RTÉ has launched its new free-to-view archives website as part of its ongoing celebrations of its 50th anniversary this year.
The website – www.rte.ie/archives - contains a series of archive video, audio and photographic stills arranged in the form of exhibitions on Irish history as well as searchable under key figures in Irish public life.
A number of the exhibitions that are currently available to view online include archive video footage on emigration in Ireland; the first Dáil and U2. The archive footage is also available to filmmakers to buy.
RTÉ Archives are responsible for collecting and preserving the national broadcaster’s output. The archives contain hundreds of thousands of hours of moving image and sound recordings together with significant collections of photographs, manuscripts and administrative documents.
RTÉ plans to continue to open up the RTÉ Archives to the public and make more of the archive material available to view online.