THE ROYAL IRISH ACADEMY IS IRELAND'S LEADING BODY OF EXPERTS IN THE SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

The Royal Irish Academy/Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann champions research. We identify and recognise Ireland’s world class researchers. We support scholarship and promote awareness of how science and the humanities enrich our lives and benefit society. We believe that good research needs to be promoted, sustained and communicated. The Academy is run by a Council of its members. Membership is by election and considered the highest academic honour in Ireland.

Read more about the RIA

Research Programmes

The Royal Irish Academy currently runs seven academic research programmes at the leading edge of scholarship in their respective disciplines. These and their research outputs give the institution particular academic strengths in Irish history, cartography, digital archives and lexicography.  Academy research programmes combine with areas in which the Academy Library and its collections are exceptionally rich, including Irish language and literature, linguistics, the history and culture of Ireland and archaeology. Academy research programmes publish regularly and play a vibrant role in academic and public life in Ireland and across the globe.

The Dictionary of Irish Biography is Ireland’s national biographical dictionary. Devised, researched, written and edited under the auspices of the Royal Irish Academy, its online edition covers over 10,000 lives. 

Dictionary of Irish Biography »

DMLCS helps build a research infrastructure to interpret Western European thought from writings penned across a thousand years of history.

Dictionary of Medieval Latin from Celtic Sources »

The Digital Repository of Ireland (DRI) is an interactive, trusted digital repository for social and cultural content held by Irish institutions.

Digital Repository of Ireland »

Documents on Irish Foreign Policy (DIFP) is a public history programme for the study of modern Irish history through diplomacy. DIFP aims to make the history of Irish foreign policy accessible to all and promotes public engagement with the history of Ireland’s international relations.

Documents on Irish Foreign Policy »

Tá an tionscnamh taighde seo ag réiteach foclóir stairiúil don Ghaeilge sa tréimhse 1600-2000./This research project is engaged in the production of an historical dictionary of Irish in the period 1600-2000.

Foclóir Stairiúil na Gaeilge »

Grangegorman Histories is a public history programme of research and shared discovery of the Grangegorman site and surrounding communities

Grangegorman Histories »

The aim of the Irish Historic Towns Atlas (IHTA) research programme is to record the topographical development of a selection of Irish towns both large and small.

Irish Historic Towns Atlas »

The New Survey of Clare Island is a unique multidisciplinary endeavour that together with Robert Lloyd Praeger’s first Clare Island Survey provides an invaluable body of research informing future conservation of natural and built heritage of Ireland and Europe.

New Survey of Clare Island »

The Academy has a number of completed research projects

Browse the archive of past Academy research projects