The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) is the official archive for Northern Ireland and holds over 3 million historical records, including church registers, emigrant letters, workhouse records, and files created by government departments and courts of law. Most relate to the North of Ireland and dated from the 17th century onwards, offering a wealth of information on society, economy and governance. PRONI’s oldest document is a bull of Pope Honorius III, dated 1219.
PRONI is based at purpose built premises in the Titanic Quarter of Belfast and is a division within the NI Department for Communities (DfC). A number of archives have been digitised and are available online athttps://www.nidirect.gov.uk/proni including wills, maps, street directories, valuation records and the Ulster Covenant. The electronic catalogue can be accessed at https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/services/search-ecatalogue
PRONI delivers a programme of events, talks, conferences, exhibitions and book launches over the course of the year. Many of the events relate to the marking of significant centenaries and other notable anniversaries. Details can be found on the PRONI website. These cover a wide range of subjects including amongst other: family and local history, marking centenaries, culture, wars and conflicts, migration and the Ulster Plantation.
