Ireland’s Undiscovered Past
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📜 Ireland 1485–1798: Colonial Laboratory?
📅 Date: Friday, 26 September 2025
🕑 Time: 14:00 – 15:00 BST / 6:00 AM – 7:00 AM PDT
🧭 Location: Online | Hosted by The National Archives
In this thought-provoking lecture, Neil Johnston, Head of Early Modern Records at The National Archives, explores how Ireland was used as a testing ground for colonial governance during the early expansion of English power.
From the 1530s onward, religious and political reforms shattered a centuries-old settlement between English rulers and native Irish elites. As the English Crown imposed centralized authority, a new class of English-born governors, soldiers, and administrators came to dominate Irish society—paving the way for institutionalized colonization.
Johnston’s talk will trace how these policies met fierce resistance, and how the tactics used in Ireland—surveillance, forced reform, and displacement—would later be replicated across the British Empire.
This session also highlights the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland, an ambitious international digital humanities project that seeks to digitally reconstruct Ireland’s lost archival heritage, destroyed in 1922 during the Irish Civil War.
Free admission • Virtual event • Registration required
Hosted by The National Archives, United Kingdom
Discover an ever-changing world of subversion and espionage over MI5’s 115-year history in a ground-breaking exhibition that will take you behind the scenes of one of Britain’s most iconic institutions.
The National Archives is the official archive and publisher for the UK government and for England and Wales. It is the guardian of some of the nation’s most iconic national documents, dating back over 1,000 years.
The National Archives is a non-ministerial department.
About the UK National Archives
The UK National Archives is a rich resource for anyone interested in British history, genealogy, legal records, or other archival materials—even if you’re based outside the United Kingdom. Here are several ways the National Archives can assist individuals residing in other countries, including the United States:
Online Access to Digitized Records:
The National Archives has been actively digitizing its collections, making a vast array of documents available online.
Whether you are looking for historical government records, military documents, or personal records, you can search their
online catalog and access many documents from anywhere in the world.
Research Guides and Tutorials:
To help researchers navigate the extensive collections, the Archives offers detailed research guides, tutorials, and webinars.
These resources provide step-by-step instructions on how to find and interpret records, which is particularly useful for those
unfamiliar with the UK’s archival systems.
Remote Reference Services:
Even if you can’t visit in person, you can often contact the National Archives’ research staff for assistance. They offer
remote reference services through email and sometimes telephone consultations, which can help clarify your research questions
or guide you in using their online tools.
Copy Request Services:
If you need a certified copy of a specific record, the Archives provides services to order copies by post or electronically.
This allows international users to obtain physical or digital copies of documents that are relevant to their research.
Genealogical Research:
For individuals tracing family history, the UK National Archives holds a wealth of records that can shed light on ancestors
who may have lived or worked in the UK. The archives provide specialized guidance on accessing these genealogical records,
which is especially useful for researchers in the United States.
Special Collections and Thematic Archives:
Beyond government records, the National Archives also hosts special collections that cover various aspects of British society
and history. These can be invaluable for academic research or personal interest in topics ranging from social history to legal developments.
Through the organization’s extensive digital collections, comprehensive research support, and services tailored for remote users, the UK National Archives plays a vital role in facilitating international research and making British historical records accessible to a global audience.
The National Archives is the official archive and publisher for the UK government and for England and Wales, and is the guardian of some of the nation’s most iconic national documents, dating back over 1,000 years.
The National Archives is a non-ministerial department.
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