The Dublin City Library and Archive on Pearse Street, which has been closed for refurbishment for more than two years, was reopened by the Lord Mayor, Cllr Dermot Lacey, yesterday.
The library houses The Dublin Collection, including newspapers and periodicals dating from the eighteenth century. The collection is a major source of research on Irish local studies and also includes material by Irish authors, Irish language, Irish genealogy and family history.
The City Archives, dating from the 12th century, is an important collection, including medieval treasures such as the City Charters and City Assembly Rolls; the archives of Europe's first planning authority, the 18th century Wide Streets Commission; the archives of the Mansion House Fund, documenting the impact of the Little Famine of 1880; and the papers of notable theatrical figures, such as Jimmy O'Dea and Michéal Mac Liammóir.
In the refurbished sandstone and limestone building, dating from 1909, the Dublin Collection and the Archives now have a permanent home.
In addition, a new branch library, which was included in the refurbishment project, houses a modern collection of books and other publications, together with Internet access and multi-media viewing facilities. A conference room with audiovisual equipment is linked to an adjoining exhibition centre, the Dublin Room.
The refurbishment was designed in-house by the city architect's department, to a brief prepared by the city libraries and archives management team. Funding of €9 million came from the Dublin City Council and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
The refurbishment maintained the architectural integrity of the original building and matched appropriate uses to these spaces, while redeveloping the remaining rear section to cater for the more functionally demanding uses.
According to the Lord Mayor, for people living and working in the Pearse Street area, researchers, genealogists and the casual inquirer - "in fact anyone with an interest in Dublin" - the 100-seater public reading room on the second floor offers a perfect opportunity to browse the diversity of the city's past.
The Dublin city manager, Mr John Fitzgerald, said the building had been "rediscovered as an architectural adornment to the city".
