On Kildare Street in Dublin, the National Library of Ireland brings together Irish books, manuscripts, maps, newspapers and photographs. Its ornate reading room, topped by a dome, is a highlight of the building, while exhibitions explore Irish writers and history. The William Butler Yeats exhibition includes original manuscripts, notes and letters, with multimedia elements that introduce his life and work. You can visit exhibitions without a reader’s ticket; access to the reading room and its collections requires registration.
A reference library for Irish collections
The National Library of Ireland was established in 1877 and collects material documenting Ireland’s history and cultural life. Its collections include books, manuscripts, maps, music, newspapers, periodicals and photographs, as well as material related to Ireland. The library is a reference library, so its collections are consulted on site rather than borrowed.
The scale of the collection is described as more than 12 million items in some published material. It includes documents from private and government publishers. Visitors interested in family history can consult census and civil records, as well as Catholic parish registers; the library also provides a family history service.
The reading room and access
The main reading room is known for its domed roof and ornate interior. It is a working space for study and research, and a reader’s ticket is needed to enter and consult materials. Registration can be completed online in advance. Readers can also arrange to consult manuscripts, with requested items prepared for use in the manuscripts reading room.
The reading room appears in James Joyce’s Ulysses, in a scene where Stephen Dedalus gives a lecture on Shakespeare and Hamlet. During ordinary visits, photography and filming are not permitted in the room, a policy intended to protect the privacy of people studying there. The library has held open days in September when photography and filming are allowed.
Exhibitions on Irish writers
Exhibitions change over time and cover Irish history and literature. The library has presented exhibitions about writers including William Butler Yeats and Seamus Heaney. The Yeats exhibition uses manuscripts and other original material to explore his life and work. Its holdings include a substantial collection of Yeats manuscripts, alongside letters, notes and objects donated from his daily life.
Yeats was a poet, a Nobel Prize winner, a participant in the Irish Literary Revival and a senator of the Irish Free State. His work and public life connected him to major changes in Irish culture in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Exhibition displays have included multimedia elements such as sound, film and poetry readings, giving younger visitors as well as adults ways to engage with the material.
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Is the National Library of Ireland free to visit?
The library’s exhibitions are free to visit. A reader’s ticket is required to access the reading room and consult its collections.
Do you need to register to use the reading room?
Yes. Register for a reader’s ticket before entering the reading room. Online registration in advance can make the process more efficient.
Can you take photos inside the reading room?
Photography and filming are not allowed during ordinary visits. The library has held open days in September when photography and filming are permitted.
What can you see at the National Library of Ireland?
Exhibitions cover Irish writers and history, including displays about William Butler Yeats. The collections include books, manuscripts, maps, music, newspapers, periodicals and photographs.
