Established in 1849 the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland is instituted to ‘preserve, examine and illustrate all ancient monuments and memorials of the arts, manners and customs of the past, as connected with the antiquities language, literature and history of Ireland’.

The Society’s membership is inclusive and ranges from individuals with an amateur interest in local history and archaeology to distinguished international archaeologists and cultural heritage professionals.

As a registered charity, the Society’s principal aims are to foster public understanding of the material and literary past, to support research and communicate the results, and to facilitate in the formulation of public policy on the care of our cultural heritage. The Society receives no direct support from public funds.

For Further information on the history of the Society or the history of Society House click on the relevant links.

The Library

The Society’s library holds an important collection of archival photographs, antiquarian sketches and drawings and manuscript notes. Its particular strength lies in Irish history and archaeology and it has substantial holdings of Irish local history journals and books. It is open to members and to external readers. The online catalogue is internationally available via the internet. For more details see the library page here.

Publications

The Society’s main publication – the Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries – is an international journal of record and contains articles and reviews relevant to the Society’s activities. The Society engages in the occasional publication of monographs and conference proceedings. For more information click here.

Events for Members

The Society runs a programme of lectures and talks, at which new research is presented to members and visitors, together with occasional themed conferences and seminars. A number of day excursions and a longer summer excursion are organized on an annual basis for members and their guests. In addition, members receive a regular  e-newsletter which notifies them of events of interest taking place across Ireland and internationally. For full details of our programme see here.