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Planning your visit

Find out all you need to know before visiting our library.

Exhibitions and Events

Exhibitions, lectures and events highlighting the library’s rich collections of books, prints, drawings and manuscripts.

Closeup of a shelf of books in the RIA Library.

Explore our Collections

Discover our unique and distinct historically rich manuscript, archival, photograph and print collections.

Library Blog

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Grey archival boxes on a library shelf labelled as Ordnance Survey Letters with the relevant county.

OS200: Spotlight on the Ordnance Survey Letters

This blog is the second in a series that marks 200 years since the first Ordnance Survey of Ireland.

Library Blog

Leather bound volumes shelved in a map case with county names embossed on the spines.

OS200: Spotlight on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey maps

This blog is the first in a series that marks 200 years since the first Ordnance Survey of Ireland.

Library Blog

Collage composed of a golden eagle feather with a handwritten label attached and an addressed lavender-coloured envelope.

The Birds of Ireland

For this instalment of the Library blog, we are introducing the Ussher Bird Notes Collection and are sharing some very exciting news with our readers…

Library Blog

Cynthia Longfield and the St George expedition

This blog marks the centenary of Cynthia Longfield’s adventure on the 1924 St George scientific expedition.

Library Blog

Search our collections

From the largest collection of Irish manuscripts in the world to 100 years of Irish stamps.

Discover a wealth of information in our searchable database.

Explore our collections

Library News

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1. Logo of Irish History Online displayed prominently against a blue background

New Irish History Online (IHO) website launched

The Royal Irish Academy Library is delighted to announce the newly updated IHO website.

Library

Delegates at CONUL Erasmus 2024 outside Academy House.

CONUL Erasmus Library Staff Mobility week, 24-28 June 2024

Read about the Library’s participation in the Consortium of National and University Libraries (CONUL) Erasmus programme.

Library

maistir-rang

Máistir-rang do mhic léinn iarchéime le Fionntán de Brún

Ar an 24 Feabhra 2024, tháinig mic léinn iarchéime ó gach cearn den tír chuig Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann le haghaidh máistir-rang a d’eagraigh Coiste…

Coiste Léann na Gaeilge agus an Léinn Cheiltigh

Collage of the Ussher Bird Notes collection housed in the RIA Library and a portrait of Richard J. Ussher MRIA (1841-1913).

Heritage Council funding received for RIA Library project ‘The Birds of Ireland’.

The RIA Library is delighted to announce that we have received funding from the Heritage Council as part of the Heritage Stewardship Fund for our…

Library

Listen to our latest lectures and events

Irish History Online (IHO)

A comprehensive source for all recent publications relating to Irish history

 

 

Irish History Online

Irish History online graphci

The Cathach of St. Columba

The Library is pleased to share the new Turning the Pages solution for one of the oldest surviving manuscripts in Ireland: The Cathach of St. Columba (MS 12 R 33). Using high quality images provided by Irish Script on Screen (ISOS), a digital facsimile of the manuscript has been created which allows viewers to manually turn (or click) through the pages to explore each folio in detail. This is a positive step towards improving accessibility to our collections, and it provides readers with the opportunity to explore and study one of the Academy’s most well-known treasures.

View The Cathach

A page from the Cathach

Contact the library

Our opening hours are currently Monday-Friday, 10:00-17:00

For enquires email: library@ria.ie
Twitter: Library_RIA Instagram: @rialibrary

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