raise the importance of records management, in consultation with staff from the Northern Ireland government departments, PRONI drew up the Northern Ireland Record Management Standard (NIRMS) in 2002 and updated in 2007: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/records-management-public-bodies
Archival and Other Holdings
Public records
PRONI holds public records mainly dating from around the formation of Northern Ireland (1921) to the present day. A small number date back to the 19th and late 18th centuries. ‘Public record’ generally refers to any document created by ‘official’ sources such as:
government departments non-departmental public organisations (courts of law, local authorities, non-departmental public bodies/quangos)
Privately deposited archives
These include business records and church registers and can range from a single emigrant letter to a vast landed estate archive containing thousands of items and spanning a 300 year period.
Finding Aids, Guides, and Publication
Electronic Catalogue: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/information-and-services/search-archives-online/ecatalogue
Opening Times
Monday: 9.00am to 4.45pm Tuesday: 9.00am to 4.45pm Wednesday: 9.00am to 4.45pm Thursday: 10.00am to 4.45pm Friday: 9.00am to 4.45pm
Conditions of Access
You can register for a PRONI Visitor Pass on the day of your visit. You will need to be a registered PRONI Visitor and have your Visitor Pass to access research areas and view original records.
You must bring an acceptable form of photographic identification in order to register.
Accessibility
There are two disabled parking spaces available to Blue Badge holders free of charge opposite the main entrance to PRONI. In addition, there are six parking spaces on Titanic Boulevard which are pay and display to all, including Blue Badge holders.
Research Services
PRONI Enquiry Service: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/proni-enquiry-service
PRONI's Enquiry Service provides free advice and guidance about records held in response to written/ email enquiries. PRONI also offers fee-paying services including a Search Service and a Copy Order Service.