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REPORT OF THE STEERING GROUP

ON

LOCAL AUTHORITY RECORDS AND ARCHIVES

March 1996.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Summary of recommendations 2 Preliminary 3 Role of local authorities 4 Present extent and condition of archives 5 Recommended approach 6 Dealing with records and archives 7 Accommodation and staffing 8 Finance Appendix Survey of local authority archives - Summary findings

Chapter 1

SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS Recommended approach

1.1 Given the generally poor condition of the surviving local authority archives, measures should be taken as soon as possible to secure their future (par. 5.1).

1.2 Local authorities should carry out the required work in relation to their archives in two phases, ie.,

Phase I - The commencement of the task of properly retaining, managing, preserving and restoring their archives.

Phase II - The putting in place of arrangements for providing public access to archives (par. 5.2).

1.3 Local authorities should commence the task of properly retaining and managing records under 30 years old. This includes the orderly disposal of records which do not warrant archival preservation and making suitable arrangements in relation to records becoming archives after 30 years (par. 5.3).

1.4 Unless archives are at present in conditions which are an immediate threat to their survival, they should not be moved until arrangements for the commencement of Phase I have been put in place (par. 5.4).

1.5 The Department of the Environment should issue guidelines to local authorities on the detailed aspects of looking after their records and archives (par. 5.5).

1.6 Responsibility for the care and management of archives held by other local bodies, such as health boards and harbour authorities, rests with those bodies. However, in time and as resources permit, local authorities and those bodies should cooperate in the provision of shared archives facilities containing all of their archives (par. 5.6).

1.7 The National Archives should, as far as resources permit, provide assistance to and cooperate with local authorities in relation to their archives services (par. 5.7). Role of local authorities 1.8 Local authorities should in time be in a position to acquire archival material from individuals or other bodies and care for and provide public access to such material (par. 3.2).

Dealing with records and archives 1.9 Local authorities, particularly the smaller ones, should cooperate in matters of accommodation, staffing, etc., in meeting their responsibilities in relation to records and archives (par. 6.1).

1.10 The most suitable place for the archives function in the organisational structure of the local authority is within the public library service (par. 6.3).

1.11 Local authorities should prepare as soon as possible a plan of action for dealing with their archives (par. 6.4).

Accommodation 1.12 Proper accommodation will be necessary to deal correctly with records and archives. The accommodation should meet the recognised standard for the storage of archives (par. 7.1).

1.13 The use of temporary accommodation should be considered pending the provision of proper long-term accommodation (par. 7.2).

1.14 Guidelines to be issued by the Department of the Environment to local authorities should include advice on the principal requirements to be met in relation to accommodation (par. 7.3).

1.15 Plans for new library facilities should, where appropriate, take account of the accommodation needs in relation to archives (par. 7.4).

Staffing 1.16 Each local authority should nominate a Certifying Officer who would have overall responsibility for records and archives in the authority (par. 7.5).

1.17 The preparation and implementation of the plan of action should be carried out by local authority staff in conjunction with an archivist (par. 7.6).

1.18 Local authorities should share the services of archivists in dealing with the present backlog of archives. As far as is possible, having regard the Government's restrictions on the recruitment of staff, local authorities should initially aim to engage the services of at least one archivist for every region established under the Local Government Act, 1991, or for every smaller area as may be agreed by the relevant local authorities. Where they are to be employed on contract, the contracts should be of sufficiently long duration to attract those who have the necessary qualifications and experience (pars. 7.7 and 7.8).

Finance 1.19 Options for financing the required work in relation to records and archives should be explored by local authorities and the Department of the Environment (par. 8.1).

Chapter 2 PRELIMINARY

Background 2.1 Section 65 of the Local Government Act, 1994, placed a duty on local authorities for the first time to make proper arrangements for the management, custody, care and conservation of their records and archives and to provide public access to their archives. The section also contains a number of related provisions, including one which enables the Minister for the Environment, having consulted the Director of the National Archives, to give advice or directions to local authorities on matters relating to their records and archives.

2.2 In the light of the new legislation, it was decided that the Department of the Environment should determine what local authority archives exist in different areas, what work has been done to date in relation to those archives, what the immediate priorities are and how a uniform and consistent programme of development could best be put in place.

Steering Group 2.3 To advise and assist the Department of the Environment in this work, a Steering Group, representative of the different interests in local authority records and archives, was appointed. The members of the Group were:

John O'Connor (Chairman)* Department of the Environment

Mary Clark Archivist, Corporation

David Craig Director, National Archives

Michael Doody Former City Manager, Corporation

Norma Mc Dermott Director, An Chomhairle Leabharlanna

Roibeard O Ceallaigh County Manager, Meath

Michael O Connell Department of the Environment

Tom Sheridan (Secretary) Department of the Environment

* replaced John Cullen in August, 1995.

Survey 2.4 To establish what local authority archives exist and what condition they are in, the National Archives carried out a survey of local authorities on behalf of the Department of the Environment. Because of the historical connection between the local authorities, the health boards and the harbour authorities, the survey also took account of archives held by the latter bodies.

Records and Archives 2.5 In this report, references to the records of local authorities mean records in any format, other than library, museum or gallery collections or property deeds and the like, which are made or received and held by authorities in the course of their business. These records include the records of the various bodies which existed prior to the establishment of the present county councils in 1899. References to the archives of local authorities mean material held in local authority archives, local authority records which are more than 30 years old and other material which has been acquired as archives by the authorities. These meanings coincide with those given to the terms in section 65 of the Local Government Act, 1994.

