PRONI - Public Record Office of Northern Ireland

Visiting PRONI with a group

PRONI welcomes groups of visitors. Get in touch and ask for an introductory talk or a guided tour of the research areas.

Planning your group visit

PRONI welcomes a diverse range of groups including:

  • community groups
  • family and local history societies
  • essential skills groups
  • lifelong learning groups
  • university and college groups
  • school groups and many more

You have a number of options to choose from when organizing a group visit to PRONI.

Option one: guided tour

A member of staff will show you around the PRONI research facilities, introduce the services available, and advise you on how to begin your research.  A guided tour will last around 30 minutes.

Option two: guided tour with original documents

Take a tour (see option one above) and handle original documents in the Reading Room, where your guide will tell you about their historical significance.  This option will last around one hour.

Option three: guided tour with original documents and workshop

Take a tour, see an original records selection (see option two above) and take part in a practical workshop led by a member of staff, introducing either:

  1. Online sources
  2. Searching for and ordering records at PRONI

A guided tour and workshop will last around one hour and 30 minutes.

PRONI also offers a programme of talks, lectures, exhibitions and events which may be of interest to you or your group.  Visit talks and events at PRONI for details.

Making a booking

You will need to provide the following information when making a booking:

  • name, telephone number and/or email address of the organizer
  • the number in your group
  • your preferred option (as noted above)
  • if any of your party have a disability or have special needs
  • if you lead a school group, PRONI needs know how many supervisors you have
  • whether your group intends to do some research after your tour/workshop

Email PRONI at: proni@communities-ni.gov.uk

Any contact details you give will be processed in line with with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Further information can be found on the DfC Privacy Notice.

Feel free to contact PRONI to discuss your requirements. As PRONI’s group visits are popular, make contact at least three weeks before your proposed visit.  

Registration as a visitor

If you want to use the research facilities at PRONI following the talk or event or at some time in the future, you must register as a visitor.  Registration is free but you will need photographic ID to receive your visitor pass.   Visit our Your Visit page.  

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