Dublin City Libraries

• Name — Dublin City Libraries • Location — Dublin, Ireland • Num Branches — 21 • Pop Served — 553,165 (2016) • Website — https: www.dublincity.ie/dublin-city-libraries

A free public library service in Dublin had its origins when a public meeting on 19 March 1877 prompted by the Dublin Municipal Council agreed to adopt the Public Libraries Act 1855 and requested the Dublin City Corporation apply its terms to Dublin. On 2 October 1884 two branch libraries were opened - one in Thomas Street, the other in Capel Street. Further branches were opened including Charleville Mall Library in 1899, Kevin Street in 1904, and Pearse Street in 1909. The Pearse Street branch had a difficult start as it was closed shortly after opening because of a lack of financial support for staff or books. However, with the philanthropic support of Andrew Carnegie it reopened in 1914. These branches ran as independent libraries until the 1930s when Dublin's first Chief Librarian, Roisin Walsh, was appointed in 1931 and organisational restructuring established the Dublin City Libraries as a centralised service.

As of December 2023, Dublin City Libraries had 21 branches. • Ballyfermot Library • Ballymun Library • Cabra Library • Central Library • Charleville Mall Library • Coolock Library • Dolphin's Barn Library • Donaghmede Library • Drumcondra Library • Dublin City Library and Archive • Finglas Library • Inchicore Library • Kevin Street Library • Marino Library • Pearse Street Library • Pembroke Library • Phibsboro Library • Raheny Library • Rathmines Library • Ringsend Library • Terenure Library • Walkinstown Library

• Illustration — County Dublin - Charleville Mall Library - 20200907143550 The philanthropist Andrew Carnegie (1835–1919) funded the building of four Carnegie Libraries in the Dublin City Libraries branch network. These were: • Charleville Mall Library, opened 1899 • Dublin City Library and Archive, Pearse Street, opened in 1909 and reopened following renovation in 2003 • Rathmines Library, built in 1913 and reopened following renovation in 2011 • Pembroke Library, built in 1927 and opened in 1929. This was the last Carnegie Library opened in Ireland.

Since 2006, Dublin City Libraries have promoted a particular book with a series of public events. • Year — Title — Author • 2006 — At Swim-Two-Birds (1939) — Flann O'Brien • 2007 — A Long Long Way (2005) — Sebastian Barry • 2008 — Gulliver's Travels (1726) — Jonathan Swift • 2009 — Dracula (1897) — Bram Stoker • 2010 — The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890) — Oscar Wilde • 2011 — Ghost Light (2010) — Joseph O'Connor • 2012 — Dubliners (1914) — James Joyce • 2013 — Strumpet City (1969) — James Plunkett • 2014 — If You Ever Go, poetry anthology, ed. — Pat Doran and Gerard Smyth • 2015 — The Barrytown Trilogy (1987–91) — Roddy Doyle • 2016 — Fallen (2014) — Lia Mills • 2017 — Echoland (2013) — Joe Joyce • 2018 — The Long Gaze Back: An Anthology of Irish Women Writers, ed. — Sinéad Gleeson • 2019 — The Country Girls Trilogy (1960–64) — Edna O'Brien • 2020 — Tatty (2004) — Christine Dwyer Hickey • 2021 — Leonard and Hungry Paul (2019) — Rónán Hession • 2026 — Christine Falls (2006) — John Banville