Acknowledgements 2.6 The Steering Group wishes to record its appreciation of the National Archives for facilitating and arranging the carrying out of the survey of local authority archives and, in particular, Ms Frances Mc Gee, who organised and managed the survey and assisted the Group in its work, Mr Brian Donnelly who acted as assistant manager of the survey, and Ms Mary Fitzpatrick, Mr Colman Mc Loughlin, Mr Donal Moore and Ms Rachel Scahill, who carried out most of the detailed work of the survey. The Group also wishes to thank the City and County Managers and the staff of all local authorities, the Department of Health, the health boards, the Department of the Marine and the harbour authorities for their cooperation with the National Archives in the course of the survey.

Chapter 3

ROLE OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES

3.1 The statutory functions of local authorities in relation to records and archives are set out in section 65 of the Local Government Act, 1994, which came into operation on 1 December, 1994. To comply with this section, local authorities will be required to - - adopt appropriate policies and practices to retain, manage, preserve and restore their records and archives,

- provide secure and suitable premises and facilities for the custody and care of their records and archives, and

- generally provide public access to their archives.

The section also empowers the Minister for the Environment to give advice or directions to local authorities concerning local authority records and archives.

3.2 Under the same provision, a local authority may also acquire archival material from individuals or other bodies and care for and provide public access to such material. This power is important, not only because it allows local authorities to enhance the quality of their archives, but because it enables the authorities to take in archival material that may otherwise be dispersed or destroyed. However, the Group accepts that, given the present state of development of archives in all but a few local authorities, it will be some time before the authorities are in a position to take in such material.

3.3 As well as meeting the new statutory obligations, the development by local authorities of archives services can contribute substantially to their respective areas. Archives services can assist in safeguarding the local heritage, in meeting the needs of researchers, in general development and, particularly, in helping to further the ever increasing opportunities in the cultural tourism industry.

Chapter 4

PRESENT EXTENT AND CONDITION OF ARCHIVES

4.1 The results of the survey carried out in conjunction with this report indicate that a large quantity of important archives is held by local authorities. While there is a variation in the extent and condition of archives in different areas and much material has been lost over the years, the surviving archives are the basis of a very valuable collection. Some of the best archives which have survived have been cared for by the public library service and are held as part of local studies collections.

4.2 Only a very small proportion of the archives is properly stored, organised or accessible by the public. This is, to some extent, understandable given that the statutory functions in this regard have only recently been placed on local authorities. However, much of the material is badly stored, in poor condition and not usable in any sense and unless immediate and substantial rescue measures are taken, it will not survive.

4.3 The survey revealed the following general problems -

Policy

Most local authorities do not have a considered policy in respect of their archives, nor is there a senior officer with overall responsibility in this regard. In these circumstances, archives are not retained or cared for in an orderly manner and they fail to attract the resources and attention which they require. This has undoubtedly contributed to the deterioration and loss of much material over the years.

Storage facilities

In most cases, storage facilities used for archives are both inadequate and unsuitable, leading directly to the deterioration of material. In addition, such facilities are dispersed, resulting in the fragmentation of collections and difficulties in management.

Public Access

With the exception of , Dublin, Fingal and , where archivists are employed, specific facilities for public access to archives are not provided. Some public libraries make local studies collections, which include some local authority archives, available to the public but the extent of and facilities for this service are limited.

4.4 Valuable archives relating to the health services were found to survive in most hospitals. However, much material has been lost over the years and a large proportion of the remainder is of recent origin. Despite this, the archives which have survived are very important and should be preserved.

4.5 The archives of the health services are widely dispersed and their condition and storage are generally unsatisfactory. As in the case of local authority archives, immediate and substantial measures are required to prevent further material from being lost.

4.6 Archives of all the harbour authorities exist, the majority in the custody of those authorities. While the quality of their archives is high, the quantities vary from one authority to another and the storage conditions are generally unsuitable. Archives of some authorities have suffered because of their proximity to water and some have not survived.

4.7 A summary of the findings of the survey is contained in the Appendix.

CONTENTS

Chapter 5

RECOMMENDED APPROACH

5.1 Given the generally poor condition of local authority archives and the circumstances in which they are stored, considerable work and expenditure is required before local authorities will be in position to carry out fully the functions now falling on them under the Local Government Act, 1994. It is important that measures are put in place as soon as possible to secure the future of the surviving archives.

5.2 In view of the extent of the task to be undertaken by local authorities in relation to their archives, it is most realistic that it should be approached in two phases, ie.

Phase I - The commencement of the priority task of properly retaining, managing, preserving and restoring the archives.

Phase II - The putting in place of arrangements for providing public access to the archives.

5.3 At the same time as the work in relation to archives is proceeding, local authorities should commence the task of properly retaining and managing records under thirty years old. This task includes the orderly disposal of records which do not warrant archival preservation and making suitable arrangements in relation to records becoming archives after 30 years.

5.4 Unless archives are at present in conditions which are an immediate threat to their survival, they should not be moved until arrangements for the commencement of Phase I have been put in place.

5.5 To initiate this programme of work, the Group recommends that the Department of the Environment issues detailed guidelines to local authorities which would provide advice on -

 the different types of archives which exist, how they should be retained, managed, preserved and restored, the conditions in which they should be stored and so forth,  the service which should be made available in connection with the provision of public access to archives, and  an orderly approach to the preservation and disposal of records, including those in electronic form, under 30 years old.

