The Central Bank of Ireland has opened its archives to the public for the first time and we hope that many unanswered questions of Irish numismatic interest can, at last, be answered.

These archives include a range of materials created and acquired by the bank – such as objects, documents and ledgers dating from 1786 to 1986.

The new rules mean records created, maintained and received by the bank which have reached 30 years of age will be available. The Archive is located at The Central Bank’s new premises on Dublin’s North Wall Quay in the new Financial Services district.

All materials will be open to researchers to review in a dedicated research room.

Those who wish to access the material need to give a minimum of 48 hours’ notice.

Appointments to access the archive materials can be made online . Interested members of the public can make an appointment to view archival material by emailing Email: recordsandarchives@centralbank.ie or phoning 01-2246424. The archives online catalogue is also available along with an FAQ page .

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The archival collections contain:

Over 12,000 paper files

Over 2,000 Central Bank publications

Over 4,000 photographic prints

Over 560 architectural plans and drawings;

Over 250 bound ledgers

The Central Bank has also developed an online catalogue of the materials, to allow the public to search online and identify what they would like to review.

The Central Bank says its headquarters in North Wall Quay was designed

“specifically to incorporate an archive reading room and supporting facilities to allow researchers to consult and view archival material of interest to them.”

The new building also houses a free visitor centre and there are currently two exhibitions running simultaneously

Exhibit 1 – Pounds, Shillings & Independence

This exhibit tells the story of the development of Ireland’s currency following the establishment of Saorstát Éireann in 1922.

It celebrates the work of the Currency Commission, which was established in 1927 to design, issue, manage and control an entirely new and independent Irish currency.

Exhibit 2 – European Central Bank’s ‘Euro Exhibition’

This exhibit takes visitors on a tour of euro currency, from its beginnings back in history, to the single currency we use today.

The exhibition has several distinct elements, focusing on euro banknotes, euro coins, security features, the overall history of money and a kids’ corner for our younger guests.

The Visitor Centre is open to the public from 10.00am to 4.00pm weekdays.

For more information, click here

The Central Bank is currently exempt from the provisions of the National Archive Act 1986 but the bank says it will release material in future on a ’30 year rule’ basis, as applies across the public sector.