Roots Revealed

04/03/2026

04/03/2026

The excitement is building although sadly there are no Northern Ireland records in the 1926 Census.

A new chapter in Irish history is about to open.

The Census 1926 – the first census of the Irish Free State – will be publicly available on 18 April 2026, inviting you to explore how people lived, worked, and connected one hundred years ago.

More than numbers, these records tell the stories of Irish households, families, and communities during the early years of the Free State.

To mark this centenary, the National Archives of Ireland is launching a public programme, including nationwide exhibitions, a special theatrical production by Anu Productions and an RTÉ documentary exploring the human stories behind the records.

As part of the lead-up to the Census 1926 release, RTÉ published an article this week on why these records are such an important part of the Irish history 🔗 https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2026/0226/1560189-census-population-ireland-culture-trends/

Whether you’re a genealogist, academic, or curious about your family tree, this centenary celebration reveals not only data but the lives behind the data.
Find out more about the plans for the Census release 🔗 https://nationalarchives.ie/engage-and-learn/census-1926-public-programme/

20/02/2026

The third and final talk I'll be delivering this week is Irish Newspapers and Other Printed Material for the Irish Genealogical Society International. The talk will be delivered via Zoom on Saturday 21 Feb 2026 at 10.30am CST and 4.30pm GMT. For more information and to enquire about joinin the talk please see

The Irish Genealogical Society International is dedicated to helping you discover your Irish heritage and ancestry. Visit us for assistance with your family history.

18/02/2026

The second talk for this week is using Irish Newspapers and Other Printed Material for the Larne Branch of the North of Ireland Family History Society The talk will be delivered via Zoom on Thursday 19 Feb at 7.00pm. For more information and to find out how you can view the talk, please contact the branch

Promoting and encouraging the study of family history, genealogy, heraldry and local history, particular reference to nine counties of Ulster.

18/02/2026

The first of three talks this week was for a group of senior's in the village of Cullybackey, (known locally as Yin Nought Yin). I talked about a day in the life of a genealogist and shared some of the interesting stories I had uncovered during research. We also looked at some of the records that folk could use to get started with their own family history research. There is a wealth of memories and stories to be unearthed with this group and preserved for the future - I do hope some of the group were inspired to get started.

02/02/2026

Good news that PRONI are continuing with extended opening.

We’re back with extended opening hours! ✨

After a short winter break, PRONI is delighted to announce that our late-night Thursdays and selected Saturday openings are returning.

Late Thursdays📚
Our Search Room and Reading Room will now stay open until 8pm on selected Thursdays, giving you extra time to explore, research, and access our facilities. Document ordering times will run from 10am – 7:15pm.
Upcoming dates:
• Thursday 19 February
• Thursday 19 March

Saturday Openings 📅
We’ll also be open on selected Saturdays from 10am–2pm. Document ordering times will run from 10am – 1:15pm.
Upcoming dates:
• Saturday 7 February
• Saturday 7 March

For more info please see: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/getting-proni-and-opening-hours

08/01/2026

Can you help with providing us with information on photographs from one of our collections?

The Albert McAlpine Photographic Collection (D4977) contains over 3000 photographs on 35mm slide format along with digitised copies of these images. The photographs were taken by Albert E McAlpine and date mainly to the 1980s with some dating as early as 1957. Mr McAlpine’s family indexed and digitised the collection before depositing it with PRONI.

These photographs mainly relate to Belfast, particularly the east of the city. However, some photographs have limited descriptive information. As these photographs were taken within living memory, we hope that some of you could help us identify the exact location of these images. We will use this information to update the PRONI catalogue and make the collection more discoverable.

The below image (D4977/10/214) was taken in a park in September 1965, but do you know where?

Image courtesy of Mr Philip McAlpine

07/01/2026

Do you have Royal Navy ancestors? If so this new collection recently uploaded to Findmypast will be of interest.

29/12/2025

An insight into the material contained in the annual release of State Papers.

The State Papers include letters, communications, private briefing notes, secret government documents, fax messages and e-mails relating to stories from the past.

13/12/2025

***Christmas and New Year Closure Dates***

Please note that PRONI will be closed on the following days:

Wednesday 24th, Thursday 25th and Friday 26th December

Thursday 1st January 2026

11/12/2025

02/12/2025

Are you wondering what Christmas present will delight the person who loves family history but is difficult to buy for? A Genealogy Gift Voucher from Roots Revealed is the ideal present. For more details please see https://rootsrevealed.co.uk/gift-vouchers/