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PRONI announces closure date for relocation to new Headquarters

Friday, 13 August 2010

The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) has announced that its offices at Balmoral Avenue, Belfast, will close to the public from Monday 6 September 2010.

This closure is to facilitate the relocation of staff and over 40km of records to new state-of-the-art accommodation in Titanic Quarter, which will open to the public in April 2011.

Aileen McClintock, Director of PRONI outlined the level of service that will still be available during the closure. She said: “Whilst the public will not be able to physically access the Balmoral Avenue site during the move, PRONI will continue to provide a limited correspondence and telephone enquiry service and will address Freedom of Information and urgent legal enquiries for as long as possible.

“In conjunction with LibrariesNI, PRONI will also be making a Self-Service Microfilm Facility available at Cregagh Library from 8 September 2010. This will enable family historians to continue their research for the duration of the extended closure.  The material held on the microfilm includes some of the most popular family history resources such as church records, copy will books and copies of the Registry of Deeds.  

“PRONI is also taking steps to increase the volume and range of material available to researchers online. The 19th century street directories are now available through the website and additional sources for family history research will be uploaded in the coming months.”

The self service facility will be available at Cregagh Library, Belfast, until PRONI re-opens at Titanic Quarter in April 2011.  In total, ten microfilm readers, a microfiche reader and a microfilm reader printer will be available. A booking system will be in place for five of the microfilm readers with the remainder available on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.  Visitors will be able to reserve hour long slots up to a maximum of two hours per day.  Advance bookings for microfilm readers may be made after 6th September by telephone (028 9025 5900) or from 8th September at PRONI@Cregagh.  

For more information visit the PRONI website or call 028 9025 5907

Notes to editors:

  1. The construction of the new Public Record Office of Northern Ireland in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter is currently on programme for completion and handover in August 2010 – following that it will take up to eight months to move the archives to the new headquarters.
  2. Cregagh Library is located near the upper end of the Cregagh Road, off Upper Knockbreda Road. It is a 10-minute drive from PRONI’s current site at Balmoral Avenue and it is on a direct bus route (No. 6A) from Belfast City Centre.  Customer parking is available on site and also in the surrounding area.  There is full disabled access.
  3. Media enquiries should be addressed to the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure Press Office. Tel (028) 9051 5047 or email DCAL Press Office  Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.