The quiet heart of Dublin: a guide to the city's most storied libraries
A library crawl through Dublin is a wonderfully relaxing way to explore the city’s rich literary history.
Long Room Trinity College Dublin
Dublin is the perfect destination for book lovers, or indeed anyone who loves a good story and a well-turned phrase.
As a UNESCO City of Literature, this remarkable place has given the world four Nobel laureates - Shaw, Yeats, Beckett, and Heaney - alongside literary giants like James Joyce and Oscar Wilde. In Dublin, a deep love of language and storytelling is woven into the very fabric of everyday life. It’s not surprising then that Dublin has some excellent libraries, each offering visitors a quiet haven in an otherwise lively city centre. A stroll though this eminently walkable city leads you to several renowned historical libraries, each one home to literary treasures that nourish the mind and rarefied spaces once frequented by Ireland's great writers.
Considered to be one of the most beautiful libraries in the world and home to the Book of Kells, the Long Room at Trinity College will transport you back in time, and awe you with its quiet grandeur. The 65-metre (213-foot) gallery has a soaring, barrel-vaulted ceiling and has been likened to a cathedral of books. Take time to breathe in its history and reflect on the many scholars who have passed through its doors and studied its centuries-old tomes. Currently most of the books have been removed as part of a major preservation project but the library’s unique ambiance remains.
Marsh's Library, Dublin
Marsh’s Library, a hidden gem tucked in the shadow of the imposing St Patrick’s Cathedral, is Dublin’s first public library and dates to 1707. A serene place to linger, the space is filled with historic texts and currently displays some of the oldest printed books in the world as part of the Gutenberg’s Cradle exhibition. Many of Dublin’s great writers came to read and study here, including Jonathan Swift, James Joyce and Bram Stoker.
Owing to eighteenth-century readers' regrettable habit of pilfering books, the library installed reading cages in which guests would be locked during a visit. You can still take a seat in one of these reading cages to transport yourself to a bygone era. The city’s history has left other indelible marks on the library itself; the building came under attack during the 1916 Easter Rising - and to this day, eagle-eyed visitors can still spot bullet holes in Marsh's walls and even in some of its treasured texts.
Next, onto the imposing National Library of Ireland, worth a visit as much for its stunning architecture as its collections. Its magnificent domed reading room, marble stairways and stained-glass windows honouring literary and artistic greats create a breathtaking space. Housing more than 12 million items - from books and photographs to music and maps - the library preserves the nation’s cultural heritage. Among its current exhibitions are The Life and Works of William Butler Yeats and Seamus Heaney: Listen Now Again. Guided tours are also available.
At the Chester Beatty in the grounds of Dublin Castle, you have the chance to delve into a remarkable collection of global cultural and religious texts from Asia, Europe and North Africa. The library’s fascinating exhibitions include sacred texts, illuminated manuscripts and miniature paintings from the world’s great religions while its permanent Arts of the Book exhibition has items that are thousands of years old. The Silk Road Café at the library is a popular eaterie and offers a welcome break following a day of literary exploration. Located in a charming light-filled atrium, with outdoor seating overlooking the carefully manicured garden, it’s the perfect place to refuel after a day on your feet.
If you want to throw a modern library into the mix on your day of bookish wanderings, head to The Library Project in the heart of Dublin’s Temple Bar cultural quarter. It’s at once a bookshop, library, gallery and cultural hub, with a strong focus on photography that invites people to discover local and international, contemporary and indie arts.
The Silk Road cafe at Chester Beatty, Dublin
In Ireland, stories are not always bound up in books and the art of oral storytelling is alive and well. A great way to experience this is at a Seanoíche (pronounced shan-a-key-ha) storytelling event. It’s a modern version of traditional storytelling that celebrates the spoken word, personal narrative, and communal intimacy. Held monthly in cozy venues across Dublin, Seanchoíche brings together a diverse lineup of storytellers (some professional, many not) who share true stories on a given theme. It's raw, honest, funny, and moving and a beautiful counterpart to the hushed and contemplative library experience - guests can even try their hand at storytelling on the night.