About
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 more information about the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, please visit our website at rsai.ie.
Our Image Collection
In partnership with the Discovery Programme, the RSAI is currently taking part in an EU-funded project called locloud, which is working towards the online publication of the collections of small cultural organisations around Europe.
Our part of the project focuses on our collection of historic lantern slides, and of the drawings and notebooks of George Du Noyer (1817–1869), the noted artist, geologist and antiquary. These collections are being scanned and digitised by a small team of dedicated volunteers.
The RSAI image collections are available for use in a wide range of academic and commercial settings. Please contact the Librarian for information on costs and permissions.