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The Irish Theatre Archive, held at Dublin City Library and Archive in Pearse Street, was founded in 1981 and now consists of over 250 collections, and 100,000 individual items. Included are collections deposited by theatres, theatre companies, individual actors, directors, costume and set designers, as well as theatre critics and fans. Collections can include theatre programs, handbills, posters, newspaper cuttings, stage managers books, production notes, costume and set designs, correspondence, administration files, scripts, photographs and recordings.Right: Anna Manahan.A number of detailed descriptive lists of various collections are now online and the list online is set to grow. The names associated with those collections are readily identifiable as giants of the Irish theatre world, names such as Jimmy O'Dea, Micheál Mac Liammóir,  Vernon Hayden, Christopher Casson, Hilton Edwards and Anna Manahan.The Anna Manahan collection indeed was formally donated as recently as June 2015, having been on temporary loan for exhibition purposes to the Irish Theatre Archive since September 2009, by kind permission of Anna’s brothers Joe and Val Manahan.About Anna Manahan (Excerpt):Anna Manahan was born in Waterford on 18 October 1924. After early success with her native Waterford Dramatic Society, Anna Manahan enrolled in the Gaiety School of Acting, run by Ria Mooney in 1944. Her first professional job was with Shelagh Ward’s fit up company, and throughout the late 1940’s and 1950’s, she worked as a freelance actor in many of Dublin’s theatres.In 1955, she married stage director and actor Colm O’Kelly. He died less than a year later whilst they were both on tour in Egypt with the Gate Theatre Company. Anna went on stage that same night dedicating her performance to her husband. She never remarried.Right: Some of the greats featured in the Irish Theatre Archive.In 1957, she came to national prominence for her critically acclaimed role of Serafina in the first Irish production of Tennessee Williams' The Rose Tattoo in 1957. The production achieved unexpected notoriety when the cast were falsely accused of using a condom, then illegal in Ireland, on stage.Rarely at rest, during her 60-year career Anna play at theatres throughout Ireland, Europe, the USA and Australia. She received a Tony Award nomination in 1969 for her role in the Broadway production of Brian's Friel's Lovers. Returning to Broadway 30 years later, she won the 1998 Tony Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama for her portrayal of doomed mother "Mag" in Martin McDonagh’s The Beauty Queen of Leenane.Playwright John B. Keane wrote the play Big Maggie specifically for her and in her last stage role in 2005, she starred in Sisters, written for her by Declan Hassett. Her roles in television included The Riordans, as Mrs. Kenefick in Me Mammy, the lead in Leave it to Mrs O'Brien and as Mrs. Cadogan in The Irish R.M., and Ursula on Fair City. She also appeared  in such films as Ulysses, The Viking Queen and Clash of the Titans.Among the honours Anna Manahan received during her lifetime was the Gold Medal of the Éire Society of Boston in 1984, the Freedom of Waterford City in 2002, and an honorary doctorate from the University of Limerick in 2003.She became the first Patron of Active Retirement Ireland, in 2008, after she spoke out strongly against government proposals to remove universal entitlement to medical cards for the over-70s. She died on 8 March 2009.Visit the Dublin City Library & Archive, Pearse Street, Dublin 2.

