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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. 

The PRONI Digest is now available to view online

This publication brings together key statistics on PRONI into a single publication. It presents statistics on topics such as collections, visitors, education and outreach activity.

Highlights include…

• Our celebration of 100 years of collecting
• 3,022 new visitors registered onsite
• 16,060 visits by audiences including those who attended talks, events and exhibitions

 Extended opening on Thursdays 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 2pm.

Upcoming Late Thursdays:
Thursday the 20 November

Upcoming Saturday Openings:
Saturday the 1 November

Now We're Talking - Articles, Short Stories, Books and Radio

M011.25.00001 - Photograph of Michael J. Murphy (1950). Courtesy of The National Folklore Collection.

Check out the latest blog from the "Now We're Talking" Project which will focus on widening access to the archival collections of Sam Hanna Bell and Michael J Murphy.

This month, Seán discusses Michael J. Murphy's short form writing, including both fiction and non-fiction. The blog included details on the articles, short stories, and books written by Murphy, as well as details on where you can find his preserved radio talks!

Exhibition Launch: Lorna Gough Artist and Theatrical Designer

Thursday 6 November from 4pm-6pm, onsite at PRONI

North Coast Artist Lorna Gough has spent many years exploring her local landscape in oil, watercolour, pen and ink as well as a great involvement in the former Riverside Theatre as a costumier and designer.

In this exhibition Lorna combines her love of landscape and her creative approach to working with textiles using needle felting technique to ignite her observation of colour and form in a manner similar to how she works with paint, layering and building up form and light. While the main focus of the exhibition are Lorna’s recent works in Needle Felt also included are two fused glass pieces as a contrast material.

Wine and light refreshments will be served.

Lorna’s exhibition is available to view onsite at PRONI from 6 of November until the 26 of November.

The 1925 Irish Boundary Commission Centenary Conference

Friday 7 November from 9am to 5:30pm, onsite at PRONI

To mark the 100th anniversary of the Morning Post’s published article, as well as the wider centenary of the Irish Boundary Commission, PRONI will hold an Irish Studies conference. 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.

Booking required.

29,200 Stitches

Monday 10 November from 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm, onsite at PRONI

Join Creative Curator and textile artist Ciaran Elizabeth Doran on the next stage of completing a collaborative stitching project where volunteers have stitched names, places, badges, insignia to remember loved ones and the significance of how the end of WW2 bought a time of looking forward and regeneration, whilst creating a permanent memorial through stitching.

29,000 stitches are the estimated number of stitches of one stitch per day since the end of WW2, and VEDay. As we approach Armistice Day, we reflect on the work created to remember both VEDay & VJ Day.

All materials provided and an opportunity to ‘Stitch Your Bit’ and see how this project has blossomed.

Booking required.

Getting Started at PRONI - Workshop

Thursday 20 November 6pm-7pm, 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.

Booking required.

The Story of Charles Thomson and the Declaration of Independence

Friday 28 November from 4pm to 5pm, onsite at PRONI

We are delighted to welcome you to the launch of the children’s book, The Story of Charles Thomson and the Declaration of Independence, by Philip Johnston.

Charles Thomson from Maghera, Co Derry~Londonderry, was one of the most significant Founding Fathers in American history. He was the only Secretary of the Continental Congress (forerunner to United States Congress), one of only two signatories on the first printed Declaration of Independence, the co-designer of the Great Seal of the United States and published the first English translation of the Greek Septuagint version of the Old Testament.

Philip Johnston came across the story of Charles Thomson quite by chance, having learned about him on the radio. It is hoped that this latest book will restore Thomson’s lost voice to the public consciousness.

Booking required.

PRONI on Tour - Ballymena Library Visit 

Thursday 4 December from 10am to 4pm, Ballymena Library

Join us on Thursday, December 4 for a day of family history and local heritage. Whether you're just starting out or looking to delve deeper into your family history, our team will be available to answer any questions.

If you're making the visit, why not join our Getting Started workshop at 12:30pm? There will also be an opportunity to view original documents and photographs relating to Ballymena.

Booking required.

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.