The History of Rathmines Library
Rathmines Public Library was built in 1913 with the aid of Andrew Carnegie who was an American millionaire who gave money to build libraries and museums in America, England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. So, in that case, Mr Carnegie disposed money to build this successful library with the Carnegie Grant. The first public library in Rathmines was opened in June 1887 at 53 Rathmines Road. It soon became high profiled and needed more space. In 1899 it moved to 67 Rathmines Road, win which settled for 14 years, Rathmines Fire Brigade later used this building.
There was a competition to design the new library. Frederick Hicks won the competition and the firm of Bachelor and Hicks of Dublin were the architects for the new building. The new library opened on 24th October 1913. The library was built using red brick and was designed to fit in with the style of Rathmines Town Hall, and it was intended to be an ‘ornament to the township’. The library and technical school next door were part of the same building, but each had a separate entrance.
The library had a lending department where people could borrow books and a reference library where they could sit and read. It also had a special room where people could come to read the newspapers each day. This was a large sunny room on the ground floor where it was pleasant to read. Newspapers were expensive for ordinary people in those days, so people looked up the news and the jobs pages in the library. Halfway up the beautiful double staircase is a stained-glass window designed by William Morris. The sophisticated man was a famous English artist and designer who designed beautiful furniture and fabrics.
In the beginning, there were less children’s library available. Mary Kettle, a councillor in Rathmines, and other women councillors were very interested in making the lives of poor children’s better. They voted to provide school meals to make sure that children were not hungry. They also supported the opening of a children’s library in Rathmines and this happened in 1923.
The library was used by lots of different groups in the community. Rathmines chess club used the library as its headquarters. The Public Health Department held clinics there. The Thomas Davis branch of the Gaelic League also held meetings in the library.
In October 2011, members of the library celebrated the re-opening of the library after extensive refurbishment works which removed barriers to the library service for people with disabilities and created an open, accessible and welcoming environment for staff and clients alike. Key improvements delivered include a passenger lift, automatic doors, accessible signage, universally accessible toilets and improved furniture and shelving. Significant conservation works were also undertaken to restore the building to its former glory.
Some of the features restored would have been familiar to customers, such as reading desks and the original floors throughout the building: the oak parquet on the ground floor, the solid pine on the first floor and the teak staircase. We have also taken the opportunity to strengthen the literary associations of Rathmines and environs, referencing local writers
of the past and the present, re-enforcing Dublin’s designation as a UNESCO City of literature.
Recently, the revamped library offers access to a collection of 35,000 items in a diverse range of formats. These include books, audio books, large print, DVDs and reference material. There is a vibrant children’s library, reflecting the fact that almost 35% of active borrowers are children. Library users can avail of free WIFI broadband, use of computers to access the Internet, a space for study and research, together with advice and guidance from trained and professional staff.