[Update, 24 Nov 2015: Due to data protection reasons, information from Jacob's Biscuit Factory employee records which are less than 100 years old, will  be made available to direct family members only.  All requests regarding individual employees should be sent to [email protected] in the first instance. The cataloguing project will be completed by the end of December 2015 and we will start processing the email requests in January 2016.]As part of its varied programme of activities for the Decade of Commemorations, Dublin City Library and Archive is currently in the process of cataloguing the records of Jacob’s Biscuit Factory which was acquired by Dublin City Archives in 2012.  Here is a sneak preview of some of the records which have thus far been identified which relate to the Easter Rising of 1916 and the occupation of the factory:SEE IMAGE: Advertisement showing Bishop Street Factory,  Undated ©Valeo Foods, DCLA/JAC/09/241DCLA/JAC/04/1275 Commemorative Jubilee BookletOn the 50th Anniversary of the Rising in 1966, Jacob’s Factory issued Commemorative Jubilee Booklet which recalled the role of the factory in the Rising:Jacob's factory gained for itself a unique and historical place in the recorded history of Ireland in being selected by the leaders of the 1916 insurrection as a strong point in the line of active rebellion throughout the city of Dublin. The massive, fortress like factory, with its soaring towers was virtually impregnable. What discussions and decisions among the rebellion leaders led to the seizing of the factory may now never be known, but the quick of fate which led to it has stamped forever the names of Jacob in the pattern of Irish history(Image ©Valeo Foods. Click to view larger version.)The booklet was part of an effort by the Company to enhance their public image and to make a contribution to the 1916 Celebration:"As one of the industries most closely linked with the rising I feel, we will be very obvious if we let the occasion go past without making some sort of effort" (1916 Jubilee- A Report DCLA/JAC/08/08)DCLA/JAC/04/1290:Witness Statement of Henry FitzgeraldHenry Fitzgerald and Thomas Orr were the watchman and caretaker respectively who were on duty on the morning of Easter Monday, 24th April 1916. A statement within the collection from Fitzgerald provides a valuable insight into what happened during the nine days in which the factory was occupied. Fitzgerald records on 24th April 1916 he "found volunteers and fitters breaking open the door. The officer in charge , whose name I afterwards found to be Lieut. Colbert, placed his hand on my shoulder and stated, as I was watchman, I was the very person he wanted, and I was to consider myself a prisoner".On Tuesday, April 25th, Fitzgerald noted that he "was asked to allow myself to be sworn in as a member of the Sinn Féin Volunteer. I stated that I was never a member of any organisation, political or otherwise, and that all I wanted was to be released and allowed to go home to my wife".On Wednesday, April 26th, a fire alarm bell started ringing at 11pm on Wednesday 26th April, and concerned with the amount of flour in the factory that may be destroyed, Fitzgerald made a request to cut the water off and effect repairs. He notes that he was escorted by Lieut. Sean Colbert to No. 5 sprinkler installation, where he turned the water off.On the final day of occupation Sunday April 30th, Fitzgerald notes "Lieut. Colbert came and shook hands with Mr. Orr and myself and told us peace was proclaimed. I then asked him where I was to go and he answered by telling me “I might go to hell".When the whole ordeal had ended Fitzgerald notes that he:"left the factory, having put over the most anxious week I ever spent of my life. I did not change my clothes once during the week. I scarcely touched any food; on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday there seemed to be plenty of everything, but I felt too sick at heart to take much of anything".DCLA/JAC/01/015 Company Minute Book (1913-1918)The company minute book recorded the impact of the Rising on business and how order was restored post Easter Week.As the general day to day running of the factory was interrupted by the occupation of the factory, the Directors:"decided to pay wages for Monday and Tuesday , May 1st & 2nd, to those employees who were unable to resume work on those days or nights. In part compensation for the loss of wages during the rebellion. This does not apply to any who did not conduct themselves satisfactorily". (11 May 1916)(Image ©Valeo Foods. Click to view larger version.)In a document later collated by Charles E. Jacob (c. 1937) on events in the history of W. & R. Jacob & Co. Ltd. he notes that the rebels"did no damage to machinery fittings but made holes in the walls for strategic purposes and a quantity of rifles and ammunition etc. had to be recovered by the military after the surrender. The populace did some looting on the Saturday afternoon but some of our workers took charge and helped restore order". DCLA/JAC/08/13:JAC/ Employee RecordsFactory employees both participated and were effected by the 1916 Rising and there is evidence of this within individual employee files held in the collection. Tragically Margaret Nolan, employee no. 7 was "shot in the head at door of Berkeley Street Chapel, and died in Mater hospital almost immediately on 25th April 1916 during SF Rebellion." A note on Winifred E. Jarmain’s file states that the family was "removed to England after the shock of the SF rebellion" [1916] and Robert Cooper, employee no. 705 "did not return after Easter 1916". Margaret O’Connor, employee no. 158 was "brought under Mr. Dawson's notice for wearing the SF button before the rebellion, suspended for one week pending enquiry."(15 May 1916)(Image ©Valeo Foods. Click to view larger version.) The cataloguing project is due for completion by the end of 2015. The full collection list will then be available online and researchers will be able to access the original records in our Reading Room.Further recommended reading is Séamus Ó Maitiú ‘s excellent book W&R Jacob - Celebrating 150 Years of Irish Biscuit Making (Dublin, 2001).About our Guest BloggerThis article was prepared by Lisa McCarthy, Eneclann, Project Contract Archivist. 

