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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. 

Extended opening on Thursdays and Saturdays in 2026

February to March 2026, onsite at PRONI

We are extending our opening hours on selected dates for the beginning of 2026.

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 19 February
Thursday 19 March

Upcoming Saturday Openings

Saturday 7 February
Saturday 7 March

 PRONI Public WiFi - Disruption to Service 

Due to essential maintenance and infrastructure upgrading, PRONI’s public Wi-Fi will be unavailable to all customers from until further notice. 

Public internet machines on the ground floor (i.e. in the Heritage Café) will also be unavailable until further notice. Public internet will continue to be available on the internet machines in the Public Search Room.  

Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Upcoming Exhibition - A Centenary of Care: 100 Years of the Ancient Monuments (NI) 1926

Wed 25 February – Fri 17 April, Onsite at PRONI

This year, the Historic Environment Record of Northern Ireland (HERoNI) celebrates a century of protecting Northern Ireland’s past. The Ancient Monuments Act 1926 was a turning point, the first legislation for Northern Ireland safeguarding archaeological monuments. It gave the Ministry of Finance, with advice from archaeologists and leading public figures in the form of an advisory committee, the power to schedule monuments, issue Preservation Orders, and bring sites into State Care. The results were remarkable, within a few years, 330 monuments were scheduled and 28 placed in State Care. 

To mark its arrival, HM Stationery Office published Ancient Monuments of Northern Ireland, a guide to 22 of the 25 monuments then in state care. This exhibition, presents photographs from HERoNI and stories of 40 monuments now under state care, including those original 22. Today, Northern Ireland’s Historic Environment Division (HED) manages 187 State Care Monuments and more than 2,000 Scheduled Historic Monuments.

No booking required.

PRONI on Tour - Lisburn Road Library

Fri 30 January from 10am to 4pm, Lisburn Road Library

Join us on Friday 30 January for a day of family history! Whether you're just starting out or looking to delve deeper into your family history, our team will be available to answer any research questions at Lisburn Road Library.

Additionally, our friends at Northern Ireland Screen will be joining us for ‘Lisburn Road on Screen’! This special screening from the Digital Film Archive will show Lisburn Road and the surrounding area through the decades.

Booking required for workshops.

PRONI - Secrets From the Files 2004 and 2005

Fri 30 January from 1pm-2pm, Onsite at PRONI

Sam McBride & Professor Marie Coleman reveal the secrets behind the news headlines from the most recently released government files of 2004 and 2005.

Sam McBride is the Northern Ireland editor of the Belfast Telegraph and Sunday Independent.  Marie Coleman is Professor of Twentieth Century Irish History at the School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics at Queen’s University, Belfast.

Booking required.

Wrens, WAAF and wardens: women during the war

Tues 17 February from 1pm-2pm, Onsite at PRONI

In partnership with the Northern Ireland War Memorial (NIWM) we welcome you to a talk by Dr Robyn Atcheson.

When war broke out across Europe, women in Northern Ireland began to organise. They volunteered, they entered new professions, they took on roles that were unthinkable for their mothers and grandmothers.

This talk explores the lives of women during the war; those who served officially, those who assisted unofficially and those who dealt with the daily reality of war. Using testimony from the women themselves, historian Dr Robyn Atcheson tells the stories usually neglected in histories of the Second World War by focusing on the women who lived and died in 1940s Northern Ireland.

Booking required.

Ruin to Revival - HERoNI Lecture Series

Wed 18 February from 1pm-2pm, Onsite at PRONI

The Historic Environment Division, of Northern Ireland’s Department for Communities has the statutory responsibility for the protection of the historic environment throughout Northern Ireland. Specialist teams manage just over 190 monuments in the care of the Department. There are presently over 8,800 listed buildings of which over 900 are listed places of worship and over 1,900 monuments are protected through scheduling. In addition, there are over 16,000 recorded archaeological sites across Northern Ireland.

Join us for this talk looking at some of the recent projects carried out to protect and enhance these important sites.

Booking required.

Getting Started at PRONI Workshop 

Thurs 19 February from 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 a presentation highlighting the different types of records available at PRONI for family and local history researchers. You will have the opportunity to receive advice on searching for records, take part in a practical demonstration on using the Public Search Room, and learn how and where you can order out original archival material from the stores.

You do not need to register with PRONI to attend this workshop. However, if you wish to use our services following the workshop, you will need to register at Reception before it begins.

Photographic ID is required for registration – Please see the PRONI website for more details.

Booking required.

Produce Your Own Podcast with Now We're Talking

Thurs 19 February from 6pm-8pm, Onsite at PRONI

Join us for the first engagement event from the Now We're Talking Project and learn how to produce your own podcast!

Across five workshops, participants will work with freelance radio producer Alan Meban to learn how podcasts are researched, structured and produced.

The programme will support participants in developing and presenting a short podcast series exploring the legacy and archive of Michael J Murphy, with particular emphasis on his writing.

Workshops will run from Thursday 19 February – Thursday 5 March, at both Nerve Centre, Belfast and Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI), Belfast. Dates are as follows:

• Session 1 - Introduction to Podcasting and the Archive, Thursday 19 February, 6–8pm, Onsite at PRONI
• Session 2 – Shaping the Story, Wednesday 25 February, 6–8pm, Onsite at the Nerve Centre
• Session 3 - Interviewing and Context, Thursday 26 February, 6–8pm, Onsite at the Nerve Centre
• Session 4 - Performance and Recording, Wednesday 4 March, 6–8pm, Onsite at the Nerve Centre
• Session 5 - Editing and Refinement, Thursday 5 March, 6–8pm, Onsite at the Nerve Centre

Booking required.

Cushion Making Workshop

Thurs 19 February from 6pm-7:30pm, Onsite at PRONI

Join us for a hands‑on volunteer workshop, creating book cushions for use in the PRONI Reading Room! Our conservators will give you all the materials and instructions needed to work on your book cradle at home.

These custom-made book cradles help safely support rare and fragile books during conservation work and handling. No sewing experience is required… just enthusiasm and a willingness to learn.

At this after-dark event, based in our fantastic Conservation Suite, you’ll get a glimpse behind the scenes at PRONI. This is a relaxed, social workshop where you can learn new skills while making a real contribution to the preservation of our collection.

What to expect:

• Introduction to archival book supports and their purpose
• Step‑by‑step hand sewing instruction
• All fabrics and tools provided
• Friendly guidance in a supportive environment

A follow up session will be held on Thursday 19 March at 6pm.

Booking required.

DNA Stories Day

Fri 27 March from 1pm-3:30pm, Onsite at PRONI

Join the North of Ireland Family History Society at PRONI for a day of DNA Stories.

What can DNA tell you about your ancestors? How does it help us to discover who they were and where they were from?

At 1pm Martin McDowell from the North of Ireland Family History Society (NIFHS) will give a talk on “DNA - how your chromosomes tell your story”

At 2:15pm we feature “We Know who you are, Lynda Bryans!”

Lynda is a well-known and highly regarded TV presenter and journalist who was born in Belfast. She has agreed to take a DNA test and to allow NIFHS to research her family tree. Watch what happens when we reveal all to her for the first time in front of a live audience!

NIFHS will have DNA experts on hand from 11am to answer your DNA questions and they will also have special offers on DNA kits.

Everyone is welcome and the café will be open!

Coming Soon - A brand new PRONI website!

We’re delighted to share that a brand-new PRONI website is on the way! Built with our users and community in mind, the refreshed site will make it easier than ever to explore our collections, discover local history, and keep up with events and workshops.

Watch this space for more info!

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.