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The Journey To A Vision - April Tour

A Guided Afternoon Tour of the WB Yeats Exhibition
Date
-
Location National Library of Ireland, 7-8 Kildare Street, Dublin, D02 P638
Category Tour
Price Free
Booked Out
Date
-
Location National Library of Ireland, 7-8 Kildare Street, Dublin, D02 P638
Category Tour
Price Free
Booked Out
WB Yeats reading
In Person

Discover the two decade long project that WB Yeats pursued and what drove him to create 'A Vision'.

Explore the people, events and other influences that would lead William Butler Yeats to write his most mysterious and esoteric work, A Vision, on this special tour of the National Library of Ireland’s Yeats Exhibition.

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    Live Aid | The Global Jukebox Guided Tour

    Date 2pm | Friday & 11am | Saturday
    Location National Photographic Archive , Meeting House Square, Dublin
    Category Tour
    Price Free. No Booking Required.
    Date 2pm | Friday & 11am | Saturday
    Location National Photographic Archive , Meeting House Square, Dublin
    Category Tour
    Price Free. No Booking Required.
    Music exhibition interior featuring large concert photos, including a singer on a window graphic and a wall display about Live Aid at Wembley, with text panels and a QR code.

    Marc O'Sullivan 

    In Person

    "For a brief, brief moment everything seemed possible."

    Join us at the National Photographic Archive located in Meeting House Square, Temple Bar every Friday at 2pm and Saturday at 11am, for a free guided tour, to step back in time to one extraordinary day in 1985 - when music, media and humanity collided on a global scale, described by Bob Geldof, as making him feel that  "For a brief, brief moment everything seemed possible."

    Discover images and stories from Live Aid part of the Band Aid Trust Archive, donated  by Bob Geldof to the National Library of Ireland, capturing this extraordinary experience - two concerts simultaneously taking place in London and Philadelphia, with many of the greatest Pop and Rock performers of the time, with the ambition to feed the world.

    From Status Quo to Joan Baez, Queen to Phil Collins and U2 to Madonna, get ready to rock on a tour where we will relive a day where music really did change the world. 

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      Live Aid Exhibition | Programme of Events

      November and December events
      Location Various Locations: National Library 7-8 Kildare St.; National Photographic Archive Temple Bar
      Category Event Exhibition
      Price Free
      Location Various Locations: National Library 7-8 Kildare St.; National Photographic Archive Temple Bar
      Category Event Exhibition
      Price Free
      80s style image of title
      In Person

      This winter, the National Library of Ireland marks the 40th anniversary of Live Aid, the global concerts that united 1.6 billion viewers in July 1985.

      Our new exhibition at the National Photographic Archive, Temple Bar, showcases striking photographs from the Band Aid Trust Archive. It offers a rare chance to revisit the atmosphere, scale and impact of this extraordinary cultural moment.

      It is a chance to see the photographic record of the artists who took part in the ‘Global Jukebox’ and view a specially commissioned short film using more of the NLI stills to capture the incredible experience shared on one day by 1.6 billion people viewing it across the world. Four decades on from the legendary 1985 concerts in London and Philadelphia to the smaller ones in Australia, Japan and the Netherlands, recapture the creativity, community and spirit of the original concerts.

      Events

      ► Ethiopian Coffee + DJ

      Saturday 15 November, 2-4 p.m. | National Photographic Archive, Meeting House Square, Temple Bar

      Free. Drop-in (arrive early if you want to be guaranteed a coffee).

       

      ► Ethiopia Partnership Day

      Saturday, 22 November, 1.30–4.00 p.m. | National Library of Ireland Main Building, Kildare Street

      Free. Booking essential. 

       

      ► 80s Silent Disco

      Thursday, 27 November, 6.30–8.30 p.m.  | National Photographic Archive, Meeting House Square, Temple Bar

      Free. Registration essential. 

