Once upon a time in a land far far way (1884 in Thomas Street and Capel Street to be precise) Dublin's first two municipal public libraries were opened. And now, 150 years later, you're using QR codes and phones to open our website.
To show just how far we've come, we’re inviting you to check out our ebooks, audiobooks, eMagazines and eNewspapers. All for free through BorrowBox.
Whether you're already a member, or new to our libraries, everyone is welcome to explore our fantastic eResources.
This series of photographs is taken from the report of the Departmental Committee appointed to inquire into the housing conditions of the working classes of Dublin. The pictures give great insight into the miserable life in the overcrowded and poverty-stricken tenements and courts of Dublin in 1913. Published by the Local Government Board for Ireland, the inquiry was prompted by the collapse of two tenement buildings at No. 66 and No. 67 Church Street on the evening of 2 September 1
This image gallery depicts the working lives of Dublin Corporation/Dublin City Council Staff. This short selection of images show staff at work and, also, how things have changed over the years. It reflects the challenges they encountered and the diversity of skills required by staff in the performance of their everyday duties.
It is the nature of cities to continually change. Dublin through its history has been at various stages a Viking trading post, a Norman settlement, the jewel of Ascendancy Ireland, the second city of the British Empire, and is now our capital city.The Vanishing Dublin' Image Gallery shows features of Dublin that have disappeared or changed utterly during the second half of the twentieth century.
Celebrating Dublin as the European Capital of Sport 2010
Dublin City was awarded the title of European Capital of Sport 2010 by the European Capital of Sports Association (ACES). In recognition of this honour, Dublin City Public Libraries present a small selection of photos from the Dublin City Council Photographic Collection celebrating the proud sporting heritage of Dublin.View Sports' Images from the Dublin City Council Photographic Collection.Dublin is a city obsessed with sports. On any given weekend, thousands head to Croke Park, Dalymount Park, Santry Stadium, and the newly-opened 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.But for Dubliners, participation in sport can never be restricted to the mere passive. Every weekend, more people play than watch. Public parks, sports centres, and swimming pools are filled with people striving to be faster, stronger, and more skilful. Canals become sites for angling contests, rivers hosts regattas, kids play ‘rounders’ on parks and squares, while, with a few licks of paint, concrete is transformed into football pitches and tennis courts. These local, but never trivial, contests are the true pulse of sporting life in Dublin. Sport defines our communities and boosts our local and civic pride.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.Further ResourcesIn addition to these photographs, Dublin City Public Libraries also include further sources on sport in 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 sporting life in Dublin and Ireland, including magazines, books, and sports programmes.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.databases.dublincity.ie is a resource from Dublin City Public Libraries focusing primarily on databases derived from printed and other historic records related to Dublin city and surrounding administrative areas. It includes further samples from the various historic collections available in the Dublin City Library and Archive.The following online resources can be accessed free of charge at your local library (access links via our Netvibes Portal). Ask library staff for further information and assistance.Irish Times Digital Archive: This online archive service gives access to contemporary reports of sporting events from the mid-nineteenth century up to the present.Irish Newspaper Archives: This online archive service gives access to contemporary articles on sporting events published in The Irish Independent and a range of other newspapers.The Ireland Collection-JSTOR: This online archive of academic articles can also be accessed free of charge at your local library. It includes a number of articles on the history of sport in Ireland.For further reading, consult the Library Catalogue.View Sports' Images from the Dublin City Council Photographic Collection.