The Museum of Literature Ireland, MoLI, is a major collaboration between UCD and the National Library of Ireland to create a new landmark cultural institution in the heart of Dublin.
Named for James Joyce’s muse Molly Bloom and picturesquely located on the south side of St Stephen’s Green within the original home of the University, Newman House, one of Dublin’s finest historic houses, MoLI celebrates Ireland’s literary culture and heritage.
Immersive multimedia exhibitions, priceless artefacts, including Joyce’s own ‘Copy No.1 of Ulysses’, lectures, performances, education programmes, historic house tours, digital broadcasting, research facilities and a café set in one of the city’s most tranquil gardens make MoLI a major contribution to the local and international literary landscape.
Visitors experience a journey through diverse exhibits examining Ireland’s long poetic tradition, the history of writing in the new Irish State, contemporary Irish writers and young adult fiction. An ambitious temporary exhibition programme, including a rotating partnership with other literary cities, will see changing exhibitions focus on individual writers and works from the past to the present as well as Irish folklore and intangible literary heritage through artefacts, sound, film, new technologies and digital media.
Newman House is the original home of University College Dublin. The building consists of two Georgian town houses (1738, 1765) and a Victorian hall. There are fine interiors & splendid plasterwork. The House is associated with John Henry Newman, Gerald Manley Hopkins & James Joyce.
The Commons is the museum café run by Domini and Peaches Kemp. Set in the original student dining halls in the basement of Newman House, the restored space is now an all-day Irish kitchen and dining room which opens out onto the garden terrace. This is a hidden south-facing oasis in the heart of the city centre. The gardens contain two protected trees, most notably the ash tree that James Joyce had his graduation photograph taken against. The gardens also connect to the Iveagh Gardens, sometimes called Dublin’s ‘Secret Garden’.
Historic House Tours – Explore the stunning surroundings and turbulent history of Numbers 85 and 86 St Stephen’s Green on MoLI’s Historic House Tour. Join your guide as they bring you on a journey through these hidden historic rooms, witness these architectural treasures up close, and learn about the many fascinating characters that have passed through over the centuries.
archive.is/3Vs9K – historical background of Newman House
Opening Hours:
Open 7 days: 10am – 6pm, last admission 5pm
Free after-hours events on the 1st Friday of each month.
Guided tour included in ticket (runs every hour).
Historic House Tours on Sundays only at 11am & 3pm.
The Commons Café is open from 10.30am to 5.00 pm Tuesday to Sunday.
Contact & Pricing:
moli.ie
hello@moli.ie
Tel: 01 716 5900
Museum of Literature Ireland, 86 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2
Admission – Adults €13.50; concessions
Historic House Tours – Adults €16.50; concessions