Collections

One of Ireland’s premier research libraries, we manage major manuscript, book, pamphlet and drawings collections.

Illustration depicting a church characterised by large pointed arch windows, intricate stonework, and towering structures. The scene includes people engaged in daily activities; a person leads two oxen while a dog follows, and another individual stands near a building. In the background, several smaller, quaint buildings with pitched roofs are visible, creating a contrast with the imposing architecture of the cathedral.

Special Collections

Medieval and Early Modern Manuscripts

Discover Ireland’s early manuscripts, including the Psalter of St Colum Cille, known as the Cathach, dated c. 560–600 AD, and Lebor na hUidhre (the Book of the Dun Cow), the oldest extant manuscript completely in Irish, and many more…

Modern Manuscripts

The Library’s Modern Manuscript collections are a major research source for the Irish language, and the history, topography, antiquities and natural history of Ireland, as well as for genealogy and family history. The Ordnance Survey of Ireland archive is one of the largest and better known of our collections, comprising letters, memoirs and drawings made by the surveyors and antiquarians employed on the 19th-century survey of Ireland on the 6-inch scale.

Photographs Collections

Photographs of Irish landscapes, places and objects of historical, archaeological and architectural interest, portraits of individuals connected with the Academy, Academy manuscripts and events.

Print Collections

Books, pamphlets and journals mainly, but not exclusively, relating to Irish history, language, archaeology and history of science. The older print collection includes the private libraries of Thomas Moore, Osborn Bergin, Charles Haliday, A.H. Haliday, Cynthia Longfield, Henry A.S. Upton and others. New books of Irish interest are regularly added to the collection.

Prints, Drawings and Artefacts

Includes a rich collection of c.8,600 antiquarian sketches and drawings depicting Irish landscapes and antiquities. The collection Includes works by Gabriel Beranger, George Petrie, G.V. Du Noyer, W.F. Wakeman and John Windele.