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Welcome to the PRONI Express

Welcome to the latest edition of the PRONI Express. PRONI will now be using the DfC Engaged Communities Group Eventbrite page to host our talks and events. So please follow and keep an eye on the page for all our upcoming events. 

New Collection Systems Live

PRONI has introduced a new Catalogue Ordering System in the Search Room. If you have any questions about the new system, staff at the Help Desk can help you get started.

 Extended openings on Thursday and Saturdays 

Until November 2025, onsite at PRONI

We are extending our opening hours on selected dates throughout 2025.

During extended opening on Thursdays, the Search Room and Reading Room will be open until 8pm so that everyone has an opportunity to access our facilities.

We will also be open on selected Saturdays from 10am to 2:00pm.

Late Night Thursdays:

Thursday 21 August
Thursday 18 September
Thursday 16 October
Thursday 20 November

Saturday Openings:

Saturday 2 August
Saturday 6 September
Saturday 4 October
Saturday 1 November

You Are Not Forgotten - Remember the 80th anniversary of VJ Day

Tuesday 29 July at 11am and 2pm - Onsite at PRONI

Partnered with curator Ciaran Doran, we are delighted to invite you to a free curated workshop of sewing and activity designed to remember VJ Day on August 15, 1945, and the end of WW2 in Europe.

Inspired by The Changi Quilt, held by the Imperial War Museum, attendees will be invited to add stitches to a collaborative textile that is compiled of pieces and patches of fabric of the era.

There will be the opportunity to attend one of two sessions of up to 50 attendees. No experience necessary and all sewing materials provided.

Booking required.

History of Photography Workshops 

July to September - Onsite at PRONI

Have you ever been intrigued by the scientific developments which gave rise to the discovery of photographic processes in the early 19th century?

Join us for a photography session at PRONI and we will explore technological advances in photography from the early days of the 1840s, up to the present, digital age. The workshop will also look at the work of the Reprographics team and explore historical photographs from the PRONI collections.

The History of Photography Workshops will run on selected dates:

Wednesday 13 August from 2pm to 3pm
Wednesday 27 August from 2pm to 3pm
Wednesday 10 September from 2pm to 3pm

Booking required.

Getting Started at PRONI - Workshop

Saturday 2 August at 10:30am - onsite at PRONI

Are you interested in local and family history? Why not come along to a practical workshop at PRONI to discover the essential skills required to begin your research.

You will receive advice on searching for records, take part in a practical demonstration on using the Public Search Room, and there will be an opportunity to handle original documents in the Reading Room.

You will need to register as a reader to attend this workshop if you have not already done so. To get registered please bring some form of photographic ID on the day of this event.

Booking required.

PRONI on Tour: Portrush Library visit 

Wednesday 13 August from 10am to 4pm, Portrush Library

Join us at Portrush Library for PRONI on Tour, an initiative which has been organised in partnership with Libraries NI to see historic documents specific to different regions put on display at various local libraries across Northern Ireland.

PRONI staff will be available on the day to help visitors uncover details of their family tree and Northern Ireland Screen will be hosting a workshop showing archival footage of the seaside town at 2pm.

Booking required for workshop.

The War in the Far East: Deaths in Captivity

Friday 15 August at 1pm, onsite at PRONI 

Partnered with History Hub Ulster we would like to welcome you to a talk by Nigel Henderson commemorating VJ Day and the end of the Second World War.

Whilst many people from Ulster fought and died during the war in the Far East, often called the Forgotten War, Nigel will be focusing attention on local people, both military and civilian, who died in captivity either in Japan, in Japanese-occupied territory, or on the "Hell Ships" used to transport prisoners.

Booking required.

Try It Out Thursday at PRONI

Thursday 21 August from 5pm to 8pm, onsite at PRONI

Looking for a new activity to try out? We have just the event for you!

Join us on Thursday, August 21, for our very first "Try It Out Thursday" evening event at PRONI. Activities available will include Bookbinding, Creative Writing, a Behind-the-Scenes Tour, and a Getting Started Workshop!

Booking Required.

Call for Papers: The 1925 Irish Boundary Commission Centenary Conference

To mark the centenary of the Irish Boundary Commission, we will be hosting an Irish Studies conference on 7 November 2025. The conference will focus on both the 1925 Irish Boundary Commission and the wider topic of the partition of Ireland, its roots and its impact.

Papers are expected to be 15 minutes. Proposals should have a maximum word count of 300, alongside a short biography of 150 words.

Any proposals or queries regarding the conference need to be sent by 1 October 2025 to boundarycommission100@gmail.com

Now We're Talking Project - Research Files

The Now We’re Talking project is rolling on as planned with the team finalising the cataloguing and digitisation of the research files and moving on to the next section of the archive, Michael J. Murphy’s plays.

This part of the collection shows Murphy’s dedication to the craft of writing and reflects the often-difficult process an artist goes through to produce their work.

Check out Sean's blog to see the progress to date on the cataloguing of this collection.

The Really Useful Family History Show

Saturday 23 August from 10am to 4pm, onsite at PRONI

Join us at PRONI for the biggest Family History Show in the North of Ireland!

Bigger and better than last year, with more than 15 exhibitors attending, this show is organised by the North of Ireland Family History Society (NIFHS) and is sponsored by the Family History Federation.

Also attending the event is Belfast actor John Linehan who has appeared in panto for over 30 years as May McFettridge. He is the latest celebrity to agree to have his DNA tested and to allow the North of Ireland Family History Society to analyse it and create his family tree. He has not been given any access to the information so come along and see what happens when everything is revealed to him for the first time.

No booking required.

Belfast Maritime Festival 

Saturday 6 September from 11am to 4pm, Titanic Quarter

PRONI Ref - CAB/3/G/1/3

Join us in September and experience the transformation of Belfast’s spectacular waterfront into a vibrant celebration of sea, ships, stories and shared experiences for the Belfast Maritime Festival.

Stretching across the Maritime Mile, the festival invites locals and visitors alike to dive into a weekend of discovery. The iconic Titanic Quarter will be alive with activity, bringing together heritage, innovation and imagination across multiple themed zones.

Come and say hello to our friendly staff who will be on hand to answer any of your research questions at the PRONI stall.

No booking required.

Save the date - European Heritage Open Days

Saturday 13 September from 10am to 4pm, onsite at PRONI

European Heritage Open Days (EHOD) is an annual event celebrating local architecture, history and culture, which takes place across Europe on the second weekend in September.

On Saturday 13 September, PRONI will once again open its doors to offer tours of the archive, highlighting how we record, care for and make available Northern Ireland’s heritage.

Coming soon!

PRONI on YouTube

View over 12 years of recorded PRONI talks on our YouTube channel.  From family and local history talks, to specialist research topics, there is sure to be something for everyone.

New recordings are added regularly. Subscribe today to make sure you don’t miss any!

Subscribe on YouTube

Admission to all events is FREE, however booking is essential as spaces are limited.

Get more great PRONI content by following us today - just click or tap the icons to find our pages. PRONI regularly records its public events and talks - view these on our YouTube channel.