Dublin City Archives contains records of the civic government of Dublin from 1171 to the 20th century, including City Council minutes and reports, maps, correspondence and title deeds.
The collection includes Charitable Committees, Irish Theatre Archive, Parliamentary Commissions, Jacob's Biscuit Factory Archive, Royal Dublin Fusiliers Association Archive, Dublin City Sports Archive and Dublin City Archaeological Archive.
The Dublin and Irish collections comprise books, periodicals, photographs, maps, newspapers, rare books and manuscripts, and ephemera items comprising a local studies library for Dublin. Sir John T. Gilbert's valuable library of mainly 17th and 18th century books and manuscripts forms the nucleus of the special collections.
We acquire print items which contribute to an understanding of Dublin’s past and present, with print materials relating to Ireland retained to give context to the Dublin collections.
https://www.dublincity.ie/residential/libraries/heritage-and-history
Here is a brief brief listing of our holdings, including approximate extent and date range[1].
A. Dublin City Assembly
- Dublin City Charters 1171-1727 101 parchment documents, some illuminated
- The Chain Book of Dublin 1316-1607 One bound volume, parchment/illuminated
- The White Book of Dublin 1230-1603 One bound volume, parchment/illuminated
- Free Citizens of Dublin 1225-50 One parchment roll
- Dublin City Franchise Roll 1468-1512 One parchment roll
- Dublin City Freedom Registers 1576-1841 1 bound volume, paper
- Dublin City Assembly Rolls 1447-1841 29 parchment rolls
- Ancient Revenue deeds 1448-1841 1,200 deeds
- All Hallows, first series 1489-1592 20 deeds
- All Hallows, second series 1709-1841 460 deeds
- St Mary’s Abbey deeds 1569-1620 12 deeds
- Expired Leases 1492-1864 1,561 deeds
- Miscellanea 1304-1790 116 documents
- Deeds to the City 1538-1916 167 deeds
- Dublin City Cess Book 1647-9 1 bound volume, paper
- Friday Book 1567-1611 1 bound volume, paper
- Monday Books 1658-1841 3 bound volumes, paper
- Journals of Sheriffs and Commons 1740-1841 9 bound volumes, paper
- City Treasurer’s Account Books 1540-1827 6 volumes, paper
- Dublin City Surveyor Maps 1695-1827 142 maps, parchment and paper
- Pipe Water Committee 1737-1834 10 files
- Tholsel Court 1616-1739 7 bound volumes, paper
- Dublin Guild Merchant Roll 1190-1265 43 membranes, parchment
- Guild of St George Martyr 1426-1618 12 deeds, parchment
- Guild of Carpenters 17th century 2 documents
- Guild of Smiths 19th century 2 documents
B. Wide Streets Commission
- WSC Minute Books 1758-1849 50 bound volumes
- WSC Map Collection 1681-1849 758 maps
- WSC Architectural Drawings 1785-1847 60 drawings
- WSC Jury Books 1789-1802; 1810-17 13 bound volumes
- WSC Inquisitions 1780-1843 124 documents with maps
- WSC Acquisitions 1750-1844 1,721 deeds
- WSC Dispositions 1761-1834 236 deeds with maps
- WSC Mortgages 1815-44 88 deeds
- WSC Reconveyance of Mortgages 1823-5 31 deeds
- WSC Ottiwell Leases 1790-1812 73 deeds
- WSC Financial Records 1761-1850 21 bound volumes
C. Other parliamentary commissions
- Dublin City Paving Board 1774-1849 81 bound volumes
- Grand Jury of City of Dublin 1793-1888 15 bound volumes
D. Dublin City Council
- Dublin City Council Minutes 1841-1880 42 bound volumes/manuscript
- Dublin City Council Minutes 1881-2017 136 bound volumes/printed
- Dublin Corporation Reports 1869-2017 447 bound volumes/printed
- Dublin City Electoral Rolls 1898-1915 17 bound volumes/printed
- Dublin City Electoral Rolls 1937-1987 93 bound volumes/printed
- DCC Public Health Committee 1856-1885 21 bound volumes/manuscript
- DCC Electricity Supply Committee 1918-1929 39 bound volumes/manuscript
- DCC General Purposes Committee 1930-1945 5 bound volumes/manuscript
- DCC Paving Committee 1851-1877 31 bound volumes/manuscript
- DCC Powers Committee 1850-1853 4 bound volumes/manuscript
