The Chair and members of the Irish Manuscripts Commission are appointed by the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. Appointments to the Commission are facilitated by the Public Appointments Service and are subject to the Government’s revised model for ministerial appointments.
The Commission’s membership is representative of those engaged in historical scholarship and cognate disciplines in the universities of Ireland. In addition the Directors of both the National Library of Ireland and the National Archives of Ireland serve as members of the Commission, as does the Director of the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland.
The National Archives Act, 1986, sect. 20 requires that not less than two members of the Irish Manuscripts Commission shall be members of the National Archives Advisory Council (NAAC).
Members of the Commission receive no payment for their work, which is freely given in the service of scholarship. The Chair was entitled to receive an honorarium, but this was not claimed in 2012 and has been discontinued since 2013.
A company limited by guarantee, the Commission operates under the aegis of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and acknowledges the grant funding which it receives from the department.
Professor John McCafferty, UCD (Chairman)
Dr Robert Armstrong, TCD
Professor Ciara Breathnach, UL
Professor Lindsey Earner-Byrne, TCD
Dr Liam Chambers, MIC
Professor Marie Coleman, QUB
Dr Peter Crooks, TCD
Dr Elaine Farrell, QUB
Professor Patrick Geoghegan, TCD
Professor David Hayton, QUB
Dr Niamh Howlin, UCD
Professor Alvin Jackson, University of Edinburgh
Dr Elva Johnston, UCD
Professor Marian Lyons, MU
Orlaith McBride, Director, NAI – ex-officio
Kate Manning, Principal Archivist, UCD
Dr Hiram Morgan, UCC
Nicola Morris, Genealogist
Dr Audrey Whitty, Director, NLI – ex-officio