Library Exhibitions

Drawn to the Page: Irish Artists and Illustration 1830 - 1930

24 October 2012 to 21 April  2013 - part of our Tercentenary celebrations.

This exhibition serves as an introduction to and a celebration of, Irish artists’ involvement with illustration from the 19th century to the first decades of the 20th century, a significant period in the history of European book and periodical illustration.

Sourced from Trinity College Library, the display includes some of the finest illustrated texts from this period, many of which are illustrated using original hand-cut plates or blocks. Artists such as George Petrie, Daniel Maclise, Margaret Stokes, Jack Butler Yeats and Robert Gibbings will be included. Given the location in the Long Room, and its association with one of the most important illuminated manuscripts in the world, the exhibition illustrates the continuing heritage of the artist and the book in Ireland.

Entrance to this exhibition includes viewing the Book of Kells exhibition. Open Monday to Saturday 09:30 to 17:00 and Sundays 12:00 to 16:30. Admission: Adults €9.00, OAPs/students €8.00 and a family ticket €18.00 (2 adults and up to 4 children). Children aged 12 years and under are free. School groups aged 18 years and under have free admission from 1 October to 1 April.

Forthcoming Exhibitions

From Parchment to Particles: Conservation and the Old Library

25 April  to 20 October 2013

Providing a link between the sciences and the humanities, this exhibition looks at the fascinating and varied activities of the Library’s Preservation and Conservation Department.

Among the highlights are display cases exploring: the pigments used in manuscript illumination; the conservation of manuscripts, photographs and early printed books; the development of book structures; the analysis of the environment and its effect on collections; the study of Old Library dust; and the impact of the Save the Treasures campaign on the preservation of the collection in the Long Room.

The exhibition promises a rare glimpse of items not usually seen while offering an introduction into the world and work of the conservators.  

Funding Bodies