National Library of Ireland
7-8 Kildare St, Dublin, Ireland
Home to more than 12 million items, including ancient manuscripts, the National Library of Ireland is a grand 19th-century building with a much-photographed rotunda. Most travelers come to admire the airy Main Reading Room with its domed stucco ceiling, which featured in James Joyce’s groundbreaking Ulysses.
The basics
The National Library of Ireland is not a lending library, but it hosts regular exhibitions and talks at both the main Kildare Street site and its photographic archive. It also offers a free Family History Service, although you’ll need to register for a reader’s ticket in advance to access the Family History Room. You can visit the library with a Dublin literary tour, while some museum tours also admire the architecture.
Things to know before you go
The National Library of Ireland is a great choice for photographers, architecture buffs, and bookworms.
Most travelers spend just a few minutes viewing the Main Reading Room.
The library has universal access bathrooms, wheelchair access to the main building, and an elevator to the Main Reading Room.
You must apply online for a Reader’s Ticket to visit the Reading Rooms. Once approved, tickets are valid for three years.
How to get there
The National Library of Ireland sits in the heart of Dublin, right by Leinster House—seat of the Irish Parliament—and a stone’s throw from Trinity College Dublin. The Luas Green Line tram runs to Trinity College, or you can also take a number of buses.
When to get there
The Main Reading Room is open from morning to late afternoon on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays, with later closing times on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. It is also open on some Saturday mornings—check the website for the latest dates. The exhibition space within the main library building is open daily, morning to late afternoon.
Discovering literary Dublin
Dublin gave the world writers and poets including Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, W.B. Yeats, Samuel Beckett, and James Joyce. To follow in their footsteps, consider Davy Byrne’s pub, where Joyce was a regular and set a scene in Ulysses, or Bewley’s Grafton Street, a grand café where Joyce, Yeats, and Beckett all dined. Merrion Square, once home to Yeats and Wilde, now hosts a statue of Wilde, who was born there, while you can see Swift’s memorial in St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
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