The collection reflects Irish film production for over a century, with material from 1897 to the present day held in climate controlled vaults in Dublin's cultural quarter, Temple Bar.

[3] The Archive was originally formed as a department of the IFI in 1986, becoming formally established in 1992 when the Irish Film Institute building in Temple Bar was opened.

[8] As part of the Irish Film Institute the Archive receives 25 percent of its funding from the Arts Council of Ireland.

[9] The Archive has paid agreements with Screen Ireland and Coimisiún na Meán thus ensuring a comprehensive collection of state funded audiovisual production is centralised and preserved.

[11] Regular screenings of material from the collections are held at the Irish Film Institute and at other venues in Ireland and abroad.

The archive has a non-purchase acquisitions policy, and material is accepted from private sources, production companies and professional bodies.

[21] The Archive has an active programme of restoration and has worked on a variety of key Irish titles including Guests of the Nation (1935), Beloved Enemy (1936), She Didn’t Say No (1958), This Other Eden (1959)[22] and the Isaac Eppel–produced Irish Destiny (1926) which was screened with a new score by Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin performed by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra at the National Concert Hall in Dublin.

[27] The Archive has collaborated with a number of academic partners in recent years in order to undertake research and access projects.