The Decade of Centenaries Award was established by Digital Repository of Ireland (DRI) in order to engage with custodians and assist in the long term digital preservation of valuable digital material relating to the 1912-1922 period in Irish History.On Thursday 25 June 2015, it was announced that the Dublin City Electoral Lists for the period 1915, recently digitised by Dublin City Library and Archive, was one of three award winning collections.Right: Ellen Murphy (Dublin City Library and Archive) and  Dr. Eucharia Meehan (Irish Research Council)The original Dublin City Electoral Lists (1898-1915) are in printed format and are held at Dublin City Library & Archive, 138-144 Pearse Street, Dublin 2. The Electoral Lists were maintained by Dublin City Council (then Dublin Corporation) on an annual basis in the Town Clerk's Department at City Hall. The two officials who carried out this work during this period were Stephen J. Hand, a general office assistant who was responsible for all matters relating to the franchise list, and James J. Henry, assistant to the Town Clerk, to whom Hand reported. Each Electoral List was printed and bound by Cahill & Co., Great Charles Street, Dublin; the Electoral List was then issued on 31st December and was valid for the following calendar year.View slideshow below:There are approximately 47,000 registered voters each year, which co-relates to almost one-fifth of the population of Dublin at the time and the electoral lists have huge potential to be used for local, social and genealogical research. However as the original classification scheme of the bound volumes was devised to suit the administration of elections, it is impossible to find a particular voter unless their address is known.To address this issue, Dublin City Council has undertaken a project to digitize the electoral lists 1898-1915 as part of the City Council's activities during the Decade of Commemorations. To date, the Dublin City Electoral Lists for 1908-1915 have been digitised and a fully searchable database with over 400,000 records has been made freely available online. The project is directed by Dublin City Archivist Dr. Mary Clark. Scanning of Dublin City Electoral Lists is by Informa Ireland; OCR and production of database by John Grenham.As recipients of the Decade of Centenaries award, Dublin City Library and Archive was provided with best practice guidance and digital preservation services by digital archivists from the DRI.  The 1915 Electoral Rolls & associated database was prepared for ingestion into the DRI and is now displayed at repository.dri.ie alongside the other award winning collections from National Irish Visual Arts Library and the Irish Capuchin Provincial Archives.The Decade of Centenaries award was funded by the Irish Research Council through their New Foundations Programme and the presentation to award winners was made by theDirector of the Irish Research Council, Dr Eucharia Meehan, during the Digital Preservation for the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities  Conference in Croke Park, 25 June 2015.

Dublin City Library and Archive has recently acquired the Orchestra of St Cecilia Collection, donated by manager/artistic director Lindsay Armstrong after his retirement in 2014. The collection comprises Armstrong’s comprehensive administrative records arranged chronologically with individual folders for each orchestral performance.

Dublin City Council has acquired a unique Dublin Fire Brigade Ambulance log-book which covers the period of the Easter Rising, 24-29 April 1916. The log-book relates to Tara Street Fire Station and records hour-by-hour the response of the Dublin ambulance service to those injured in the Rising.

Ancestry Library Edition is now available for consultation free of charge in the Reading Room of Dublin City Library & Archive. Among other items, this contains official records for the First World War, including: British Army World War I Service Records 1914-20British Army World War I Pension Records 1914-20;British Army World War I Medal Rolls Index Cards 1914-20;UK Soldiers died in the Great War 1914-1919It is a very useful resource if you are searching for Irish soldiers in the Great War. 

