Dublin City Libraries will be closed from Saturday 4 May to Monday 6 May 2024 (inclusive). Our online services will continue as usual. We will reopen on Tuesday, 7 May.
At the end of the 1720s Jonathan Swift was at the height of his literary powers, he had published the best-selling Travels into several remote nations of the world by Lemuel Gulliver (Gulliver’s travels) in 1726, which had run to many editions by the end of the decade, he had written extensively on Irish affairs and was a household name in Dublin and London. Swift was well connected in the literary and social world, he was a friend and correspondent of poet Alexander Pope, and dramatists John Gay and William Congreve.Image right: Engraved portrait of SwiftHe kept up to date with literary trends and purchased books by contemporary authors. In 1728 a young French author living in London published a new version of his historical poem in French, called La Henriade, written in praise of King Henri IV of France. François Marie Arouet de Voltaire (1694-1778) published his poem by subscription and the subscription list reveals his important patrons and supporters. Swift was a friend and correspondent of Voltaire’s, they were probably introduced by their mutual friend Alexander Pope. When Swift intended to visit France in June 1727 Voltaire wrote letters of introduction to the Comte de Morville, secretary of state, and Monsieur de Maisons, ‘both desirous and worthy of yr acquaintance’. Voltaire was an admirer of Swift’s work and in 1728 he wrote ‘the more I read your works, the more I am ashamed of mine’. (The correspondence of Jonathan Swift edited by Harold Williams)La Henriade title page (click to enlarge)In December 1727 Voltaire had written to Swift requesting him to encourage Irish readers to subscribe to the forthcoming publication, ‘can I make bold to intreat you to make some use of yr interest in Ireland about some subscriptions for the henriade, which is almost ready and does not come out yet for want of little help the subscriptions will be but one guinea in hand’. This was an expensive purchase, but many Irish subscriptions were gathered by Swift. By March 1728 La Henriade was published, Swift is listed as a subscriber to the book as is George Berkeley, William Congreve, Lord Carteret, the Lord Lieutenant, and many of the nobility and gentry of Great Britain and Ireland. Swift was well able to read French and some of his correspondence is in French. He spoke in French with the Huguenot clergy who ministered from the Lady Chapel in St Patrick’s Cathedral.List of subscribers to La Henriade including Rev. Dean Swift (click to enlarge)When Swift’s library was sold after his death in 1745 La Henriade is among his collection, as well as Voltaire’s An essay upon the civil wars of France, translated into English and published in Dublin in 1728, and The history of Charles XII, King of Sweden, published in London in 1732.An Essay upon the Civil Wars of France by Voltaire (click to enlarge) The Swift and Dublin exhibition will run in the Dublin Room at Dublin City Library and Archive, Pearse Street until 25 February 2017.See Also:Jonathan's Swift's gardenJonathan Swift's LibraryJonathan Swift: freeman of DublinThe Swift and Dublin exhibition will run in the Dublin Room at Dublin City Library and Archive, Pearse Street until 25 February 2017.
It’s never too early to introduce your child to a love of books. Dublin City Libraries holds a vast array of books suitable for all ages, even newborns!
It’s never too early to introduce your child to a love of books. Dublin City Libraries holds a vast array of books suitable for all ages, even newborns!
In the winter of 1729 – 1730 Jonathan Swift, Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, was awarded the freedom of Dublin city by special grace. This was the highest honour the city could bestow on him.
The area around the mouth of the River Liffey was inhabited from at least Neolithic times by farmers and fishermen. The great arc of Dublin Bay offered an inviting harbour for sea-going vessels, although its sand banks, shallows, slob lands and treacherous currents proved an obstacle to larger shipping in reaching safe anchorage upriver. This image gallery explores the course Liffey as it runs through the city.