Taken together with the results of the survey, these guidelines would provide a basis on which local authorities could prepare a plan for dealing with their records and archives and progress from their present position on an uniform and consistent basis.

5.6 In relation to the archives held by other bodies, especially the health services and harbour authorities, responsibility for the care and management of this material rests in the first instance with the bodies concerned. However, it clearly would be wasteful for a number of bodies to establish and run parallel archives facilities throughout the country. It would also be difficult for smaller bodies to meet the desired standards for such facilities. Accordingly, the Group considers that eventually, as resources permit, local authorities and the other bodies within a county should cooperate in the provision of shared archives facilities containing all of their archives.

5.7 The likely development of archives services throughout the country by local authorities raises the issue of the relationship that should be put in place between the National Archives and those services. Given that the archives function of local authorities is new, the Group considers that they will need on-going advice and assistance from the National Archives. In addition, a level of coordination and cooperation between the National Archives and those services needs to be established if they are to develop in a consistent manner. Under section 4 of the National Archives Act, 1986, the Director of the National Archives has the function of giving advice to local authorities and other public service organisations on the management, preservation and reproduction of records under their control. The Group considers that the National Archives should, as far as resources permit, provide assistance to and cooperate with local authorities in relation to the development of their archives services.

Chapter 6

DEALING WITH RECORDS AND ARCHIVES

6.1 Under the Local Government Act, 1994, responsibility in relation to records and archives rests on each local authority, ie. county corporations (5), county councils (29), borough corporations (6), urban district councils (49) and town commissions (26). However, the provision of an archives facility in each of the 115 local authorities would be impractical and uneconomical. It would also be difficult for smaller authorities to meet the desired standards for such facilities. The Group considers it advisable, therefore, that local authorities, and particularly the smaller authorities, should cooperate in meeting their responsibilities. This cooperation could include the preparation of a common strategy covering all or part of a county, placing collections for all or part of a county in one or in a small number of locations or sharing staff and storage facilities.

6.2 The extent and nature of the work required to deal with the backlog of local authority records and archives will vary from one local authority to another. However, in view of the similarities in records and archives throughout the country, the Group considers that a uniform approach to dealing with them should be adopted. The guidelines to be issued by the Department of the Environment (par. 5.5 refers) will contribute greatly towards achieving such uniformity.

6.3 As the survey has indicated, much archival material has been assembled by the public library service over the years as part of local studies collections. For this reason and because of the similarities between the library and archives services and the tradition of public use of library buildings, the Group considers that the most suitable place for the archives function in the organisational structure of the local authority is within the public library service.

Phase I 6.4 The first step to be taken by local authorities in relation to their archives is the preparation of a plan of action. The plan should set out in detail the extent of the work required, the sequence of operations, the timing of the different elements, the resources required and so forth. It should take account of the data collected by the survey and the guidelines to be issued by the Department of the Environment.

6.5 After the plan of action has been determined, the following general sequence of work should apply - (1) Archives not worthy of permanent preservation should be properly disposed of.

(2) All other archives should be brought together and placed in proper accommodation.

(3) Archives should be cleaned and the priority archives (ie. those to which public access is to be provided) should be identified. The work of preparation for public access (arrangement, listing, numbering, packing, boxing and shelving) should be carried out on the priority archives. Proposals for dealing with the non- priority archives should be drawn up.

6.6 As already indicated (par. 5.4 refers), unless archives are at present in conditions which are an immediate threat to their survival, they should not be moved until arrangements for the commencement of Phase I have been put in place.

Phase II 6.7 Before providing public access to archives, the following steps should be taken -

(1) The archives to be withheld from public access should be determined. The circumstances for withholding material should be similar to those applying to national archives under the National Archives Act, 1986, ie. on grounds of public interest, to avoid a breach of statutory duty or good faith, to avoid causing distress or danger to living persons or to avoid an action for damages for defamation.

(2) Arrangements to maintain the security of archives during public access should be made.

(3) Arrangements to provide a proper level of service to the public should be made.

6.8 In time, other matters relating to the provision of public access to archives, such as the making of security copies, the carrying out of conservation and repair work and the development of the service, should be attended to.

Records 6.9 6.9 While the above steps are in progress, attention should also be given to the proper retention and management of records under thirty years old (par. 5.3 refers). In this regard, the following steps should be taken - (1) Records should be surveyed with a view to establishing their nature and extent. (2) Disposal schedules, to facilitate the orderly disposal of records which do not warrant archival preservation, should be prepared. (3) Records being retained should be placed in proper accommodation. (4) Arrangements in relation to records becoming archives after 30 years should be established. (5) Measures to ensure the preservation of records in electronic form should be adopted.

Chapter 7

ACCOMMODATION AND STAFFING

Accommodation 7.1 As has been already indicated (Chapter 6 refers), the placing of records and archives in proper accommodation is an essential step in the task of properly managing and preserving the material. The accommodation should meet the desired standard for the permanent or long-term storage of archives set out in British Standard 5454 :1989.

7.2 If it is not possible to provide suitable long-term accommodation within a reasonably short period of time, temporary accommodation should be made available. This would provide a period of time during which the matter of providing permanent accommodation could be pursued.

7.3 To assist local authorities in relation to the provision of accommodation, guidelines to be provided to local authorities by the Department of the Environment (par. 5.5 refers) should state the principal requirements to be met in relation to permanent and temporary storage accommodation and accommodation for public access.

