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Marsh's Library
Marsh's Library formerly St. Sepulchre's Library, situated in St. Patrick's Close, adjacent to St. Patrick's Cathedral and St. Sepulchre's Palace, Dublin, Ireland is a well-preserved library of the late Renaissance and early Enlightenment. When it opened to the public in 1707 it was the first public library in Ireland. It was built to the order of Archbishop Narcissus Marsh and has a collection of over 25,000 books and 300 manuscripts.
The library was built for the Most Rev. Narcissus Marsh, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin, and formerly Provost of Trinity College, Dublin. A plot of land belonging to St. Sepulchre's Palace adjacent to St. Patrick's Cathedral was allocated to that library to be built in 1701. Construction commenced in 1703. The First Gallery and the Old Reading Room seem to have been completed by 1705. The library was formally established by an act of the Irish Parliament, the Marsh's Library Act 1707 (6 Anne c. 19 (I)), and the Second Gallery was added in 1708 or 1709.
The design was by the then Surveyor General of Ireland, Sir William Robinson. Thomas Burgh designed an extension of the library wing and entrance porch a few years later in 1710 following Robinson's disgrace for unrelated financial impropriety and return to England.
Marsh donated his own library, which included the former library of Bishop Edward Stillingfleet, of over 10,000 volumes, regarded as one of the finest in England, which he had bought for 2,500 pounds.
Dr. Elias Bouhereau, a Huguenot refugee from La Rochelle who fled from France after the Revocation of the edict of Nantes, was the first librarian or Keeper, and also donated his personal library.
The Library was formally incorporated in 1707 by Parliament, which vested the house and books in a body known as the Governors and Guardians of the Library, comprising religious and state dignitaries and officials, and their successors still oversee it. Narcissus Marsh died in 1713, and is buried just beyond the library, in the grounds of the cathedral.
In 1745, John Stearne, Bishop of Clogher, bequeathed half of his collection of books to the library. The other half of Stearne's book collection (and all of his manuscripts) were given to Trinity College, Dublin.
In 1989, Muriel McCarthy became the first female Keeper, holding the position until her retirement in 2011. The current Keeper (now re-titled as Director) is Dr Jason McElligott, who was educated at University College Dublin and St John's College, Cambridge.
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Marsh's Library
Marsh's Library formerly St. Sepulchre's Library, situated in St. Patrick's Close, adjacent to St. Patrick's Cathedral and St. Sepulchre's Palace, Dublin, Ireland is a well-preserved library of the late Renaissance and early Enlightenment. When it opened to the public in 1707 it was the first public library in Ireland. It was built to the order of Archbishop Narcissus Marsh and has a collection of over 25,000 books and 300 manuscripts.
The library was built for the Most Rev. Narcissus Marsh, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin, and formerly Provost of Trinity College, Dublin. A plot of land belonging to St. Sepulchre's Palace adjacent to St. Patrick's Cathedral was allocated to that library to be built in 1701. Construction commenced in 1703. The First Gallery and the Old Reading Room seem to have been completed by 1705. The library was formally established by an act of the Irish Parliament, the Marsh's Library Act 1707 (6 Anne c. 19 (I)), and the Second Gallery was added in 1708 or 1709.
The design was by the then Surveyor General of Ireland, Sir William Robinson. Thomas Burgh designed an extension of the library wing and entrance porch a few years later in 1710 following Robinson's disgrace for unrelated financial impropriety and return to England.
Marsh donated his own library, which included the former library of Bishop Edward Stillingfleet, of over 10,000 volumes, regarded as one of the finest in England, which he had bought for 2,500 pounds.
Dr. Elias Bouhereau, a Huguenot refugee from La Rochelle who fled from France after the Revocation of the edict of Nantes, was the first librarian or Keeper, and also donated his personal library.
The Library was formally incorporated in 1707 by Parliament, which vested the house and books in a body known as the Governors and Guardians of the Library, comprising religious and state dignitaries and officials, and their successors still oversee it. Narcissus Marsh died in 1713, and is buried just beyond the library, in the grounds of the cathedral.
In 1745, John Stearne, Bishop of Clogher, bequeathed half of his collection of books to the library. The other half of Stearne's book collection (and all of his manuscripts) were given to Trinity College, Dublin.
In 1989, Muriel McCarthy became the first female Keeper, holding the position until her retirement in 2011. The current Keeper (now re-titled as Director) is Dr Jason McElligott, who was educated at University College Dublin and St John's College, Cambridge.
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