A big birthday cake for Rathmines Library, as it’s celebrating its centenary this month with a number of special events, with the official anniversary celebration taking place on Thursday 24th October in the presence of Dublin City Lord Mayor Cllr. Oisín Quinn. The LAICDG recently held an event in the Rathmines Library and we can attest to it being a wonderful resource in a beautiful building with some fascinating events taking place during the month.
The programme of events are as follows:
- OPEN HOUSE Dublin 2013 – Library tours are open on a first-come, first-served basis on Saturday 5th October from 10.00am – 2.00pm.
- ‘The South Circular Road, Dublin, on the eve of the First World War’, – A book launch and introduction by Dr. Séamas Ó Maitiú and talk by author Catherine Scuffil, MA BBS (Hons) on Tuesday 8th October at 6.30pm.
- Leinster Bowling Club, 1913 – 2013, a talk by Pat MacDonagh, President Leinster Bowling Club, Observatory Lane, Rathmines on Thursday 10th October at 6.30pm.
- ‘Andrew Carnegie, The Library Man’ a talk by Brendan Langley, local historian with a long association with the Rathmines, Ranelagh and Rathgar Historical Society on Tuesday 15th October at 6.30pm.
- ‘Irish Carnegie Libraries, an Architectural History’ a talk by Brendan Grimes, Architect and former lecturer of the School of Architecture, DIT. Wednesday 16th October at 6.30pm.
- ‘Rathmines Library, 100 years of ideas, knowledge and information’ a talk by Helen O’Donnell, Senior Librarian, Rathmines Library – on Thursday 17th October at 6.30pm.
- Rathmines Writers’ Workshop and friends, a recital of their own work.
Saturday 19th October at 2.30pm. - ’The Rathmines and Rathgar Musical Society: 100 Years’ a talk by Nora O’Rourke, Production Secretary of the Society on Monday 21st October, 6.30pm.
- A History of St. Louis High School, Rathmines: 100 Years. ‘St. Louis High School, Rathmines, Céad Bliain ag Fás le Chéile’ a talk by Sr. Eilís O’Thiarnaigh on Tuesday 22nd October at 6.30pm.
- A Sense of Place’, Literary Evening, local authors discuss the locality and how it may have influenced their writing, chaired by Niall MacMonagle. Authors booked to take part are: – Evelyn Conlon, Macdara Woods, Siobhán Parkinson and Fintan Vallely on Wednesday 23rd October, 6.30pm.
- ‘Hannah and Francis Sheehy Skeffington a Family View’, a talk by Dr. Micheline Sheehy Skeffington, NUI, Galway on Wednesday 30th October at 3.30pm. The related exhibition ‘Hannah and her Sisters’ will be display during October.
- Rathmines, Ranelagh and Rathgar Historical Society hosts the Rathmines Library Centenary Lecture: ‘The Gaelic League in Dublin in 1913: 20 years a-growing?’ – Dr. Séamas Ó Maitiú, Dublin schoolteacher, lecturer and writer on Thursday 31st October at 8.00pm.
And there’s something for the kids as well:
- A Presentation to all local schools on the history of Rathmines Library and locality.
- Short Story Competition marking the centenary year.
- Brian Gallagher, children’s author, talks about his book Across the Divide which is partly set in the Rathmines area in 1913, the year of the Dublin Lockout and the year the library opened.
- Children’s Art in Libraries Autumn programme.
Full details on the Library and its events are here. All events require booking in advance so do contact the Library.
Library contact details are: T. 01 4973539 or email rathmineslibrary@dublincity.ie
Hope you enjoy!
LAI CDG 
A great library .Remember it well from the late 70s. Am I correct that there was a newspaper room in a basement that was acesscable from a separate entrance ?
Loved all the brown wood shelves.
Liam
Hi Liam,
We contacted Rathmines Library and they told us the following:
“There was a Newspaper Reading Room in the basement accessible from a separate entrance on the Leinster Road side of the building.
Originally the Newspaper Reading Room was on the ground floor of the building, however, some years after the library first opened in 1913, the lending library was extended into this ground floor Newspaper Reading Room and that function was then moved down to the Newspaper Reading Room in the basement.
The Newspaper Reading Room in the basement finally closed its doors to the public in December 2009 when Rathmines library closed for refurbishment and accessibility works. The library reopened again in August of 2011. Newspapers are once again available for perusal on the ground floor of the library.”
I hope that helps! It’s a great library still and we were delighted to have our event there.
All the best!