Marsh's Library, Library near St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland
Marsh's Library is a library beside St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin that features two long galleries with oak bookcases. The collections comprise tens of thousands of books and manuscripts from different centuries, systematically arranged in wooden cabinets.
An archbishop founded this institution in 1707 through an act of Parliament as the first public library in Ireland. This founding made it a pioneer in providing access to books and knowledge for a wider population.
The library's core is the 1705 purchase of Edward Stillingfleet's 10,000-volume library for £2,500, joined by the 1703 donation of first Keeper Elias Bouhereau, a Huguenot refugee from La Rochelle. Bouhereau's books cover French religious controversy and medicine, including works on the Siege of La Rochelle. The Loftus manuscripts, bought in 1695, include letters of Thady O'Doyne dated 1159, 1590 and 1606.
The space is small and requires time to explore carefully, so plan for at least one to two hours for a satisfying visit. Note that opening hours vary and some days may be closed, so checking ahead is wise.
Three wire alcoves known as "cages" were installed in the 1770s after thefts from the collection; readers were locked inside with their books. The bookcases are quarter-plained Baltic oak with carved and lettered gables, and some still show bullet holes from the Easter Rising, when Jacob's Biscuit factory next door was occupied.
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