- DCC Special Committee 1874-1923 12 bound volumes/manuscript
- DCC Lighting Committee 1910-1918 4 bound volumes/manuscript
- DCC Waterworks Committee 1861-1918 42 bound volumes/manuscript
- DCC Electricity & Public Lighting 1923-8 5 bound volumes/manuscript
- Visiting Committee City Prisons 1878-1920 8 bound volumes/manuscript
- Dublin Court of Conscience 1845-1918 64 bound volumes/manuscript
- North Strand Bombing 1941 2 photo albums; I box of files
- Bolton St. and Fenian St. disaster 1963 1 photo album; 2 boxes of files
- Kevin St Public Library 42 bound volumes/manuscript
- Rathmines Public Library 1938-1970 54 bound volumes/manuscript
- Drumcondra Public Library 1957-1970 5 bound volumes/manuscript
- Charleville Mall Public Library 1920-1943 43 files/manuscript
- DCC Housing Development 1930-1960 662 files/manuscript
- DCC Planning Department 1953-1988 250,000 plan files/manuscript
E. Dublin Townships
- Rathmines & Rathgar UDC 1847-1930 16 bound volumes/manuscript
- Rathmines & Pembroke
- Joint Hospital Board 1912-1930 3 bound volumes/manuscript
- Rathmines & Pembroke
- Main Drainage Board 1881-1930 16 bound volumes/manuscript
- Pembroke Urban District Council 1863-1930 119 bound volumes/manuscript
- Pembroke Urban District Council 1863-1930 39 boxes of files
F. Charitable Committees
- Mansion House Relief Fund 1880 64 boxes of files
- Canadian Relief Fund 1880 6 boxes of files
- Duchess of Marlborough Fund 1880 38 files
- O’Connell Monument Committee 1862-1896 20 files
- South City Markets Fire Relief 1892 1 box
- Achill Island Improvement Fund 1894 1 box
G. Irish Theatre Archive
- Anna Manahan Collection 22 boxes/8 outsize folders
- Patrick McLarnon Collection 2 boxes
- Ira Allen Collection 4 boxes
- Noel Purcell Collection 9 boxes
- Ray McAnally Collection 13 boxes
- John Finigan Collection 41 albums of photographs
- Rupert Murray Collection 4 boxes
- Christopher Casson Collection 7 boxes
- Vernon Hayden Collection 2 boxes
- Storytellers Theatre Company 5 boxes
- John McDonagh Collection 3 boxes
- Brendan Smith Collection 20 boxes
- Michael J. Kearns Collection 45 boxes
- Micheal Mac Liammoir/Turner Collection 3 boxes/2 outsize folders
- Micheal Mac Liammoir/Leahy Collection 3 boxes
- Jimmy O’Dea Collection 5 boxes
- Shelah Richards Collection 7 boxes
- Stewart Parker Prize 15 boxes
- Cecil Sheridan Collection 5 boxes
- Nora Lever Collection 3 boxes
- Gaiety School of Acting 6 boxes
- Extensive Collection of programmes
H. Royal Dublin Fusiliers Association Archive
- Official War Diaries for Royal Dublin Fusiliers 8 bound volumes
- Monica Roberts Collection Letters from the Front 9 bound albums
- Moriarty Collection Letters from India 7 bound albums
- Andrew Herbert Weir M.C. 1 box
- Lt. Paul Gueret 1 box
- RDF 4th Battalion Officers’ Mess Accounts 1 box
- Irish National War Memorial Committee 5 boxes
J. Dublin City Archaeological Archive
- Margaret Gowen Archaeology 136 boxes
- Helen Kehoe Archaeologist 4 boxes
- Arch-Tech Archaeology 16 boxes
- Irish Archaeological Consultancy 9 boxes
- Andrew Halpin Archaeologist 4 boxes
- Clare Walsh Archaeology 22 boxes
- Judith Carroll Archaeology 13 boxes
K. Dublin City Sports Archive
- Maids of the Mountain Hockey Club 22 boxes
- Three Rock Rovers Hockey Club 9 boxes
- Rathfarnham Golf Club 18 boxes
- Ena Brooks Golfer 9 boxes
- Howth Golf Club 3 boxes
- Golf Union of Ireland 6 boxes
- Shelbourne Supporters Development Group 3 boxes
- Links Golfing Society 4 boxes
- Avoca Hockey Club 5 boxes
L. Private and Business Archives
- Jacobs’ Biscuit Factory 2,110 items
- Maxwell & Weldon Solicitors 235 items
- Bushy Park Estate Records/Shaw Family 22 items
- O’Connor Family Papers 6 boxes
- Litton Family Papers 1 box
- Manning Robertson Papers 1 box
- Ní Mhurchada Local History papers 2 box files
[1] This list was compiled in 2019. Further accruals will be added over time.