7.4 Where a local authority is preparing plans for a new public library, particularly in the principal town, or public library headquarters, consideration should be given to the incorporation of accommodation for its archives where this is in keeping with the authority's plan of action for dealing with archives.

Staffing 7.5 Apart from the issue of accommodation, the most important step to be taken by a local authority is the nomination of a Certifying Officer who would have overall responsibility for records and archives in the authority. The duties of the officer would be analogous to those of a Certifying Officer in a Government Department under the National Archives Act, 1986, ie.

 overseeing the implementation of the statutory duties of the local authority in relation to records and archives, and  devising and implementing procedures concerning a. the disposal of records and archives, and b. the withholding of archives from public access.

The officer, who would be an existing local authority official, should be of sufficient level of authority to carry out the function.

7.6 The preparation and implementation of the plan of action should be carried out by local authority staff in conjunction with an archivist. The archivist should work closely with and have direct access to the Certifying Officer and cooperate with other local authority staff, particularly library staff.

7.7 Bearing in mind the variation in the extent and condition of archives in different areas, the amount of archivist input required by each local authority to deal with the present backlog of archives (Phase I) will differ. For this reason, it is most realistic that local authorities should share the services of archivists for this work. The number of archivists required will depend on the level of cooperation that can be established between authorities. The Group suggests that, as far as is possible, having regard to the Government's restrictions on the recruitment of staff, local authorities should initially aim to engage the services of at least one archivist for each of the eight regions established under the Local Government Act, 1991, or for every smaller area as may be agreed by the relevant local authorities.

7.8 Where the archivists are to be employed on contract, the contract should be of sufficiently long duration to attract those who have the necessary qualifications and experience.

7.9 Once the existing backlog of work has been cleared, the nature and scale of the archives operation will depend on such matters as the volume and type of archives which are being retained, the extent of cooperation which develops between local authorities and other public bodies, and the type and level of service that is to be provided to the public.

Chapter 8

FINANCE

8.1 As this Report indicates, the obligations that now fall on local authorities in relation to their records and archives are considerable. To meet these obligations, local authorities will have to incur expenditure, especially in relation to accommodation and staffing. It will be a matter for local authorities and the Department of the Environment to explore options for financing the required work in relation to records and archives. The possibility of subsidising the recommended appointments and accommodation, at least until the backlog is overcome, should be explored. This subsidisation would be similar in principle to that provided at present by the Arts Council and An Chomhairle Leabharlanna in relation to the cost to local authorities of employing Arts Officers and of leasing premises in connection with the public library service respectively.

Appendix

Survey of Local Authority Archives

SUMMARY FINDINGS

Introduction

The objective of the survey was to discover the extent and condition of local authority archives (records dating up to 1965). Apart from county councils, corporations, borough corporations, urban district councils and town commissioners, the survey included health board hospitals and harbour authorities (par. 2.4 refers). Most of these bodies are the successors of older bodies, such as grand juries, rural district councils, poor law boards of guardians and boards of health and public assistance.

The survey, which was carried out during the first half of 1995, involved -

- the completion of a questionnaire by local authorities in respect of the archives held by them, and

- visits to all counties to assess the condition of archives in the location where they are stored and the extent of work required.

The archives were examined, identified, described and measured, using a standard method, and the storage conditions were reported. This provided the data from which the following summaries were compiled, and from which the amount of space required for proper storage and working was estimated.

It was not possible to include comprehensively and in the detail necessary other known sources of archives, such as graveyard archives held by caretakers, county council area engineering offices and community care offices of the health boards. Archives from private, estate or business sources were outside the remit of the survey.

Estimates of storage and working space

The estimates of storage and working space required given in the summaries relate to Phase I (Par. 5.2 refers). They assume shelving bays 1000 mm wide and 500 mm deep with between four and eight shelves, depending on the size of the archives. An allowance of floor space of 2 m2 per bay of shelving is allowed and this is necessary for working on large quantities of disordered material. Storage of maps is assumed to be in horizontal drawers in AO sized plan cabinets and the estimate of floor space is based on 2.5 m2 for ten drawers. At the end of Phase I, there should be a small amount of space in hand.

Charts

There are two pie charts for each county, showing (1) the breakdown of archives by body of origin, and (2) the breakdown of archives now held by each body (the separate locations under the control of these bodies are not shown).

Co.

Co. Carlow has a good collection of basic archives, with a fair survival rate of archives of the County Council, urban bodies, poor law boards of guardians and hospitals. The County Council archives comprise county council minutes, committee minutes, drainage board minutes, board of health and public assistance minutes, and rural district council and miscellaneous archives, dating from between 1899 and 1965. The county library service has collected some grand jury and rating archives but is hampered by lack of space. The two urban bodies, Carlow UDC and Muinebeag Town Commissioners, hold small quantities of archives, and archives of the Carlow Union Board of Guardians are stored in Carlow UDC offices. There are hospital archives from St Dympna's, the Sacred Heart and the District Hospitals, with particularly good archives in St Dympna's. Almost without exception, these archives are stored in a manner and in places which are unsuitable.

Space required for storage and working: 84 m2

Co.

