Marsh’s: Ireland’s oldest public library 

Peaceful, alluring, educational – these are just some of the words to describe Marsh’s Library. Opened in 1707, it was the first public library in Ireland and is now Ireland’s oldest. 

The library is adjacent to St Patrick’s Cathedral in St. Patrick’s Close. Nowadays, it is quite popular with tourists and locals alike, with over 30,000 people visiting here annually.  

According to visitor services manager Amy Ryan, during this year’s peak season (June to August) the library received “an average of 230 visitors per day”. Even in the depths of winter an average of 161 visitors walk through the library’s doors daily. 

Bram Stoker, James Joyce, and Jonathan Swift are some of the most famous writers who have stepped inside the library. In October, the library hosted a festival honouring Stoker, with spooky stories being told for the day. 

Although theft used to happen (1,200 thefts were believed to have happened in the 18^th and 19^th century), Ryan told The Liberty that “there have been no reported thefts in recent years.” This is due to the fact that any readers must arrange an appointment and are now put in private rooms that are monitored by staff using CCTV.  

‘Gutenberg’s Cradle’ is a new exhibition currently in the Library. Visitors can expect to see the oldest printed materials from the collection. The books were printed in Europe between 1450s and 1500 and show the changes that developed throughout the early years of printing. 

There are 25,000 books in the original collection and according to Ryan, the oldest printed book kept is “The Letters of Cicero to his Friends, printed in Milan in 1472.” 

For more information on visiting times and exhibitions check here.