Marsh’s Library

Magically stumbled upon this library when I got off the tour bus thinking I would be going to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. It doesn’t seem to be super popular with tourists which is interesting to me since writers like Bram Stoker and James Joyce roamed the halls. The outside of the library has a beautiful gate and you have to go up several stairs before entering the building. The inside isn’t much changed and they don’t have central heat so it can be a little chilly in the colder months. No pictures are allowed inside. Staff are friendly and knowledgable. One of the most affordable sites to see while in Dublin at 2 Euro. If I lived in Dublin I would love to volunteer at a place like this. I’m a purist though and don’t read books on tablet and there’s nothing like that old book smell. Go now! What are you waiting for? Oh, ps they are closed on Tuesdays.

Beautiful & historic library. A real hidden gem.

Wow, for any book lover that is a little piece of magic that takes you back in time. Small and just so beautiful library that opened in 1707 and it was the first library to open in Ireland. Most definitely worth the visit.
I believe there is 3 Euro admission and I think it is 2 for students, no pictures allowed.

Disclaimer: I volunteer at Marsh’s Library. I haven’t been asked to review it. I volunteer here because it is a lovely library, a cultural treasure and deserves to be visited.
Marsh’s Library, the first public library in Ireland, is one of very few Georgian buildings still used for the same purpose it was built for. Archbishop Marsh studied in Oxford and so based the library on his favourite part of the Bodleian library.
There are over 25,000 books with the earliest printed book dating from 1472. They are mostly on show in the bookshelves with some in storage. The library is still a working reference library used by scholars and historians. It is run as a charity so the entrance fee is really quite reasonable at € 3 or € 2 for students or OAPs.
The reading room has bullet holes in some of the books from stray machine gun fire during the 1916 Rising.
The current exhibition is on writings about Japan from books in the collection including one volume of the beautifully hand painted Blaeu Atlas.
No photos are allowed in the library.

Way better than waiting in line at the more touristy libraries like the one at Trinity.
Do not miss this library if you like books or libraries. They always have an exhibit and even though it’s small, you can spend a lot of time in here.
Bring a donation. It’s right next to St. Pat’s cathedral, so if that’s on your list, make sure you stop in. Definitely worth your time.

Must see! A Dublin instution not only for bookworms.

This is the oldest public library in Ireland, so it’s worth a visit for that fact alone. It has a fee of 2.50 euro or 1.50 euro for students and O.A.P’s.
«The library contains over 25,000 books from the 16^th, 17^th and 18^th centuries, in addition to around 300 manuscripts, and around 80 books from before 1501. Subjects covered include medicine, law, science, travel, navigation, mathematics, music, surveying and classical literature, and especially theology.
The Marsh collection includes works in oriental languages, and in Hebrew, Arabic, Turkish and Russian, as well as an important collection of Latin Judaica. The Bouhéreau collection relates especially to France, and French religious controversies, and also medicine.
Among the manuscripts is a volume of the Lives of the Irish Saints in Latin from ca. 1400, as well as 16^th century madrigals and other musical pieces, and manuscripts on theological, legal and medical matters.»
What I think is the most amazing feature is not the opportunity to learn stuff, I’m just keeping it real, it’s the cages in there! They used to lock people in them when they read the rare books. Now if I was the ruler of the world I would have the best dance party in there with some hot dancers giving it socks in the cages, alas I am not.

For almost next to nothing, one can visit this library located at the start of Dublin’s Liberties. Its main calling card is its rather elongated corridor; it has a tremendous array of old books, many of which were bequeathed by Edward Stillingfleet. But amazingly, to read these books, one had to be caged in, lest one did a runner with the literary tome in their hands! This can still be beheld and so is a real blast from the past! Indeed it would seem, that even Houdini would have been hard pressed to escape or extricate himself. Coupled with this, is the belief that the library is haunted by none other than its founder, Archbishop Marsh, still looking for his daughter who ran away with her lover! On a literary note, perhaps its most compelling feature, is seeing the original comments of Dean Jonathan Swift, in the margins of some of its books. Take a plunge in the depths of Marsh’s.

This is truly a Dublin institution to visit! Hidden away behind leafiness and bushes, Marsh’s library offers a rare insight into the bygone eras. The character of the place is absolutely marvelous. The shelves sag from the weight of books and knowledge that is present in the building and the gentle hush of the walls feels many years old. Visiting Marsh’s library is like wandering into a film along the lines of Indiana Jones’; it’s there for you to discover!

This is Ireland’s oldest public library. The library was built in 1701 by a person called Archbishop Narcissus, the Georgian home was designed by Sir William Robinson. The library has many attractions including a 300-​year-​old interior complete with oak bookcases topped with mitres, and 25,000 books from the 16^th, 17^th and 18^th centuries. Many subjects are covered in the Library including medicine, law, science, music, ancient history and travel. The library is open to the public and events include regular book exhibitions. This library is a great gem.