The situation in Co. Cavan is that very few county council archives survive. The county library service has made a good collection of archives, two of the three urban bodies have good archives and the third holds none, and there are fair hospital archives. The only archives held by the County Council are Minutes. The library service has collected poor law board of guardians archives from 1839, archives of the rural district councils and board of health and public assistance, and a small quantity of miscellaneous documents from the County Council. Both Cavan Urban District Council and Town Commissioners have good quantities of quality archives, but unfortunately those of Town Commissioners are no longer extant. Cavan General Hospital and St Felim's Hospital each have a small quantity of representative 20th century archives. With one exception, all the locations in which the archives are stored are unsuitable.

Space required for storage and working: 52 m2

Co. Clare

There is a moderate quantity of archives in but all the basic elements of a local archives are present. The county library service has put together an excellent collection of the surviving grand jury, poor law boards of guardians and rural district council material. The County Council continues to hold the important archives of its operations and there are good archives held by the Urban Councils of and Kilrush and by Town Commissioners. There are few hospital archives apart from those in Our Lady's Hospital, Ennis, where there is a relatively large quantity of asylum archives dating from 1874. Overall, the archives are dispersed throughout the county and most of the storage is unsuitable. The situation of Ennis Courthouse, where the County Council moved out leaving archives behind, is not desirable.

Space required for storage and working: 75 m2

Cork

The situation in Cork is difficult and complex, despite the active policy of Cork Archives Institute since 1970 which has brought together a large and important collection of archives, including most of the older material, from many of the bodies in Cork City and County. A professional archivist is employed by Cork Archives Institute and public access to archives is provided. There is also an active commitment to exhibition and publication work and to the collection of private and business archives. However, the position in Cork is complicated by the very large number local authorities and hospitals which exist in the city and county and by the fact that most of them still hold archives, although some of the quantities are small. There is material held in ninety-seven locations in forty-four separate buildings. Some series are badly fragmented between the locations. Cork Corporation and Cork County Council still hold archives in all of their offices and in some of their storage premises. All twelve urban bodies also have small quantities of archives, although some have made partial transfers to Cork Archives Institute. Nineteen hospital/health bodies and three harbour authorities, including Port of Cork which has a high quality collection, still hold archives. The storage conditions vary from very poor to fair and in general the situation gives reason for serious concern. Cork Archives Institute is the obvious centre for these archives but, with current levels of staff, is not in a position to undertake the work required and also has a long-standing demand for suitable accommodation. Cork Archives Institute was not surveyed and the figures were calculated from information supplied by the archivist.

Space required for storage and working:

Cork Archives Institute 120 m2

Cork Corporation 31 m2

Cork County Council 65 m2

Urban bodies 33 m2

Hospitals 64 m2

Harbour authorities 30 m2

Total 343 m2

Co. Donegal

There is a very large quantity of high quality archives extant in Co. Donegal, stored in forty-five locations in twenty-four buildings in different parts of the county, but the vast majority of which comprises archives of the County Council. These factors create problems of their own but the archives will form the basis of a very fine local archives. employed an archivist on contract in 1995 but archives on this scale require a great deal of work. The County Council holds very good archives, the largest amount surveyed in any council. An excellent collection of archives of the poor law boards of guardians, rural district councils, board of health and public assistance has been centralised in Lifford Courthouse, along with some private archives. The four urban councils all hold interesting archives. Apart from St Conal's in , there are only small quantities of archives still held in the hospitals, and there are none in Letterkenny General Hospital, Donegal District Hospital or The Shiel Hospital, . In general, the poor storage conditions and the number of storage locations in Co. Donegal give cause for concern.

Space required for storage and working: 213 m2

Dublin

There is a large quantity of archives held in Dublin. Dublin Corporation and each employ one qualified professional archivist to run a public archives service, but it is not clear how the archives of other bodies, such as Dublin Port and health bodies, could be accommodated within these existing arrangements. Dublin Corporation was not surveyed as the Corporation had already carried out its own survey and the figures from that survey are included. Dublin Corporation holds the oldest and most voluminous civic archives in the country but while the pre-1940 archives have been listed, conserved, consulted and exhibited, the bulk of the collection is now stored in ten separate locations, most of it sub-standard and without public access. It is hoped to provide accommodation where the archives can be brought together. Most of the archives of the three Dublin County Councils have been collected together and are held by Fingal: this is a very good collection and an example of the coherence that can be achieved by bringing all the elements of the local authority's archives together. Archives of other urban bodies are also well represented, with a small quantity in and an extensive collection from urban bodies now abolished, from Dun Laoghaire Corporation to the small town commissions, now in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Council premises. Dublin Port continues to hold a large and important collection, but the older material is in the National Archives. There are high quality archives in the Health Board hospitals; of particular note are those of St Brendan's, which have unfortunately been fragmented by the removal of some material, and of the fever hospitals. These archives are held in storage conditions which vary between good and very poor, and they are also are dispersed and fragmented.

Total space required for storage and working:

Dublin Corporation 1000 m2

Fingal County Council 90 m2

Dun Laoghaire Corporation 50 m2

Port of Dublin 95 m2

Hospitals 70 m2

Total 1305 m2

Galway

All of the bodies surveyed in County and City held archives and there is a large quantity in total. The Central Library holds a good core collection of mostly poor law boards of guardians, board of health and public assistance and hospital archives, but some archives are stored in Branch Library. Both the County Council and Galway Corporation still hold large quantities of archives in their offices and strongrooms, and some archives of the Corporation are in UCG Library. The surviving archives of Galway Harbour Commissioners are of very high quality. Both Tuam and Loughrea Town Commissions have archives and those of Urban District Council are particularly interesting. There are the usual fairly small amounts of hospital archives, but those in St Brigid's in Ballinasloe are one of the best collections of asylum archives. However, the archives are fragmented and dispersed throughout the county and fifteen surveys in fifty-one separate locations were carried out. Apart from the conditions in St Brigid's, Ballinasloe, which give cause for concern, no disastrous situations were seen, but storage is nevertheless universally unsuitable.

