Armagh Robinson Library has been involved in the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland (VRTI) at Trinity College Dublin project and will host a talk on the whole project.  The talk will be held on Tuesday 20 October 2026 at 7.30pm and will be given by Dr Ciaràn Wallace, Programme Director for the VRTI and Dr Eamon Darcy from the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies at Maynooth University.

The title of their joint talk is ‘Stories, landscapes and folklore: early investigations of Ireland in Armagh Robinson Library’s collections’.  This Library holds work by many early scholars, covering the study of local history, geography, natural science and folklore.  Four of the Library’s manuscripts have now been made freely available on-line through the VRTI and it was felt appropriate to hold a talk for people to learn more about the project.

The project was made possible through funding from the Royal Irish Academy’s Nowlan Digitisation Grant. Two of the manuscripts which have been digitised from the Library’s collections are the Revd William Henry’s ‘Natural History of Killesher, Co Fermanagh, Co Sligo and Co Antrim’ written in 1739 and ‘The Topographical and statistical returns from various respondents sent to Walter Harris & the Physico-Historical Society of Ireland’ from 1738 to 1750.

In their initial approach to the Library, the guest speakers also referred to a third manuscript, ‘The History and Antiquities of Dublin, Collected from Authentic Records and the Manuscript Collections of Sr James Ware Knt, By Robert Ware Son of that Learned Antiquary’, 1678.  They explained that the content relates to the type of research conducted by both the Physico-Historial Society and the Dublin Philosophical Society. This volume is also available on the VRTI.

Speaking about the project, the Keeper of the Library, the Very Revd Shane Forster, said, “Our Governors and Guardians were delighted to give permission for the relevant manuscripts in Armagh Robinson Library to be included in this project.  Funded by the Royal Irish Academy, we believe that this has been a successful collaboration between Armagh Robinson Library, Maynooth University, the Royal Irish Academy, Trinity College Dublin, and the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland and allows many more people, through this project, to have access to and engage with some of the treasures held within our collection. ”

Free admission with prior booking essential via admin@armaghrobinsonlibrary.co.uk or telephone: 028 37523142