Archaeological and Historical Societies

The main archaeological societies in Ireland. Additional societies are listed in the Regional section.
Some of the organisations listed under Research Bodies also welcome the interested public as members.

• ROYAL SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES OF IRELAND - The premier archaeological society in Ireland. It was founded in 1849 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". It organises regular lectures, talks and excursions, and publishes an annual journal. In addition to location and contact details, the website provides a guide to forthcoming events, along with summaries of recent lectures and news relevant to Irish archaeology.



• ULSTER ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY - The aim of the Society is to advance the education of the public in archaeology and history, particularly in regard to Ulster. The Society organises a programme of free public lectures, as well as summer field trips to interesting sites, led by professional archaeologists. The Society publishes the Ulster Journal of Archaeology (founded in 1853) and a quarterly newsletter. It also has its own Fieldwork Survey Group.



• CORK HISTORICAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY - Founded in 1891 for the collection, preservation and diffusion of all available information regarding the City and County of Cork. These objects were subsequently extended to Munster and worldwide. The society has published a journal since 1892, the first volume of which has been republished on CD-ROM.



• GALWAY ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY - Founded in 1900 to promote the study of the archaeology and history of the west of Ireland. Since 1900 the Society has published 61 volumes of its Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society. The first 55 volumes of this journal are available for purchase on CD-ROM. The Society also runs a lecture series in Galway City, as well as outings to various sites of interest during the summer. It is also involved in lobbying national and local authorities in relation to heritage matters relating to the City and County of Galway.



• KERRY ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY - Devoted to the collection, recording, study and preservation of material relating to the history and antiquities of County Kerry. The Society operates from Kerry Library Headquarters in Tralee. It organizes a series of lectures during the winter and a number of outings during the summer. It publishes a Journal and an annual magazine.Indexes to these can be downloaded from the site, along with some sample articles. The website also provides the usual information on membership and forthcoming events, and a gallery of photos from recent outings and lectures.



• KILDARE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY - Founded in 1891 to promote the study of the antiquities of County Kildare and surrounding districts. The Society's website gives details about membership, forthcoming events, and the Journal. The entire set of journals from 1891 to the present is now available on DVD.



• The KILKENNY ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY was refounded in 1946 - refounded, because its 1849 predecessor was so successful that it expanded to include the whole of Ireland and eventually moved to Dublin (the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland). The present Kilkenny Archaeological Society has a library and museum, and occupies the sixteenth century Rothe House. Its annual journal is the Old Kilkenny Review.



• COUNTY LOUTH ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY - Founded in 1903, the Society celebrated its centenary in 2003. It has a membership of 741 (end December 2009), drawn from many diverse walks of life and locations. The object of the Society is to protect and foster knowledge of the archaeological and historical heritage of County Louth. The website gives details of membership, activities, and the Society's journal.



• MEATH ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY - A rather sparse and irregularly updated website for a highly respected society. Some summaries of lectures and descriptions of outings. There are also some documents relating to the Tara controversy. The Books section lists the newspapers available in the County Library and an Author Index to the Society's journal, Ríocht na Midhe, for 1990-2003.



• The THOMOND ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY is dedicated to the part of North Munster which formed the ancient Kingdom of Thomond. It is an all-round antiquarian society encompassing subjects such as folklore, placenames and numismatics as well as archaeology and history. The website gives details of forthcoming lectures and outings, along with contact details for membership enquiries, and for the society's journal, the North Munster Antiquarian Journal



• The WEXFORD HISTORICAL SOCIETY, formerly known as the Old Wexford Society, was established by a small group of enthusiasts in 1944 to research, record and promote the history, archaeology and heritage of the town and county of Wexford. The website gives details of membership, activities, and the Society's journal, published every two years.



• The FEDERATION FOR ULSTER LOCAL STUDIES was set up to promote and assist with the study and recording of the history, antiquities and folk-life of Ulster, to develop communication and co-operation between local historical groups and between these groups and relevant statutory and voluntary organisations. The Federation's journal is Due North, previously Ulster Local Studies.



• The FEDERATION OF LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETIES - '...established in 1981 to promote the interests of amateur historians and voluntary museums and to present their views. In the intervening years the number of affiliated societies has grown to about one hundred societies.' One of the aims of the Federation is to encourage research in the fields of history, archaeology, folk-life and folklore. The site includes lists of known societies. The Federation's first two newsletters can be downloaded as pdf files.