Total space required for storage and working: 190 m2

Co. Kerry

The overall quantity of archives in Co. Kerry is moderate but it is potentially a collection of very high quality. The county library service has appreciated the value of archives and the public interest in them for many years and has a policy of active collecting. The Central Library has an impressive collection of poor law boards of guardians, county council, rural district councils, board of health and public assistance and harbour archives and has employed archivists for short periods in the past. There is still a good range of archives held in the various bodies around the county. The County Council holds some interesting material and UDC has a large collection, with smaller quantities in and Listowel UDCs. There are small amounts of archives still in the general hospitals and high quality archives in St Finan's in Killarney. There are harbour authority archives held in Tralee and Fenit Pier and Harbour Commissioners and those of Dingle Harbour Commissioners are in the Central Library. Some of the series are fragmented between the different bodies and most of the archives are stored in unsuitable conditions. Despite the work already done, there remains a very large task before these archives can be used. The present Central Library was designed to have an entire floor for the archives, but this area is used by the Motor Taxation Office. It is regrettable that one of the only designated archives facilities in the country should not be available for its original purpose.

Space required for storage and working: 142 m2

Co. Kildare

There is a fairly small but high quality collection of archives in Co. Kildare. The county library service has made a good basic collection of poor law boards of guardians, rural district council, boards of health and public assistance, hospital and some county council archives. Further miscellaneous county council archives are retained by the County Council in . The three urban bodies each hold small quantities of archives. There are some hospital archives held by the library service and in Hospital, but there are no archives of Naas General Hospital. The storage conditions are fair, but the archives suffer from dispersal throughout the county and the fragmentation of series between different locations.

Space required for storage and working: 75 m2

Co.

The situation in Kilkenny is relatively positive. The quality of the archives is good and most of them are well stored. The County Council continues to hold a large volume of archives. The county library service has played an active role in collecting archives for a number of years and has accommodated the archives in Kilkenny Courthouse. There are also several other good collections, notably in Kilkenny Corporation which are among the oldest archives anywhere in the country. There are interesting archives in St Canice's Hospital, and also in Thomastown Hospital but none survive in Castlecomer Hospital or St Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny. Callan Town Commission was abolished in December 1994, and the remaining documents are due to be taken in by the library service. However, although much work has been done in Kilkenny, it is far from complete.

Space required for storage and working: 106 m2

Co. Laois

There is a fair sized collection of archives held in Co. Laois but they are spread throughout the county in a variety of unsuitable locations. Few county council archives have survived. The county library service has gathered good quality archives of poor law boards of guardians, rural district council, board of health and public assistance and some county council archives, but they are stored in two branch libraries. There are small quantities of 20th century archives in Abbeyleix Hospital and St Vincent's Hospital, . St Fintan's Hospital holds archives of the Board of Health and Public Assistance and Laois County Hospital but, surprisingly for an asylum which opened in 1833, none of its own archives dates before 1900. Urban archives are poorly represented, with only a small quantity for Town Commissioners and none for Mountmellick Town Commissioners. The storage is generally unsuitable, and St Fintan's Hospital is very poor in this regard. The archives are seriously fragmented and dispersed between the different locations.

Space required for storage and working: 48 m2

Co. Leitrim

In Co. Leitrim there is a fair quantity of good quality archives which would form the nucleus of a local archives. The county library service has been active in this area and has collected archives of the poor law boards of guardians, rural district councils and a small amount from the County Council. There are still some archives in the custody of the County Council, including board of health and public assistance archives dated 1925-43, and a good cross-section of miscellaneous archives. Only a disappointingly small quantity of hospital archives survives for St Patrick's, Carrick-on-Shannon and Manorhamilton Hospital, with none for Mohill Hospital. Proper storage is required for all the archives, and there is a serious threat to the safety of the archives in the Courthouse in Carrick-on-Shannon which is no longer occupied.

Space required for storage and working: 36 m2

Limerick

Large amounts of high quality archives relating to a range of bodies survive in Limerick County and City. Limerick Regional Archives holds an excellent collection of archives, including those of Limerick Corporation, Limerick Harbour Commissioners, poor law boards of guardians, rural district council and board of health and public assistance. This collection reflects the presence of an archivist there over the last 15 years. Apart from Limerick Corporation, which has transferred most of its older archives, there are still large quantities of archives held in the various bodies, especially the County Council which retains its most important series. The archives of Foynes Harbour Trustees and those remaining in Limerick Harbour Commissioners are good collections of their type. Croom Orthopaedic Hospital holds one of the best collections of patients' case archives surveyed, but the small quantity of the archives surviving in St. Joseph's Hospital, one of the oldest mental hospitals in the country, is disappointing. The archives are stored in fairly good conditions but are dispersed.

Space required for storage and working: 210 m2

Co.

Very few archives survive in Co. Longford. This is partly due to the small size of the county and the fact that there is now in effect only one hospital, which holds a small number of volumes. However, County Council archives were destroyed in recent times and most of the surviving archives are in Longford Courthouse, which is due for refurbishment. The Central Library holds grand jury presentment books and poor law boards of guardians minutes, and each of the two urban bodies in Longford and also has a small quantity of archives. The storage is in the range fair to poor.

