Scoilnet.ie is pleased to announce that the full Irish Times Archive back to 1859 is freely available to all schools on the Schools Broadband Network (SBN).

Primary Teachers

• Read an article by teacher Miriam Fitzpatrick (SBN only) on how the Irish Times archive can support a whole range of learning objectives within the primary curriculum.
  
  

Post-Primary History Teachers

• Read an article by retired History teacher Pat Callan (SBN only) on how can the Irish Times archive provides endless opportunities to bring history alive through contemporary accounts of stirring historical events. 

FAQs

How do I search the Irish Times Archive?

There are three ways in which to find information in the archive:

• Search: Type one or more search terms (the words or phrase that best describe the article you want to find) into the search box of either the digital or text archive. Then select other search parameters (e.g. date range) and click search.
• Browse: You can browse the digital archive by date by clicking on browse in the top navigation bar in the archive.
• Timeline: In the digital archive a historical timeline of significant events in history is accessible from the top navigation bar of the archive.

Why can't I find information on a person in the archive?

The terms that are used in the modern day may differ from the terms that were used at the time that an article in the past was published. Historically there was a tendency to describe people more formally or by their formal title, e.g. Mr Yeats instead of W.B. Yeats, or President Kennedy rather than John F. Kennedy. If the surname you are searching for is common try searching various versions of a name or try to searching for the full name in quotes, which will find documents containing the exact phrase entered in quotation marks, e.g. "John Murphy";. If the surname is unusual, try to search by the surname alone.

Why can't I find an event in the archive?

The names by which some events are commonly known may be different to when they were first reported. For example, the First World War has been referred to the Great War, or the 1916 Rising has been reported as the Rebellion. Try to search using words that describe the event or that may have been used in reports. It may be useful to check other historical sources. Please note that some spellings have also changed over time. Examples: Barbadoes, now Barbados; Buenos Ayres, now Buenos Aires; Chili, now Chile; Hooping cough, now whooping cough