The Digital Repository of Ireland (DRI) is delighted to announce that the Property Registration Authority (PRA) has joined DRI as our forty-fourth member. The PRA is home to the Registry of Deeds Archive Services. The Registry of Deeds collection consists of parchment memorials, bound volumes known as Transcription Books, Indexes (lands and names), Abstract Books, microfilms and Registry of Deeds administrative records. It includes over 5 million memorials and 17,000 bound volumes. The Registry of Deeds is now embarking on a long-term programme of digitisation including the creation of preservation quality digital surrogates and associated metadata for long-term preservation within DRI.
DRI Director Natalie Harrower said:
The Registry of Deeds Archive Services is undertaking an ambitious programme of digitisation and digital preservation which will meet the highest standards of preservation. We are delighted that we can play a part in this project by providing membership services and preservation of these records.
Archives Manager of the Property Registration Authority Ellen Murphy said:
The PRA are delighted to become members of the DRI as we look to scale up our programme of digitisation at the Registry of Deeds in the coming years. Membership of DRI will give us a sustainable, best-practice solution for managing preservation quality digital surrogates, as well as access to experts in the field of digital curation.
While the Registry of Deeds was established in 1708, some records within the collection contain information which pre-dates its establishment. The archive is a truly unique record for the island of Ireland as it holds the details of land and property transactions from 1708 and can tell us not only about the social and economic history of the island but in detailing land ownership it shows who held power in Ireland. Visit our membership page to learn more about DRI membership opportunities. We provide regular updates on collection publications on our Twitter page and you can also follow us on Instagram to uncover more treasures in the Repository.
Image: Shelves at the Registry of Deeds containing early volumes of land transactions. Reproduced here courtesy of the Property Registration Authority.
