Marsh's Library facts for kids
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| Former name | St Sepulchre’s Library |
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| Established | 1707 |
| Location | St Patrick's Close, Dublin, Ireland |
| Type | public library |
| Key holdings | 80 incunabula |
| Collection size | 26,000 items |
| Founder | Narcissus Marsh |
| Architect | Sir William Robinson |
| Owner | Governors and Guardians of the Library |
| Public transit access | Stephen's Green Luas stop (Green Line) Kevin Street bus stop |
| Nearest car park | Q-Park St Stephen's Green |
Marsh's Library is a very old library located in St. Patrick's Close, right next to St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland. It is a special place that looks much like it did when it was built. It opened in 1707 and was the first public library in Ireland.
Archbishop Narcissus Marsh had the library built. It holds more than 25,000 books and 300 handwritten documents called manuscripts.
Contents
History of Marsh's Library
How the Library Started
The library was built for Narcissus Marsh, who was the Archbishop of Dublin. He was also in charge of Trinity College, Dublin before that. People used to think the library opened in 1701, but that's not quite right. The land was given in 1701, but building only started in 1703.
The first parts of the library were finished by 1705. A special law from the Irish Parliament officially created the library in 1707. The second part of the library was added a year or two later, around 1708 or 1709.
Sir William Robinson designed the library. He was a famous architect who also designed the Royal Hospital Kilmainham. Archbishop Marsh gave his own huge collection of over 10,000 books to the library. This collection included books from Bishop Edward Stillingfleet, which were considered some of the best in England.
The first librarian was Dr. Elias Bouhereau. He was a Huguenot refugee who came from France. He also gave his own personal library to Marsh's Library.
A group called the Governors and Guardians of the Library was set up by Parliament in 1707. This group, made up of important religious and government leaders, still looks after the library today. Archbishop Marsh passed away in 1713 and is buried near the library.
In 1745, Bishop John Stearne gave half of his book collection to the library.
Recent Times
In 1989, Muriel McCarthy became the first female Keeper (or head) of the library. She worked there until 2011. The current head, now called the Director, is Dr Jason McElligott.
When the Guinness family sold Farmleigh House to the Irish government, they gave the Benjamin Iveagh Library to Marsh's Library. These books are still kept at Farmleigh.
You can find the library's list of books online at www.marshlibrary.ie/catalogue. Students and researchers can read the books by making an appointment. Many tourists visit the old library. In 2015, about 23,000 people came to see it.
What the Library Holds
The library has over 25,000 books from the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. It also has about 300 manuscripts (handwritten documents). About 80 of its books are "incunabula" – these are books printed before the year 1501.
The books cover many different topics. You can find books on medicine, law, science, travel, math, music, and old classical stories. There are also many books about religion.
Besides the very old books from before 1501, Marsh's collection has:
- 430 books from Italy printed before 1600.
- 1,200 English books printed before 1640.
- 5,000 more English books printed before 1700.
Marsh's collection also includes old Irish manuscripts. These were bought from Dudley Loftus in 1695. They include Irish history, an Irish-Latin dictionary from 1662, and old letters. In 1941, Dean Webster gave more Irish manuscripts and documents.
The library also has books in many different languages. These include Hebrew, Arabic, Turkish, and Russian. There is a special collection of Jewish texts in Latin. Marsh's own collection of Jewish books has over 250 works. These include Hebrew Bibles, writings from the Talmud, and Yiddish books. Many of these were bought from the collection of Edward Stillingfleet, a Protestant clergyman. Marsh's Middle Eastern collection has books on languages, Bible studies, philosophy, and astronomy.
The collection from Élie Bouhéreau, the first librarian, is also very varied. It focuses on France and religious debates there. It also has important medical books. Many of his books were gifts from famous writers and religious leaders. His medical books were the most up-to-date for his time. His French history books cover events like the Massacre of St. Bartholomew's Day.
Among the manuscripts, there is a book called the Lives of the Irish Saints from around 1400. It is written in Latin. There are also music pieces from the 16th century and manuscripts about religion, law, and medicine.
Inside the Library
The library still has its original furniture. This includes the seats and the shelves. The bookshelves are made of strong Baltic oak wood. They have special carvings and letters.
You might notice some bullet holes in a few of the bookcases. These are from the Easter Rising in 1916. A factory next door was taken over during that time.
There are also three special areas with wire doors, called 'cages'. These were added in the 1770s. They were used to keep valuable books safe from being stolen.
Visiting Today
Marsh's Library is one of the few buildings from the 18th century in Ireland that is still used for its original purpose.
You can visit the library for a fee. It costs €7 for adults, or €4 for students and older people. Children under 18 can enter for free. You can check their website for current opening hours: https://www.marshlibrary.ie/visit.
Researchers can visit for free, but they need to apply ahead of time to reserve a spot in the Reading Room.
The library often has special exhibitions and sometimes holds conferences. They also publish books, usually related to their exhibitions or catalogue.
As a charity, the library accepts donations. These are recorded in a special book that goes all the way back to 1707.
The library is active on social media. They post at least one image from their collections every day on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. This gives people a good idea of the many different things the library holds.
See also
In Spanish: Biblioteca Marsh para niños
- Bolton Library
