The Minister for Defence, Mr. Simon Coveney, T.D., today welcomed the opening of the new Military Archives Building at Cathal Brugha Barracks by President Michael D. Higgins. The building is the fourth of nine Permanent Reminders to open as part of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme and the event was attended by Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys TD.,
The Military Archives is the place of deposit for archival records of the Defence Forces, the Department of Defence and the Army Pensions Board.
The opening of the newly refurbished facility is one of the nine Government flagship capital and development projects being developed for as part of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme and will serve as a permanent reminder of this commemorative centenary year.
In marking the occasion of the opening of the new Military Archives building, Minister Coveney said: “The new building being opened today by the President will ensure the safeguarding and accessibility of the Military Archives’ collections for future generations”.
Today also marks the launch of the fourth release of material from the Military Service (1916-1923) Pensions Collection. Today’s release is of the Medals Series Database from the Collection and its associated files. The 1916 Medal recognised those who were engaged in active service during the 1916 Rising and those who served during the period 1917-1921.
Speaking about the latest release of material from the Military Service Pensions Collection, the Minister said: “This is the largest release of material to date from the Military Service (1916-1923) Pensions Collection, the work of which is ongoing and has transformed our understanding of the history of the period and the role of individuals and organisations in the fight for independence, as well as the tragic events of the Civil War”.
This event was part of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme, which is led by the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Ms. Heather Humphreys, T.D. On the occasion of the opening, Minister Humphreys added: 'The new Military Archives will be one of the most important cultural legacies of the Ireland 2016 Centenary programme. The new Archives building and its online resources will provide state of the art archival facilities for some of our most important collections, including the ground-breaking Military Service Pensions Collection, which uncovered so much new material about the 1916 Rising. The collections in the Military Archives, which stretch from 1913 to the present day, are a key part of our documentary heritage, allowing historians, academics and anyone who is interested in our shared history to understand our past more clearly and explore the nation's family history.'
Future releases of material from the Military Service Pensions Collection will take place over the coming years. The material is available at www.militaryarchives.ie.
Note for Editors
New Military Archives Building
This refurbishment and expansion of the Military Archives building is one of the key projects that has been funded under the Commemorative capital programme for 2016. One of the main aims of this project is to improve and facilitate greater public access to this material.
The detailed design for the new Military Archives facility was completed in 2014 and the construction works commenced early in 2015. The facility, which was completed by the contractor early in 2016, represents a state of the art facility for the storage of archival material and is fitted with environmental management and fire suppression systems and a proprietary racking system which will ensure that the archival material is adequately housed and accessible into the future.
Overall, the new facility comprises a newly constructed building for the storage of archival material and the refurbishment of an adjoining building to facilitate visitor access to this material. Apart from the main storage facility, the facilities provided include a reading room for research of the records held in the archive as well as office and ancillary accommodation for the Military Archives personnel and a conservation laboratory for the preservation of documents and artefacts.
Following the handover of the facility, the preparations for the transferring of the material to the new archive facility are being progressed by the Military Archives personnel.
The current estimate for the final project cost, including the design team costs and the proprietary racking system, is some €5.4m. Significant funding (€4.499m) for this project has been provided, from the proceeds of the National Lottery licence transaction, through the Department of Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht.
The Military Service (1916-1923) Pensions Collection
The Military Service Pensions Collection is a key project under the Government Decade of Centenaries 2012-2022 Commemorative programme and the Collection numbers almost 300,000 application files for pensions, allowances and medals as well as supporting documentation. The Collection provides a unique record of the individuals and organisations that brought about Independence and led to the foundation of the State.
To mark the opening of the new Military Archives building, the Department of Defence is releasing today the files of 47,554 applicants for the 1916 Medal and The Service (1917-1921) Medal. In all 66,174 Medals Database and related files are being released to the public through the Military Archives.
The project is overseen by a Steering Group comprising representatives of the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces, the Department of An Taoiseach, the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, and the National Archives. The Academic Advisory Committee to the project consists of historians Professor Charles Townshend, Professor Eunan O’Halpin and Professor Diarmaid Ferriter.
A team of archivists is in place and work on the project is progressing at Cathal Brugha Barracks, Rathmines, Dublin.
The Government has made funds available over the period 2014-2016 under the Decade of Centenaries 2012-2022 Commemorative arrangements to improve access and facilities for Military Archives at Cathal Brugha Barracks, Rathmines, Dublin 6.
The Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme, led by Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys, T.D., is a year-long programme of activity to commemorate the events of the 1916 Rising, to reflect on our achievements over the last 100 years and to look towards Ireland’s future. Full details of the programme are available at www.ireland.ie. Follow the programme on Facebook and Twitter @ireland2016 #ireland2016