Blogs

A collection of images of notes left at the mural of Savita Halappanavar during the 2018 referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment will now be available long-term as a digital archive.

This collection of images from the Fáilte Ireland Photographic Collection, held at Dublin City Library and Archive Pearse Street, highlights the surprising and unimagined day of bright sunshine and blue skies that finally emerged on the bank holiday of Monday, August 3, 1953.

Did you know that W.B. Yeats was born in Dublin?That his family were resident in Howth and Terenure during his teenage years?That he lived for substantial periods of his life in Merrion and Fitzwilliam Squares?That his family and many of his closest friends were staunch Dubliners?That his final home was in Rathfarnham?View Yeats and Dublin: its People and Places image galleryThe connection between the poet and the city is often underestimated, partly because of Yeats's own close identification with the west of Ireland. But the people and places of the capital played an important part in his development as a poet and as a person, not just during his formative years, but throughout his life.Further ResourcesIn addition to these photographs, Dublin City Public Libraries also include further sources on the social and cultural history of Dublin, some of which are available online and some through the Dublin City Public Libraries network.The Reading Room, Dublin City Library and Archive, Pearse Street holds a wealth of material on the history of Dublin, including books, pamphlets, journals, street directories, and almanacs.The following online resources can be accessed free of charge at your local library (access links via our NetVibes portal). Ask library staff for information and assistance.Libraries and Archives Digital Repository: Digital records relating to Dublin, including photographs, postcards, letters, maps and ephemeral material. Highlights of the collection include the Fáilte Ireland Photographic Collection, Wide Street Commission Map Collection (1757-1851), the Irish Theatre Archive and the Birth of the Republic Collection, which comprises material from the period of the foundation of the Irish state.Irish Times Digital Archive: This online archive service gives access to contemporary editions of the Irish Times from the mid-nineteenth century until the present.Irish Newspaper Archive: This online archive service gives access to contemporary editions of the Irish Independent and a range of other newspapers.The Ireland-JSTOR Collection: This online archive of academic articles can also be accessed free of charge at your local library.For further reading, consult the Library Catalogue. 

The Dublin City Council Photographic Collection provides a window into Dublin's ever-changing streetscapes and buildings, as well as significant social, cultural, sporting, and political events in the City.

This gallery consists of images of commercial premises (e.g. small businesses, factories, banks) from the Dublin City Council Photographic Collection. We hope that these images will serve as memory triggers for Dubliners who may have worked or conducted business in these ‘trading places’.

This gallery consists of images of Dublin street furniture, sculptures, statues and other landmarks, many of which you might not even notice as you walk by. The photographs are from the Photographing Dublin Collection, a collection of circa 900 photographs all taken by Dublin City Public Libraries staff during 2006.

Dublin is a city obsessed with sports. On any given weekend, thousands head to Croke Park, Dalymount Park, Santry Stadium, and the Aviva Stadium to bear witness, to discuss, and to dissect their favoured teams. Sport informs debate in offices, shops, street corners, and pubs. The city hums with anticipation and excitement on the eve of major sporting events. These images pay tribute to Dublin’s sporting heritage and the role sport plays in community life. It celebrates all who have engaged – from Olympians to Corinthians.

Jimmy Davenport was a member of the orchestra and occasional performer at the Capitol and Theatre Royal theatres in Dublin in the 1930s and 40s. Judging by his autographed photo album which has just been digitised, Jimmy Davenport was a bit of a showbiz addict. He collected over a hundred signed portraits of visiting celebrities and photos of some set pieces from the Theatre Royal.

This gallery consists of images of shops, stalls, and markets from the Dublin City Council Photographic Collection. A few of these are still open for business but most have closed their doors.

The River Liffey, and the port that lies at its mouth, is the commercial lifeblood of Dublin city. This image gallery celebrates the Port of Dublin and those who worked in it throughout the twentieth century. From dockers and shipwrights to barge-men and captains of industry, 'all along the riverrun' they made their livelihoods.