Archbishop Marsh's Library

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Archbishop Marsh's Library A perfectly preserved library of the early Enlightenment, established in 1707. Marsh's Library first opened to the public in 1707.

Our books and manuscripts are of European and world significance. The beautiful building is open to the public and children are particularly welcome. Scholars may consult our holdings by arrangement. Marsh's Library is a Registered Charity: RCN 20000752

Marsh’s A–Z: C is for Cages!Did you know that visitors to Marsh’s Library were once locked inside cages to read books? 👀...
22/10/2026

Marsh’s A–Z: C is for Cages!

Did you know that visitors to Marsh’s Library were once locked inside cages to read books? 👀

By the mid-1760s, over 1,000 books had disappeared from the library! To prevent further theft, special reading cages were introduced, allowing readers to consult books while keeping the collection safe.

Today, these historic cages are still a fascinating feature of Marsh’s Library.

Our unique manuscript of Handel's 'Messiah' will be featured in 'The Handel Scandal', a documentary by the Olivier-Award...
22/10/2026

Our unique manuscript of Handel's 'Messiah' will be featured in 'The Handel Scandal', a documentary by the Olivier-Award-winning operatic soprano Danielle de Niese on Sky Arts next Tuesday, 27th October at 8:00 pm (Irish time), and on Now TV.

Wednesdays in the Archive📜It's a stormy day in Dublin today, but it's not quite as bad as January 1936, when a storm cau...
21/10/2026

Wednesdays in the Archive📜

It's a stormy day in Dublin today, but it's not quite as bad as January 1936, when a storm caused damages to the library's roof and outbuilding. This invoice records all the repairs that were required.

A woodcut from 'War with the Devil' (a sentiment many no doubt sympathise with), from 1737
20/10/2026

A woodcut from 'War with the Devil' (a sentiment many no doubt sympathise with), from 1737

In 'Danicorum Monumentorum', printed in 1643, Danish physician and antiquarian Ole Worm (1588-1654) provided the first s...
19/10/2026

In 'Danicorum Monumentorum', printed in 1643, Danish physician and antiquarian Ole Worm (1588-1654) provided the first systematic study of Scandinavian runestones. This image from our copy of the book shows one of the famous 10th century 'Jelling stones, erected by King Harald Bluetooth (namesake of the wireless technology) in memory of his parents and to celebrate his conquest of Denmark and Norway.

For the last day of , take a closer look inside Opera Mathematica by Samuel Marolois, a fascinating 17th-century work e...
16/10/2026

For the last day of , take a closer look inside Opera Mathematica by Samuel Marolois, a fascinating 17th-century work exploring the connections between mathematics, art, architecture, and perspective.

Filled with beautifully detailed engravings, the book demonstrates how mathematical principles could be used to understand and represent the world around us.

In these pages, you can discover everything from geometric shapes and conic sections to fascinating studies of perspective, light, and distance. Notice how carefully drawn lines illustrate the way we see objects in three dimensions, while intricate diagrams explore the construction and measurement of different shapes.

More than just a collection of mathematical calculations, Opera Mathematica shows how science and creativity have gone hand in hand for centuries.

Which of these remarkable illustrations catches your eye the most?

Last night, on the 319th anniversary of Marsh’s Library being open to the public our new Medieval Manuscripts exhibition...
15/10/2026

Last night, on the 319th anniversary of Marsh’s Library being open to the public our new Medieval Manuscripts exhibition was launched by Dr. Alison Ray and Dr. Michael Jackson, Archbishop of Dublin.

A fabulous birthday party for our favourite library!

Another one for !In this chapter of Mathematicall magick (1648), John Wilkins shows how it is 'possible to contrive suc...
15/10/2026

Another one for !

In this chapter of Mathematicall magick (1648), John Wilkins shows how it is 'possible to contrive such an artificiall motion, as may be equally swift with the supposed motion of the heavens'.

If the gear in this illustration is turned one thousand times an hour, the sail at the top will be turned 1000000000000 times, and move faster than a star. Impressive!

Wednesdays in the Archive📜For , we are sharing an accounts book with a list of books purchased by Marsh's Library betwe...
14/10/2026

Wednesdays in the Archive📜

For , we are sharing an accounts book with a list of books purchased by Marsh's Library between 1935-1936. An asterisk beside a title means it was purchased to replace a missing book.

Address

St Patrick's Close
Dublin
D08FK79

Opening Hours

Tuesday 9:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 5pm
Thursday 9:30am - 5pm
Friday 9:30am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+35314543511

Website

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