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Visiting the Library

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

Library 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.

Library Collections

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

Library Blog

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Cartoon of a bishop with a man wearing a woman's bonnet and soldiers are bursting through a door upon the scene.

LGBTQIA+ archival material in the collections of the Royal Irish Academy Library

Professor Sonja Tiernan, Co-ordinator of Irish Humanities Alliance, provides an insightful overview of items from the RIA Library collection relating to LGBTQIA+ history in Ireland.

Library Blog

Oil portrait of a bearded man.

Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, the mummy, the wicked surgeon and the headless corpse

For the Halloween season, read about one of Ireland’s best ghost story writers, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, and what the RIA Library collection can tell…

Library Blog

OS Memoir book series on a library shelf.

OS200: Spotlight on the Ordnance Survey Memoirs

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

Library Blog

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

Library News

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Harding's Dublin impartial news letter, RIA RRG/2/F/17(a)

New donation: Harding’s Dublin Impartial Newsletter

The RIA Library is delighted to have acquired an edition of a rare 18th century newspaper.

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Stamps

New acquisition: An Post Collection

The RIA Library is pleased to announce the donation of an important collection of records, books and artefacts from the Museum & Archive of An…

Library

Guild of St Anne Collection

Medieval deeds in the Guild of St Anne Collection

The RIA Library and the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland announce a new project to provide enhanced online access to a collection of deeds that…

Library

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.

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Search our collections

Discover more about our unique collections in our online catalogue.

Explore our collections

Listen to our latest lectures and events

Irish History Online logo

Irish History Online (IHO)

Irish History Online is the national bibliography of Irish history. It is part of a European network of national historical bibliographies from fourteen countries. Irish History Online is an authoritative listing (in progress) of what has been written about Irish history from earliest times to the present.

A page from the Cathach

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.

Contact the library

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

For enquires email: library@ria.ie

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Antiquarian books on a library shelf.