There is a goldmine of information and untold stories within the collections of Dublin City Archives.  This STORYBOX created for Explore Your Archive Week 2014 gives examples of how we can use a variety of different archival collections to uncover the history of a particular area or street across different centuries. The STORYBOX focuses on examples of archival sources which relate to Parnell Square (previously known as Rutland Square), one of Dublin’s finest Georgian Squares. The original items referred to below can be viewed by calling to Dublin City Library and Reading Room in person.Please bring photographic id with you on your first visit so that we can issue you with a research card.Explore Your Archive Box from Archives & Records Association on Vimeo.Source 1: Wide Street Commission Minute Book 1789-1790 (WSC/Mins/09) and the Wide Street Commission Map CollectionThe Collection: The Wide Street Commission established by an Act of Parliament in 1757 was the first urban planning authority in Europe. Its function was to provide “Wide and Convenient Streets” for Dublin and it had extensive powers to acquire property by compulsory purchase, develop new streets, demolish buildings and impose design standards on building lots which were sold to developers. The Commission had a major impact on development of Georgian Dublin between 1757- 1851Storybox Item: The Minute Book of the Wide Street Commissioners show details of a meeting held on 27 March 1790 in which plans for new street to be built between Rutland Square and Dorset Street are discussed. The new street is to be called Fredrick Street and the adjoining Barley Field is also to be developed. See:  WSC/Mins/09  pp 179-180 and pp 208.Related Records: The Wide Street Commissioners produced over 900 maps in the course of their work, many of which have been conserved and can be viewed at our Wide Street Commission Maps Image Gallery.  The WSC Map collection includes WSC/Maps/327 and WSC/Maps/245/1-2 which relate directly to the development of Barley Field and Fredrick Street in the vicinity of Parnell Square in 1790.  These three maps were conserved in 2014 with funding received from the Heritage Council of Ireland under the Heritage Management Grant Scheme 2014.WSC/Map/245/1 includes a map of proposed new street adjoining Rutland Square and a survey of the Barley Field with details of rental agreements and leaseholders.Further Research: A vast collection of records relating to Wide Street Commission (including maps, minute books, deeds & leases, architectural drawings) are held in Dublin City Archives. These records can help uncover the history of many streets and buildings within Dublin City. Search and browse the Archive of the Wide Street Commission Maps online. Source 2: Dublin City Archaeological Archive/ Moore Street/Parnell Street, Dublin 1 (98E0357) CollectionThe Collection: The Dublin City Archaeological Archive was established in 2010 to preserve the records created by archaeologists during and after an excavation.  It can include items such as maps, drawings, find sheets, photographs, slides and reports which provide important information on a site –and these records are particularly significant if the site is subsequently developed over.DCAA.01.06 related to an excavations carried out by Edmond O’Donovan of Margaret Gowen & Co. Limited on a block at the north-eastern corner of Moore Street and Parnell Street between January and April of 2003 in advance of the construction of a hotel and other retail outlets by Shelbourne Developments.Storybox Item. DCAA.01.06/Box 1/Folder 6: Archaeological Excavations Moore Street/Parnell Street, Dublin 1 Report- Edmond O'Donovan (24 May 2004)The final report describes the four phases of activity uncovered at the site: 1) the medieval phase, 2) use of site as brickfield in early eighteenth century, 3) construction of Georgian Houses between 1750-1770  and 4) occupation & alterations of site from 1770 to 2003. One of the most significant finds at the site was a wooden toy boat c.1750-1780.Further research: There are summary details of all DCAA collections available on our website, with full collection lists available on the Dublin City Archaeological Database in the Reading Room. Artefacts found during excavation are deposited with the National Museum of Ireland.Source 3: Dublin City Council Minute Book 1911The Collection: The indexed Dublin City Council Minutes (1841 –1997) record the various meetings of the municipal authority. Many buildings and streets (public and residential) are discussed. In some cases the streets under discussion may also be referred to in the Dublin City Council Reports (1841 –1997).Storybox Item: Dublin City Council Minute Book 1911The Minutes of meeting held on 12 June 1911  record that the postponement of the motion ‘…that the names of Rutland Square and Cavendish Row be changed to Parnell Square in recognition of the services to Ireland of the great Irish chief, Charles Stuart Parnell”. See item 455, p 321.The Minutes of meeting held on 9 October 1911, record that a letter was submitted by the Secretary, Rotunda Hospital, Dublin, embodying a protest from the Governors of that institution against the proposed changing of names of Rutland Square and Great Britain Street. See item 718, p 484.Further Research: Dublin City Council Minute Books (1841 –1997) and Dublin City Council Reports (1841 –1997) are available in the Reading Room.Source 4: Dublin City Council/Voters Registration Book, 1939-1940. Volume 3About: Electoral Lists (also called Voters' Registration) list the names and addresses of people eligible to vote in Dáil elections, local elections and from the 1970s in European Elections. The Franchise section within Dublin City Council is responsible for the production of the register of electors who reside within the Corporation's administrative boundaries.  The information contained within electoral lists can be used to complements and supplements sources such as Thom’s Street Directories & 1901 and 1911 Census to identify residents of a street at a particular time.Storybox item: Voters Registration Book, 1939-1940. Volume 3, Electoral Lists for Parnell Square East, Polling District-HH, Registration unit- Rotunda, pp39-43.Further Research: Electoral Registers from 1908-1983 (with some gaps) are held by Dublin City Archives and are accessible to the public in the following ways: Electoral Registers for 1908-1912 and 1915 have been digitised and made fully searchable and can be viewed for free online at databases.dublincity.ie. Electoral registers for 1937-1964 have been digitised and made fully searchable and can be viewed on databases in our Reading Room. Electoral Registers from 1965-1983 can be viewed in hard copy format in the Reading Room and are searchable by address only. Source 5: Dublin City Interiors of Importance, Volume 5Collection: In 1983 Dublin Corporation commissioned An Taisce to carry out a survey to identify buildings whose interiors might be worthy of ‘listing’ under the provisions of the Local Government (Planning and Development Act) 1976.  The results of this survey were published in six volumes titled Dublin Interiors of Importance (William Garner, editor) in the mid-1980s. The volumes provide written descriptions, floor plans, photographs and survey notes of some of Dublin’s most familiar buildings, especially of Georgian or earlier design.Storybox Item: Dublin City Interiors of Importance, Volume 5 includes floor plans, photographs and notes for No. 4 Parnell Square, No. 18-20 Parnell Square,  No 22 Parnell Square and No. 33 Parnell Square.  See pp 74-79.Further Research: All six volumes of Dublin Interiors of Importance can be viewed in the Reading RoomSource 6: Dublin City Council Development Plan 1999The Collection: Dublin City Development Plans have been a statutory requirement under various Local Government Planning Acts since 1963. The plan sets out policies and objectives for the development of the City over a six year period. It reflects consultation with the general public and other interested bodies. The making of the Dublin City Development Plan, Local Area Plans, any variation of a plan and any material contravention of the plan is a function reserved to the elected members of the Council.Storybox Item: Dublin City Development Plan 1999 contains reference to Parnell Square on pp74, 144, and 242.Further Research: Dublin City Council Development Plans 1955 –2011 can be accessed in the Reading Room. The Dublin City Development Plan 2011-2017 and the proposed new Dublin City Development Plan 2016-2022 can be viewed on the Dublin City Council website. See also www.parnellsquare.ie which has a wealth of information on the history of Parnell Square and on the project to develop the Parnell Square Cultural Quarter.

