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The National Library (Kildare Street) houses books, prints, manuscripts, newspapers, music, ephemera and genealogical material. It is the best collection of Irish documentary heritage in the world.
There are three current exhibitions:
Yeats: The Life and Works of William Butler Yeats – This exhibition has been described in The Irish Times as “one of the most important literary exhibitions yet staged internationally,” opened to unanimous acclaim on May 25, 2006. Since then, over a quarter of a million people of all ages and nationalities have delighted in the experience of this award-winning exhibition.
Ireland on the box: 60 years of television in Ireland – A collaboration between RTÉ and the National Library of Ireland (NLI) exploring entertainment, drama, sport, music, education and news and current affairs programming, through RTÉ’s remarkable collection of photographs. Hosted by the NLI at the National Photographic Archive, Meeting House Square, Temple Bar, Dublin 2. Open 10.00 am-4.00 pm Monday to Sunday.
Seamus Heaney: Listen Now Again – This exhibition takes the visitor on a multi-sensory journey from Heaney’s origins through his remarkable poetic career. The exhibition draws on the National Library’s extensive archive of Heaney documents and features Heaney’s original manuscripts as well as letters, unpublished works, diary entries, photographs, note books, and multi-media recordings. This is the first exhibition to be housed in the new Bank of Ireland Cultural and Heritage Centre within Bank of Ireland’s College Green complex. Open Tuesday to Saturday, 10.00 am to 4. 00 pm.
The Kildare Street exhibition areas are open 7 days – Mon, Thur, Fri, Sat Sun 9.30 am to 5.00 pm; and Tues, Wed 9.30 am to 6.30 pm.
For full information about current exhibitions, see www.nli.ie
To read about occasional public tours of the Library, see www.nli.ie
Kildare Street, Dublin 2.
Tel: 01 603 0200.
Admission free.