New Museum of Literature Ireland will open in September

The Museum of Literature (MoLI) is a new addition to cultural institutions in Dublin. It celebrates Ireland's world-renowned literary culture and heritage from our earliest storytelling traditions to our influential contemporary writers. It opens its doors on Culture Night 2019, September 20th at 5pm.

The museum is a result of a partnership and creative alliance between University College Dublin (UCD) and the National Library of Ireland (NLI). Thus, it is located in the UCD Newman House on St. Stephen's Green in Dublin, where a myriad of Irish writers including James Joyce, Flann O'Brien, Maeve Binchy and Mary Lavin used to study. The poet Gerard Manley Hopkins also lived in the building for a time. Even the name MoLI pays tribute to Ireland's most famous writer James Joyce: It is named for his best-known female character Molly Bloom from Ulysses.

Dynamic, immersive exhibitions will showcase literary treasures from the National Library collections, including the very first copy of James Joyce's Ulysses, as well as handwritten notebooks for Ulysses and fascinating letters, for example one from Joyce to WB Yeats. MoLI will also host a free-to-access national children’s programme, literary and writing events, readings, performances, debate and discussion, as well as a Joycean research library accessible to students, scholars and the public alike.

Along with historic house tours, contemporary artistic commissions, a stunning courtyard café set in tranquil hidden gardens and a shop offering the best in Irish publishing and craft, the museum will present new temporary exhibitions throughout the year, the first focussing on Limerick born writer and former Newman House student Kate O’Brien. In addition to this, MoLI houses its own digital broadcasting studio, recording interviews, readings, discussions and events with writers, poets, artists, performers, educators and academics from Ireland and abroad. The in-house Radio MoLI broadcasts 24 hours a day across the world on radio.moli.ie.

The Museum of Literture Ireland will open from 5pm – 10pm on Friday, September 20th as part of Culture Night 2019 and on this first evening entry will be free of charge. It officially opens from 10am on Saturday, September 21st. Tickets can now be purchased from www.moli.ie (€6) as well as at the museum.