December's manuscript of the month is the Calendar of Saints' Days for December.During the Middle Ages, time-keeping was more complex than ours. Alongside the Julian calendar, with its twelve months, dates and days of the week, the year was also marked by saints’ days, which had their own very different calendar. For example, it was usual to write that an event occurred on the eve of the feast-day of St. John the Baptist, rather than on the 23rd June or – as in this calendar for December – nine lessons were recited on completion of the octave of St. Andrew (from 30 November to 7 December inclusive).This is an extract, for the month of December, from the 15th century Calendar of Saints’ Days which is held by Dublin City Library & Archive and forms part of the Chain Book of Dublin. However, the Calendar was originally held by the religious guild of St. Sythe, which was based at St. Michan’s Church in Dublin. Sythe is a Dublin version of the name of Osyth or Citha, a Saxon saint who was martyred by the Vikings in 870. With the adoption of Christianity by the Vikings, they came to venerate Sythe as a form of atonement and she had a chapel dedicated to her in St. Michan’s. It is likely that the Calendar came into the possession of the then Dublin City Assembly at the Reformation as it would continue to be useful to the Town Clerk when identifying saints’ days in documents dating from the Middle Ages. It consists of six parchment leaves, each one written on both sides, with simple embellishment in red and blue. The document has been trimmed at the top, probably to fit it into the Chain Book, and dates of the month have been added in Arabic numerals in the margin, in a 16th century hand. At the end of each month, there is a note on the length of the day: December’s night has eighteen hours while December’s day has six hours. The principal feasts from 25-29 December of Christmas Day, St Stephen’s Day, St John the Evangelist, the Holy Innocents, and St Thomas a Becket, are all noted as being double festivals.The Calendar of Saints’ Days is only one of the treasures held in the Chain Book, which will itself be the subject of a future Manuscript of the Month.Manuscript of the MonthEach month, Dublin City Archives will be showcasing a manuscript from their collections on our blog. Check back next month for the next instalment!
November's Manuscript of the Month is a letter from the Western Front celebrating Robert Downie, “a Victoria Cross Hero”, 1916. The letter is part of the Monica Roberts Collection, one of the most important World War 1 collections of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers Association and Archive held at Dublin City Library and Archive.
The Orchestra of St Cecilia Collection includes concert programmes, posters, flyers, correspondence, programme notes, recordings, soloists and conductor’ biographies and administrative documents. Access to the collection provides unparalleled insight into the processes involved in professional orchestra and event management from the turn of the twenty-first century through recession times in Dublin. Find out more and view some items from the Orchestra of St Cecilia Collection...Dublin City Library and Archive.
Listen to Liz D’Arcy talk about conserving the Wide Street Commission Maps. Hear how she painstakingly removed sellotape, cleaned, repaired and strengthened these important maps. Liz D'Arcy, Paperworks, Studio for Paper Conservation is qualified with an MA in Conservation of Fine Art on Paper. Liz is an accredited member of the 'Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic works in Ireland' (I.C.H.A.W.I) and a member of the 'Irish Professional Conservators and Restorers Association' (I.P.C.R.A).Between 1757- 1851, the Wide Street Commission had a major impact on the development of the city, transforming it from a medieval city to the Dublin we know today. Its function was to provide “Wide and Convenient Streets” for Dublin and it had extensive powers to acquire property by compulsory purchase, develop new streets, demolish buildings and impose design standards on building lots which were sold to developers. Dublin City Archives hold the Wide Street Commission Archives, which comprises maps, minute books and drawings. www.dublincityarchives.ieRead more about the conservation project and view Wide Street Commission map collection image gallery.Search and browse the Archive of the Wide Street Commission Maps online.Conserving Wide Street Commission Maps - TranscriptAudio only:Recorded at Dublin City Hall on 24 August 2016 at Dublin City Archives' 'Living in Georgian Dublin' seminar. Part of Heritage Week 2016 programme.Dublin City Archives is grateful to the Heritage Council of Ireland for funding under the Heritage Management Project Scheme 2016 to conserve 23 Wide Street Commission Maps in 2016. Conservation NoticeIn order to reduce handling damage and to ensure the long term preservation of these fragile maps, all researchers are requested to view the digitised images in the first instance. High-Res versions can be provided on request. Viewing of original maps is strictly by appointment only: please apply to [email protected]. Please note: A minimum of 3 days notice is required to process your request and a maximum of 10 maps may be ordered per visit.