The Archive Unit is a section within the National Monuments Service, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and consists of an extensive body of material relating to the archaeological heritage of the State.
The main collections consist of the Record of Monuments and Places (RMP) files comprising reports on some 136,800 archaeological sites within the State; c.25,000 excavation reports on the results of licensed and unlicensed excavations; a Carved Stone Inventory collection; underwater survey volumes, including the Shipwreck Inventory and Ports, Piers and Harbours volumes; and an extensive photographic collection of some 550,000 images of monuments. The Archive Unit is also in the process of providing storage for the transfer of paper archives from excavations carried out under licence.
Access to Collections
In person access to the NMS archive collections has now been replaced by the provision of electronic copies to researchers, where possible. Please note that we no longer have access to an on-site reading room.
We advise that researchers firstly access the Archaeological Survey of Ireland records via the Historic Environment Viewer on this website. If further information is still required, then please email nmarchive@housing.gov.ie where we will facilitate your request for access to ASI collections and our excavation report archive.
For non-archive related queries (planning/licensing/monument protection etc.) please email nationalmonuments@housing.gov.ie.
Contact Information
The Archive Unit can be contacted either by telephone (01) 888 3922 (from Ireland) / +353 1 8883922 (from outside Ireland) or by email nmarchive@housing.gov.ie.
Application Forms
Form 1: Archive File Request Form PDF
Form 2: Request to view unpublished excavation reports PDF
Form 3: Application for RMP Maps & Lists PDF
Information & Guidelines
NMS Archive Unit Information Booklet
Finding Aid
The Finding Aid lists all the archaeological reports in the possession of the Archive Unit. It is available as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. It contains an index explaining what types of reports are included, and separate worksheets for Dive Licences, Excavation Reports, Excavations carried out under Ministerial Consent or Direction, Non-Licenced reports and Detection Device Consents.
Archaeological Reports - Finding Aid [XLSX]
Archive Unit,
National Monuments Service,
Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Room G62,
Custom House,
Dublin 1.