After a hugely successful three-month stint at Dublin Castle where the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921 went on public display for the first time, The Treaty 1921: Records from the Archives exhbition is now on tour. This week, it has arrived in Wicklow, where it is will remain until 17 May.
Using the Anglo-Irish Treaty as a centrepiece, the National Archives has created an exhibition that marks its role as the official repository of the records of the State, one hundred years since its formation. It opens up significant historical records, official documents and private papers for the first time, including the first public presentation of both the Irish and British copes of the Treaty document.
The Wicklow stop of the tour will additionally include the papers of Wicklow's Robert Childers Barton, who was one of the plenipotentiaries of the treaty, local records from the Wicklow County Archives collection and some items loaned from the Military Archives collection. You'll find more details here.
The exhibition is free to visit at the county's newly-opened Library & Archive venue in The Mall during the following hours:
- Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat: 10am – 5pm
- Tues, Thurs: 10am – 8.30pm
A series of three in-person public talks will also be presented while the exhibition is in Wicklow. These will held at the Council Buildings (Whitegates, Wicklow Town). While they are free to attend, it is essential to book via Eventbrite in advance. The talks are:
Wednesday 27 April: The Anglo-Irish Treaty, with Dr Cormac Moore. 7pm to 8:30pm. Fully booked.
Wednesday 4 May: Robert Barton and the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty, with historian and genealogist Sean Murphy. 7pm to 8:30pm. Book here.
Wednesday 11 May: Wicklow: The War of Independence & Civil War - Military Archives Sources, with Lisa Dolan, Archivist at the Military Archives. 7pm to 8:30pm. Book here.
Other stops for the tour are:
- Tuesday 3 May: Venue:The Source, Cathedral Rd, Thurles, Co. Tipperary to 31 May.
- Thursday 5 May: Venue: Donegal County Museum, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal to 31 May.
- Monday 23 May: Venue: County Hall, Wexford Town, to 10 June.
- Thursday 9 June: Venue: St. Peter’s Church, North Main St, Cork City to 5 July.
- Thursday 9 June: Limerick CC Council, Merchants Quay, Limerick City to 30 June.
If you are unable to visit the exhibition as it tours the country, you can enjoy a virtual tour, here.