Built between 1884 and 1890 by Sir Thomas Newenham Deane to echo the facade of the National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology, this august establishment is an important repository of early manuscripts, first editions and maps. The domed reading room is the main highlight; it was here that Stephen Dedalus expounded his views on Shakespeare in James Joyce's Ulysses. Visitors will need to apply online for a reader's ticket at least one working day in advance, and bring along photo ID.
There’s a Genealogy Advisory Service on the 2nd floor. For those prints that are worth a thousand words, you’ll have to head down to Temple Bar to the National Photographic Archive extension of the library, for which you'll need to pick up a reader's ticket (look for the Readers Ticket Office in the main building).
