Dublin City Library and Archive

Dublin City Library and Archive Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Dublin City Library and Archive, Library, 139-144 Pearse Street, Dublin.

We are pleased to announce that the Reading Room will be open to researchers by appointment on Saturdays, from 6th June...
29/05/2026

We are pleased to announce that the Reading Room will be open to researchers by appointment on Saturdays, from 6th June 10:00-16:30

Beidh an Seomra Léitheoireachta ar oscailt gach Satharn ó 6/6/26; 10.00 go dtí 16.30

Beidh Leabharlann agus Cartlann Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath dúnta Dé Sathairn 30 Bealtaine go dtí Dé Luain 1 Meitheamh 2...
28/05/2026

Beidh Leabharlann agus Cartlann Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath dúnta Dé Sathairn 30 Bealtaine go dtí Dé Luain 1 Meitheamh 2026 (an dá lá sin san áireamh).

Osclóimid arís Dé Máirt 2 Meitheamh 2026.

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Dublin City Library and archive will be closed from Saturday 30 May to Monday 1 June (both dates inclusive)

We will reopen on Tuesday 2 June.

We used to brand cattle and stamp books… now it seems that we brand everything.Branding dates back as far as 2000BC, whe...
27/05/2026

We used to brand cattle and stamp books… now it seems that we brand everything.

Branding dates back as far as 2000BC, when farmers marked livestock to show ownership and craftsmen stamped symbols onto their goods to show where they came from. Later, printers, publishers, and bookbinders used marks in books as signatures of quality and identity.

The image shown here is the brand of a 15th-century Venetian bookbinder, stamped onto a book of the Roman playwright Terentius, and is an an early example of branding used to signify origin, craftsmanship, and reputation. Alongside it is the modern Dublin City Council branding, showing how visual identity has evolved from marks of ownership into tools for communication, recognition, and trust.

Today, logos live on websites, social media, and marketing campaigns, helping organisations connect with their audiences.

Different tools. Same idea.

The intersection of Pearse Street, Townsend Street, Hawkins Street, D'Olier Street and College Street, as it was in the ...
25/05/2026

The intersection of Pearse Street, Townsend Street, Hawkins Street, D'Olier Street and College Street, as it was in the 1950s-1960s (exact date unknown)

Dame Street by night (c.pre-1930s)
22/05/2026

Dame Street by night (c.pre-1930s)

We used to read the news carved into stone tablets, then printed in newspapers, then wound through reels of microfilm, t...
20/05/2026

We used to read the news carved into stone tablets, then printed in newspapers, then wound through reels of microfilm, then on websites...

Now we scroll it on our phones.

The format keeps changing, but the need to stay informed never does.

Maps changed dramatically in the 1700s. What had once been highly decorative representations of the world became increas...
18/05/2026

Maps changed dramatically in the 1700s. What had once been highly decorative representations of the world became increasingly precise, scientific, and data-driven.

The 18th century marked the end of the “Golden Age” of cartography and the beginning of modern mapmaking, with surveyors relying more on mathematics, fieldwork, and geodetic calculation to create maps with far greater accuracy and detail.

Map 1: Moll Map of Dublin, 1714
Map 2: A Plan of Dublin, 1738
Map 3: John Rocque's Map of Dublin, 1756
Map 4: Dublin Street Directory Map - A new plan of Dublin, 1767
Map 5: Wilson's Plan of the City of Dublin, 1796

Dublin’s iconic Five Lamps have been lighting up the North Strand since the 1880s. Erected as a memorial to Lieutenant G...
14/05/2026

Dublin’s iconic Five Lamps have been lighting up the North Strand since the 1880s. Erected as a memorial to Lieutenant General Henry Hall, the cast-iron structure was originally designed as a drinking fountain “to encourage sobriety”.

As for the five lamps themselves? Some say they represent the five streets meeting at the junction, while others link them to India, suggesting that they commemorate the five major battles fought during the Indian Mutiny. Or that they represent the five lamps lit for luck during the Hindu Diwali festival.

Whatever they symbolise, they are still one of Dublin’s most recognisable landmarks, and a piece of Victorian street history still standing strong.

We used to crowdfund statues… now we crowdfund everything else.In 19th and early 20th century Ireland and Britain, it wa...
13/05/2026

We used to crowdfund statues… now we crowdfund everything else.

In 19th and early 20th century Ireland and Britain, it was common practice to raise money for commemorative statues and monuments through public subscriptions. Ordinary people donated what they could to honour political leaders, writers, revolutionaries, and local figures they believed deserved to be remembered.

And just like today, people wanted transparency about where their money was going.

When Nelson’s Pillar was built in Dublin, the expenditure, receipts, and even the names of subscribers were published in a book for the public to see. Accountability mattered just as much as commemoration.

Some things change. Some things don’t.

The Throne Room was once the epicentre of royal ceremony in Ireland. It was created in 1788 as an audience chamber in wh...
11/05/2026

The Throne Room was once the epicentre of royal ceremony in Ireland. It was created in 1788 as an audience chamber in which the Viceroy received guests on behalf of the British monarch. It was also where young debutantes were presented at court to mark their formal entry into aristocratic society. The throne was made for the visit to Ireland of King George IV, in 1821. It was later used by Queen Victoria and King Edward VII during their visits to the Castle. The last monarch to use it before Irish independence was King George V, in 1911.

This image is part of our postcard collection.

Address

139-144 Pearse Street
Dublin
D02HE37

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 10am - 4:30pm
Thursday 10am - 4:30pm

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