The Picture of Dublin for 1811, being a description of the city, and a correct guide to all the public establishments, curiosities, amusements, exhibitions, and remarkable objects, in and near the city of Dublin. With a map of Dublin in the year 1610; a large map for 1811, and several views. On the same principle as The Picture of London.Dublin, printed for the proprietor, by J. and J. Carrick, Batchelor’s Walk; and sold at 41, Golden Lane; La Grange, Nassau Street; Gilbert and Hodges, and Dugdale, Dame Street; and all the booksellers. (Price six shillings British).This is the first edition of The Picture of Dublin, published in 1811. It does not name an editor or compiler, but the imprint states that it was printed for the proprietor, and sold at 41 Golden Lane. At this time 41 Golden Lane was the address of J. and W. Gregory, printers and booksellers. The dedication to the third edition, published in 1816, is signed by William Gregory, so he is likely to have been the compiler of the first edition.It was based on a similar guide to London, and it was aimed at visitors to the city. It went into several editions in the first half of the 19th century, with many different editors, see Dublin City’s online catalogue for other editions.Like a modern guide book this guide starts with a short history of Dublin, followed by a contemporary description of the city and its inhabitants. It describes the public buildings and other sites worth visiting and it is illustrated with engraved plates showing the Bank of Ireland, College Green, the newly built Custom House, Nelson’s Pillar, and the Grand Canal at Portobello Harbour. Nitty-gritty details for the visitor are also included: lists of hotels, stage coaches, public baths, banks, newspapers, etc. An index makes the guide user friendly for the tourist.One of the earliest maps of the city is that of John Speed, published in 1610, which is reproduced at the front of this volume. The map formed part of The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britain, published in London in 1610. This gives an idea of the historical shape of the city. The modern map of 1811, folding into the back of the guide, shows the plan of the streets with the main sites marked.This guide allows the historical tourist to wander the streets of Dublin, admiring the many buildings, parks and statues, and experiencing the exhilaration of visiting a distant place: distant in time rather then space. Alternatively download The Picture of Dublin (PDF, 4.48MB) using Adobe Acrobat. Cannot access PDF?View images from The Picture of Dublin for 1811 on flickr

We're delighted to announce that we've digitised the Dublin City Electoral Lists 1908, 1909 and 1910.

2014 is the millennium of the Battle of Clontarf, which took place on Good Friday 23 April 1014. Commemorating Clontarf: the battle and its legacy was the theme of the City Hall lunchtime lecture series this April. It was standing room only at each of these popular lectures. So in case you missed them we are giving you the chance to listen back to two fascinating lectures.