UCD Library Appeal
A library is at the heart of every great university and here at UCD, we are immensely proud of our library collections and services. In addition to providing a quiet space to study and a range of invaluable resources within the James Joyce Library, we also have a huge collection of old and rare treasures within our Special Collections and the Mícheál Ó Cléirigh Institute.
Some of the most important pieces in the Special Collections include Leabhar na nGenealach or The Great Book of Irish Genealogies (1649-1653) by Dubhaltach Mac Firbishigh and Sir William Wilde’s History of Irish Medicine and Popular Cures (c.1840). There is also a significant collection of historical maps, dating from the 16th century. Visual material includes the Gabriel Beranger watercolour collection, while in 1945 Count John McCormack bequeathed music scores, including the complete works of Bach and Handel.
The Mícheál Ó Cléirigh Institute holds over 15,000 manuscripts and 2,000 books originating from the 10th to the 20th centuries. Included in this deposit of a millennium of Irish history are the Annals of the Four Masters, Keating’s Foras Feasa ar Eirinn and archives of Irish colleges in Louvain, Prague and Rome.
Many of the items within these collections were stored inadequately before they came to Belfield and are severely damaged as a result. Unfortunately, over 300 items have been withdrawn from use altogether and approximately 1,500 more, while still in use, are badly in need of repair.
Our work on preservation, damage repair, digitisation and exhibition is critical to safeguarding these treasures. We see it as our cultural duty, however it is also a significant financial burden.
If you believe, as we do, that the preservation of our history is important, and that these precious items should be protected for generations to come, then, please donate now to the UCD Library Appeal.
