The Society of Archivists (SoA), which was in existence from 1947 to 2010, was the principal professional body for archivists, archive conservators and records managers in the United Kingdom and Ireland. In 2010 the Society amalgamated with the National Council on Archives (NCA) and the Association of Chief Archivists in Local Government (ACALG) to become the Archives and Records Association, otherwise known as the ARA. Of the three bodies which merged, the Society was by far the largest, and many of its structures and activities were inherited by the new body with little obvious change.