Marsh’s Library is Ireland’s oldest public library. Built right next to Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, this library has had an impressive collection of over 25,000 books and 300 ancient manuscripts since 1701, all of which can be consulted by the general public!
Marsh’s Library – Chiara Ogan – cc
The library was founded in 1701, by order of the Irish archbishop and former dean of Trinity College, Narcissus Marsh. He commissioned William Robinson to build the new library, and agreed to donate his entire collection, which at the time numbered over 10,000 volumes.
Other donors flock to share their precious works. Among them were Dr. Elias Bouhérau, who was Marsh Library’s first official librarian, and John Stearn, Bishop of Clogher, who bequeathed precious works, including one dating from 1472, long after Narcissus Marsh’s death.
Over the years, the bilbilothèque’s collection has grown considerably, as has the number of visitors, which is increasing at a dizzying rate. The library has only recently been modernized: it now offers the public a computerized list of all the books available at Marsh Library. Readers’ rooms have also been renovated, and special rooms have been set aside to facilitate book restoration and conservation work.
The Marsh library is open to the general public for a fee of €2.50 per person (€1.50 for students). It offers visitors works of exceptional rarity and quality, recognized the world over. Some of their books are so rare, in fact, that they sometimes require the reader to be “locked” in a screened-in room during consultation!
Generally speaking, the library’s collection is made up mainly of old books, dating from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. (Only 80 volumes date from before 1501). Among the topics covered, most deal with medicine, law, science, travel, mathematics, architecture, literature, theology and music. There’s no better way to get an accurate picture of daily life in those days!
In addition, some books that belonged to the library’s founder are available in Hebrew, Arabic, Turkish and Russian. Others, donated by Dr. Elias Bouhérau, are also available in French, and relate to religious controversies in France, as well as to medicine.
You can browse through these works in specially dedicated rooms, while some books deemed too fragile are loaned out in their digitized versions. The atmosphere is calm and tranquil, conducive to reflection and escape. It’s the perfect place for lovers of rare reads!
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