Irish Military Archives

The Irish Military Archives is the official depository for the records of the Irish Department of Defence, the Defence Forces, and the Army Pensions Board, as established by the National Archives Act of 1986.

The function of the archive is to collect, preserve, and make available material relating to the history of the development of the Defence Forces from the formation of the Irish Volunteers in November 1913 to the present day, including overseas service with the United Nations from 1958.

One of the most important collections is that of the Bureau of Military History (1913–21) comprising witness statements, contemporary documents, photographs, press-cuttings and voice recordings, compiled between 1947–1957.

Other major collections include:


 * The Collins papers 1919–21
 * Liaison Documents (British Evacuation and Truce)
 * Civil War operations and intelligence reports
 * Captured Documents (Irish Republican Army) 1922–24
 * The Army Crisis 1924
 * Volunteer Force Files
 * Emergency Defence Plans 1939–46
 * Military Intelligence 1939–46 and records of the Office of the Controller of Censorship
 * Internment Camps
 * Department of Defence files 1939–46
 * Directorate of Operations
 * Air Corps and Naval Service
 * The Bureau of Military History
 * Military Census of the National Army Nov 1922

The Archives is located in Cathal Brugha Barracks, Rathmines, Dublin.