Farmleigh showcases impressive Irish Book Collection in ‘Benjamin Iveagh: A Life in Books’ Exhibition

The Office of Public Works (OPW) and Marsh’s Library are delighted to announce the launch of ‘Benjamin Iveagh: A Life in Books’ exhibition in Farmleigh Gallery. The exhibition showcases various books, manuscripts and portraits of Benjamin Iveagh and runs from 14 November 2025 to 22 March 2026.

This exhibition hosts one of the most important Irish book collections of the twentieth century. Benjamin Guinness, third earl of Iveagh, collected over 4,000 rare books and manuscripts relating to Ireland’s history, literature, craftsmanship and language. The major themes of the exhibition include Irish Literature, Women’s Influence, Bindings, History and Printing.

Many of the collection’s best-known treasures feature in this exhibition, including the majestic eighteenth-century Irish bindings and first editions of James Joyce, W.B Yeats, Samuel Beckett, Séamus Heaney and Oscar Wilde. The exhibition also features the oldest books in the library, Thomas of Ireland’s Manipulus Florum and Topographia Hyberniæ by Giraldus Cambrensis (both on vellum). There is also an emphasis on visually appealing items by Irish writers, such as Thomas Kinsella’s The Táin, and a Cuala Press song book by Jack B Yeats.

Contemporary historical items, such as the seventeenth century pamphlets and letters from Daniel O’Connell (in the year of his 250th anniversary) showcase the original and unique material held in the library. There will be a number of manuscript items (letters, autograph drafts) projected onto the walls of the gallery to give a visual flair to the exhibition.

Women’s voices emerge through needlework bindings, sketchings, and in the beautiful Cuala Press printed collection by the Yeats sisters. There is also a case dedicated to the emergence of Gaelic printing, which features the first bible to be translated into Irish.

The exhibition is a glimpse into the literary taste of Benjamin Iveagh and the broader Guinness family. A talent for collecting rare and unique books makes this library one of the jewels of Ireland’s heritage collections.

Benjamin Iveagh: A life in Books exhibition runs from 14 November 2025 to 22 March 2026. More information on opening times and directions can be found at www.heritageireland.ie. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to immerse yourself in one of the most important Irish Book Collections of the twentieth century.

The library is owned by Marsh’s Library and is located in Farmleigh House in the Phoenix Park under the care of the Office of Public Works.

For more information about this exhibition or to arrange an interview please contact the OPW Press Office at pressoffice@opw.ie.

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NOTES

Listing Information

Exhibition title: Benjamin Iveagh: A Life in Books

Location: Farmleigh, Dublin

Dates: 14 November 2025 – 22 March 2026

Opening Times: Times: 10.00 – 17.00 (Tuesday – Sunday including Bank Holiday Mondays) Closed 13.00 -14.00

Admission: Free

Curator

Dr Nora Moroney was an Irish Research Council (Enterprise Partnership Scheme) Postdoctoral Fellow with Trinity College Dublin and Marsh’s Library, 2020-2022. Her work focuses on book history, print culture and Irish private libraries. Alongside this exhibition, she has written articles for Éire-Ireland and Irish University Review, and made media appearances on RTÉ and TG4.

The Benjamin Iveagh Library has played an important role in official hospitality with visits by the Empress of Japan, Michelle Obama and Queen Elizabeth visit the Library in recent years. The visit by the Queen was particularly significant as she was presented with a facsimile of a sixteenth-century Irish language primer. The Irish Language Primer was prepared for Queen Elizabeth I by Christopher Nugent, Baron Delvin (c. 1544-1602). The Primer is undated however; it is believed that it was presented to Elizabeth I on the occasion of her visit to the University of Cambridge in 1564.