Tuesday 10 December 2013

Festive season closures at major genealogy institutions

There's no set pattern to Christmas and New Year closures at the main repositories and libraries for Irish genealogical research, so make a note of these details before organising any family history trips over the festive season:

National Archives of Ireland, Dublin
The Reading Room will be closed from 12.30pm on Tuesday 24 December and will reopen at 9:15am on Monday 30 December. Normal hours 30 & 31 December. It will be closed on Wednesday 1 January 2014, reopening 9:15am on Thursday 2 January. Note: there will be no Genealogy Advisory Service on Christmas Eve.

Representative Church Body Library
The RCB Library will close for Christmas on Friday 20 December at 5pm. Reopening Thursday 2nd January 2014 at 9.30am.

National Library of Ireland
The reading rooms of the National Library (NLI) will be closed from Tuesday 24 December to Wednesday 1 January 2014 inclusive. The Kildare Street and National Photographic Archive exhibitions will be open on Monday 30 December and Tuesday 31 December from 10am to 5pm. All NLI Kildare Street services will reopen at 9.30am on Thursday 2 January 2014, with the NPA opening as usual at 10am on that date.

General Register Office
The GRO Research Room in Werburgh Street in Dublin will be closed from lunchtime on Christmas Eve, Tuesday 24 December, until 9:30am on Friday 27 December. Normal working hours on 27, 30 and 31 December. Closed Wednesday 1 January. Reopening with normal hours Thursday 2 January.

Dublin City Library & Archive
The Pearse Street Library will be open normal hours up to and including Monday 23 December. Closed 24 December to 1 January 2014 inclusive. Reopening at 10:00am to normal schedule on Thursday 2 January 2014.

Public Records Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI), Belfast
PRONI will close at 4:45pm on Thursday 19 December and at 4:15pm on Friday 20 December. Regular hours will operate Monday 23 and Tuesday 24 December. Closed 25-27 December inclusive. Open regular hours 30 and 31 December. Closed 1 January 2014. Return to normal opening pattern from Wednesday 2 January 2014

General Register Office of Northern Ireland (GRONI), Belfast
GRONI's Search Room will be closing early (not yet determined) on Christmas Eve, Tuesday 24 December, reopening at 9:30am on Monday 30 December. Normal hours 30 and 31 December. Closed 1 January. Reopen to normal hours Thursday 2 January 2014.

Irish Genealogical Research Society Library, London
The Library, currently operating on Saturday afternoons only from the Society of Genealogists in London, will be closed on Saturday 28 December and Saturday 4 January. Normal pattern resumes 1:30pm Saturday 11 January 2014.

Society of Genealogists, London
The Society closes for Christmas at 4pm on Tuesday 24 December and reopens 10am to 4pm on Tuesday 31 December for just one day. It will then be closed for the New Year holiday followed by stocktaking until 10am on Tuesday 7 January 2014.

The National Archives UK, London
TNA will close at 5pm on Tuesday 24 December, reopening Tuesday 31 December 9am to 5pm only. It will be closed on Wednesday 1 January, returning to normal schedules on Thursday 2 January.