Space required for storage and working: 30 m2

Co. Louth

There is a good quantity of archives surviving in Co. Louth and they are of high quality. The County Council still holds most of its important archives and also the surviving archives of the board of health and public assistance archives. The county library service has made a good collection of core archives from the grand jury, municipal corporations, rural district councils, poor law boards of guardians and the county council. The poor law boards of guardians archives are held in three separate libraries and there are also some in Museum. The urban archives are particularly good in Co. Louth; Drogheda has one of the largest and best collections seen and those of Ardee are one of the oldest in the country. The Drogheda Harbour Commissioners archives are also among the best of their type in the country. The storage conditions varied from poor to good. The dispersal and fragmentation of these archives is a problem for their security, as is the impending refurbishment of County Buildings in .

Space required for storage and working: 142 m2

Co. Mayo

This is a fairly small collection of archives which is explained by a history of accidents, disposal and archives now held outside the county. The vast majority of surviving County Council archives are still in Council custody, but Courthouse is due for refurbishment and a large quantity of archives will have to be moved. The county library service's collection is small but includes most of the poor law boards of guardians archives still in the county. All the other known poor law archives for Mayo are in the National Library. There are archives in both Castlebar and Ballina UDCs and the latter are voluminous and interesting, but Westport UDC archives were destroyed in a fire in 1969. The River Moy Commissioners hold a small quantity of archives and those of Wesport Harbour Commissioners are in the National Archives. There are the usual small quantities of hospital archives, including some for the now closed Swinford Fever Hospital, but Mayo General Hospital destroyed archives in recent times. St Mary's Hospital Castlebar has a high quality collection of asylum archives, but is at risk from the encroachment of the RTC which shares its building. Archives of the Mayo Board of Health and Public Assistance were seen by the survey in Merlin Park Hospital in Galway. In general the storage is poor, the surviving archives are spread throughout the county and, unless action is taken, there could be further losses in Castlebar Courthouse and St Mary's Hospital.

Space required for storage and working: 85 m2

Co. Meath

There is a substantial collection of high quality archives in Co. Meath, much of which has been collected over the years by the county library service. The County Council continues to hold a small quantity of archives, including minutes from 1899. The excellent library collection includes county council archives from 1898, poor law boards of guardians Minute books some of which date from 1839, archives of rural district councils and the board of health and public assistance, urban archives for , Trim and Kells and some hospital archives. The Urban District Councils of Trim and Kells continue to hold other archives and there are some archives both in the Meath County Infirmary in Navan and in St Joseph's Hospital, Trim, but none in Our Lady's Hospital in Navan. The archives are stored in a variety of unsuitable conditions, and apart from those held by the library service, they are dispersed throughout the county. The library service is at a relatively advanced stage of archival development but is still some distance from a satisfactory situation in terms of accommodation and work on the archives.

Space required for storage and working: 94 m2

Co.

A fairly small quantity of quality archives survives in Co. Monaghan. However the archives are widely dispersed throughout the county, with the County Council, five urban bodies, the county library service, the Museum and three hospitals all holding material. Only a small quantity of county council archives survives but this includes the core archives. The library service holds a wide-ranging collection of archives, from mid-19th to mid-20th centuries, including poor law boards of guardians, board of health and public assistance, rural district councils, hospitals and urban archives. The County Museum holds a small miscellaneous collection of similar and related archives. All five urban bodies also hold archives, with a good quantity in . Some 20th century hospital archives were found in Monaghan General and St Mary's, and St Davnet's holds good material dating to its foundation in 1869. In addition to the problem of a large number of bodies holding archives, there is confusion caused by the fact that archives are fragmented between the bodies. The library and the museum have carried out admirable work which has saved archives from destruction, but it is difficult to see that two institutions can hold worthwhile and coherent collections when the total quantity is not large. Most of the storage is unsuitable.

Space required for storage and working: 57 m2

Co. Offaly

There is a relatively large quantity of good quality archives extant in Co. Offaly. The interest and efforts of the county library service over the years is reflected in the excellent collection, which includes grand jury, poor law boards of guardians, board of health and public assistance, rural district council, county council, urban councils and hospital. The County Council continues to hold some important archives. The UDCs of and Birr both have interesting material, but few hospital archives have survived apart from some miscellaneous volumes in Tullamore General Hospital.

Space required for storage and working: 75 m2

Co. Roscommon

Co. Roscommon holds a good quality but small collection of archives. The older archives of the County Council have been placed in the Central Library, but a fair quantity is still held in the Courthouse. The Central Library has been closely involved with archives for a number of years and has made a core collection comprising grand jury, poor law boards of guardians, rural district councils, board of health and public assistance, county council and Roscommon Town Commission. Boyle Town Commission holds a small number of archives. A small amount of archives, including some relating to other bodies, is kept in the Sacred Heart Hospital, and Roscommon County Hospital has no archives. The projected closure of St Patrick's Hospital in Castlerea may place the archives there in danger. The storage varies from poor to good.

Space required for storage and working: 62 m2 Co.

