Picture of Marsh’s Library
Caption: _______________
Dublin • Ireland Marsh’s Library #bestofireland
Picture of Marsh’s Library
Caption: Behind St. Patrick’s Cathedral,
I found a little hidden gem
called
Marsh’s Library.
Picture of Marsh’s Library
Caption: I love any library, but you can feel the history in this one.
If these books could talk!
Picture of Marsh’s Library
Caption: The library opened in 1707 and
was the first public library in Ireland.
The collection of over 25,000 books,
300 manuscripts & around 80 books from before 1501. was started by Archbishop Narcissus Marsh and has grown over the years with donations from its librarians.
Picture of Marsh’s Library
Caption: •
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.
.
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.
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Caption: As I wandered the aisles,
my favorite book spotted was
“Works of Sir Thomas More from 1557.
A compilation of the works from the man
who was advisor to Henry VIII,
a Renaissance humanist,
and author of Utopia.
It is of no doubt he had a hand in history!
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Caption: The library has two main hallways featuring its original fittings, including seating and shelving.
The bookcases are made of quarter-plained Baltic oak with carved and lettered gables.
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Caption: There are three wire alcoves, known as 'cages',
which came into use in the 1770s in response to thefts in the library.
Picture of Marsh’s Library
Caption: The library is one of the last
18th-century buildings in Ireland
still used for its original purpose.
The books are in the same position that they were placed 300 years ago.
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Caption: Famous readers have included Jonathan Swift (Gulliver's Travels) Bram Stoker (Dracula)
James Joyce (Ulysses)
Sir Walter Scott
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Caption: During my visit in April 2019,
the library held an exhibition on
Bram Stoker’s visits to Marsh’s Library.
Tracing the books he read in 1866
and showing some inspiration
for his gruesome tale.
Dracula
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Caption: Did you know Bram Stoker
never went to Romania?
The things you can
learn from books!
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Caption: Make sure to chat with the librarians and staff who will share their favorites and secrets of the library.
In some of the bookcases there are bullet holes from the Easter Rising when the hotel next door was occupied.
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Caption: Ghosts
Of course there are
stories of ghosts
drifting around and
searching through books.
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Caption: The founder Marsh was the guardian of Grace Marsh,
his nineteen-year- old niece
who also acted as his housekeeper.
Bored with the scholarly, ecclesiastical life,
she fell in love with a salty sea captain.
Marsh disapproved, and tried to intervene,
but the couple eloped, never to be seen again.
Marsh wrote in his diary:
This evening betwixt eight and nine o’clock
my niece Grace Marsh
(not having the fear of God before her eyes)
stole privately out of my house …
and (as it reported) was that night married to
Chas Proby Vicar of Castleknock in a tavern
and was bedded there with him –
Lord consider my affliction.
Grace reportedly left a note for Marsh
inside one of the library books
asking for forgiveness.
Archbishop Marsh never did track down the note,
and so never learned his beloved relative’s
last words to him.
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Caption: But he is still searching every book …
Marsh died in 1713.
After 306 years, one would think he could have searched 25,000 books.
Ghost problems!
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Caption: Another claim is that
the library ghost is that of
Charles Maturin,
author of Melmoth the Wanderer,
He spent many hours during his life
in the library,
researching and writing.
Maturin had some eccentric habits,
such as sticking a communion host
to his forehead as a sign
that he wasn’t to be
disturbed.
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Caption: The ghost has also
been connected to
Jonathan Swift (1667-1745),
He was Dean of
St Patrick’s Cathedral and
author of Gulliver’s Travels.
Apparently his ghost
wanders over from
St Patrick’s next door
where the ghost is also seen.
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Caption: Check out this hidden gem for an uncrowded stroll through history.
If you have legitimate research,
you can also apply in advance
to view the books outside their shelves. More Info
Picture of Marsh’s Library
Caption: BlueSkyTraveler.com #blueskytraveler
