The School of Computer Science and Statistics at Trinity College Dublin welcomes the Government's announcement supporting the development of the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland (VRTI) as Ireland's National Platform for Digital History and Heritage from 2027.
The announcement, made by Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless on the 20th October, will support further research and collaboration between computer scientists, historians and cultural heritage institutions.
The School congratulates Professor Declan O’Sullivan from the School of Computer Science and Statistics, Co-Principal Investigator of VRTI, alongside Dr Peter Crooks, Founder and Principal Investigator, Dr Ciarán Wallace, Programme Director, and the wider project team on this milestone.
Launched in 2022 to mark the centenary of the destruction of the Public Record Office of Ireland, VRTI has brought together more than half a million replacement historical records and over 340 million words of searchable Irish history, working with more than 100 institutions in Ireland and internationally.
The role of computer science
Computer science has been central to the development of VRTI, with the underpinning research carried out through Research Ireland's ADAPT Centre, hosted at Trinity College Dublin, between 2016 and 2026.
The next phase will build on this work, using advanced digital technologies, including responsible artificial intelligence, to connect historical collections, support new research and improve public access to Ireland's documentary heritage.
The School congratulates Professor O’Sullivan and his colleagues on their contribution to the project, which demonstrates the value of collaboration between computer science and the humanities.