Co. Sligo holds one of the largest quantities of archives surveyed. The principal county council archives are in the custody of the county library service, with only a small quantity remaining in the Council. An important collection of archives was put together by the library service, including archives of Sligo Corporation for the early period, grand jury, county council, poor law boards of guardians, county infirmary, rural district councils and board of health and public assistance. Other miscellaneous county council and health archives dating from the 19th and 20th centuries are stored in the Courthouse but are not accessible. Sligo Corporation holds Minute books from 1869 and a wide range of other archives. There is a small but interesting collection held by Sligo Harbour Commission, dating from the late 19th century. St John's Hospital holds a small quantity of 20th century archives and the archives of St Columba's Hospital are in the National Archives. The Old Gaol in Sligo contains a large volume of material, some relating to county council engineering but the important archives are those of 20th century health and assistance, but with some rare 19th century material, all of it in extremely poor condition. Apart from the Gaol, the storage conditions are fairly satisfactory, but the archives are seriously fragmented and refurbishment of the Courthouse is due to take place in 1997.

Space required for storage and working: 245 m2

Co. Tipperary NR

North Tipperary has one of the largest quantities of archives surveyed and they are also of good quality. The county council holds a large amount of archives. The joint library service has actively collected the archives for both ridings and an archivist worked here in the late 1970s. The results of this work can be seen in the quality, quantity and order of the archives in the County Council premises in and in the very fine collection in the Central Library in , which comprises the usual series in the basic collections. The three urban authorities also hold large amounts of interesting archives. Another good collection, including archives from closed hospitals, is held in Thurles Hospital but Nenagh General Hospital has no archives. The storage conditions vary from poor to excellent.

Space required for storage and working: 230 m2 Co. Tipperary SR

The older core archives of obsolete bodies of South Tipperary are stored in the Central Library in Thurles, and further material of this type is held in the County Museum, , including county council, board of health and public assistance, Clonmel Corporation and some urban archives. The County Council continues to hold some archives, and Clonmel Corporation has a very high quality collection for which it has equipped an exemplary storage strongroom. There is a good quantity of hospital archives in this county, with a strong collection of asylum archives in St Luke's Hospital, mostly poor law board of guardians archives in St Patrick's in Cashel and fair quantities in three other hospitals, but none in Our Lady's in Cashel. The urban councils all have good collections. The storage varies from excellent to fair, but the archives are seriously dispersed.

Space required for storage and working: 82 m2

Waterford

Waterford County Council holds good archives and the county library service has assembled the basic items from grand jury, poor law boards of guardians, rural district councils and some county council sources. There are small quantities in the two Town Commissioners and Dungarvan UDC has very good archives, including those relating to the harbour. There are archives of the board of health and public assistance and other archives in Dungarvan Hospital. Waterford Corporation holds a large collection of high quality archives, most of which are in City Hall, but some are still in offices around the city. The city library service has collected a small amount of archives and Waterford Harbour Commissioners, who have deposited a very large quantity in the National Archives, still retain some archives. There are good asylum archives in St Otteran's and St Patrick's Hospital houses a miscellaneous collection including poor law board of guardians, rural district council and board of health and public assistance. The conditions vary from good to very poor, and the archives are held in a large number of locations.

Space required for storage and working:

Co. Waterford 80 m2

Waterford Corporation 85 m2 Waterford City other bodies 50 m2

Total 215 m2

Co. Westmeath

There is a large quantity of high quality archives extant in Co. Westmeath, almost all of it stored in extremely poor conditions. The County Council has deposited the core archives with the county library service but continues to hold large amounts of other archives in locations which have serious problems of dampness. The library service has rescued archives over the years but has no more space and is obliged to store archives in unsuitable rooms. The archives in the Central Library consist of County Council material (from 1899), grand jury, poor law boards of guardians, rural district councils, board of health and public assistance and the county infirmary archives, all from the 19th and 20th centuries. There is a good quantity of archives in UDC. St Loman's Hospital holds a large amount of archives from its foundation in 1855 and St Mary's Hospital, , holds 20th century hospital archives. Apart from some of the archives held by the library service, the storage conditions for the archives of Co. Westmeath are totally unsuitable.

Space required for storage and working: 145 m2

Co.

The local authority archives of Co. Wexford are of good quality and range and survive in fair quantities. The County Council holds a small quantity of the most important archives in County Buildings and has moved most of the older archives to Wexford Gaol. Most of the county library service collection, comprising poor law boards of guardians, rural district council and board of health and public assistance material, as well as some other archives, is also stored in the Gaol. Further archives, consisting mostly of Wexford Harbour Commissioners but also Board of Health minutes, are stored in the Central Library premises. Urban bodies are well represented, with good archives for Wexford Borough Council, , and especially , which are among the oldest in the country. New Ross Harbour Commissioners also hold good quality archives and, apart from the asylum archives in St Senan's, there are few hospital archives. The storage varies from fair to very poor, and the archives are widely dispersed. Space required for storage and working: 80 m2

Co.

County Wicklow holds good quantities of excellent quality archives. Few archives are still held in County Buildings but a large amount is stored in Wicklow Courthouse, where most of the archives of Bray UDC, one of the best collections of urban archives surveyed, are also housed. There is also a good core collection of poor law boards of guardians, rural district council and board of health and public assistance archives in Wicklow Courthouse. The hospital archives consist of the usual small quantities, and those of Newcastle Hospital, one of the earliest TB hospitals, are particularly interesting. The urban councils hold good collections of the usual archives and the harbour authorities in Wicklow and both hold small quantities of interesting material. The storage varies from good to poor, and that in Wicklow Courthouse was greatly improved during the course of the survey.

Space required for storage and working: 172 m2