       

      ► Seanchoíche: Storytelling Night

      Thursday, 4 December, 6.30–10.00 p.m. | National Photographic Archive, Meeting House Square, Temple Bar 

      Tickets for this event have booked out - wait list only 

       

      ► Lunchtime Curator’s Tours | Live Aid Exhibition 

      1-2p.m., Tues. 25 Nov., Tues. 2 Dec., and Tues. 9 Dec. | National Photographic Archive, Meeting House Square, Temple Bar

      Free. Booking essential. 

        If our team can be of any assistance, please contact us at learning@nli.ie.

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        Getting Here Opening Hours Reader's Ticket Accessibility

        Live Aid Exhibition

        Date Running until 2027 | 10am–4pm Monday to Sunday, last admission 3.30pm
        Location National Photographic Archive, Meeting House Square, Dublin, D02 WF85
        Category Exhibition
        Price Free
        Date Running until 2027 | 10am–4pm Monday to Sunday, last admission 3.30pm
        Location National Photographic Archive, Meeting House Square, Dublin, D02 WF85
        Category Exhibition
        Price Free
        live aid logo
        In Person

        In this exhibition, more than seventy photographs and images have been carefully curated from the Band Aid Trust Archive, generously donated to the National Library of Ireland (NLI) in 2017.

        Through a series of striking displays, the exhibition brings audiences on a visual journey of the Live Aid concerts, capturing the behind-the-scenes preparations, atmosphere and iconic performances by bands and artists on both sides of the Atlantic as the day unfolded.

        From Status Quo, U2 and David Bowie in London, to Black Sabbath and Run DMC in Philadelphia Live Aid at the National Library of Ireland immerses visitors in the scale and spirit of this iconic event from the intimacy of the National Photographic Archive.

        This free exhibition opens to the public daily (10.00am – 4.00pm)

        Read more about our Spring Programme of events here

         

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          Daily Tours | Seamus Heaney: Listen Now Again

          Date Monday to Saturday | 11:30am and 2pm
          Location Seamus Heaney: Listen Now Again, Westmoreland Street, Dublin, D02 VR66
          Category Event Tour
          Price Free, booking NOT required
          Date Monday to Saturday | 11:30am and 2pm
          Location Seamus Heaney: Listen Now Again, Westmoreland Street, Dublin, D02 VR66
          Category Event Tour
          Price Free, booking NOT required
          Visitor walking through the exhibition
          In Person

          Join our informative exhibition guides for our daily tours of 'Seamus Heaney: Listen Now Again' at 11:30am and 2pm from Monday to Saturday.

          Happening every day from Monday to Saturday at 11:30am and 2pm,  enjoy a fascinating journey exploring the highlights of Heaney's archive of the National Library of Ireland, from his rural origins through to his remarkable career as a poet.

          During the Easter school holidays, we will also be highlighting our exhibition booklets for families—designed to help younger visitors explore the exhibition in a fun, interactive, and accessible way.

          Booking is not required.

            If our team can be of any assistance, please contact us at heaneyexhibition@nli.ie

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            Exhibition | Yeats: The Life and Works of William Butler Yeats

            Date Permanent Exhibition | Open Monday to Sunday
            Location National Library of Ireland, 7-8 Kildare Street, Dublin 2, D02 P638
            Category Exhibition
            Price Free, booking not required
            Date Permanent Exhibition | Open Monday to Sunday
            Location National Library of Ireland, 7-8 Kildare Street, Dublin 2, D02 P638
            Category Exhibition
            Price Free, booking not required
            WB Yeats wearing a suit, seated in a chair and leaning slightly on a cane

            William Butler Yeats (INDH3464)

            In Person

            Experience our award-winning exhibition on William Butler Yeats (1865-1939), one of the great writers of the 20th century and a significant influence on modern Irish cultural identity. The exhibition is comprised of items from the National Library of Ireland’s Yeats Collection, the largest collections of books, manuscripts, and personal items relating to WB Yeats in the world.

            The exhibition touches on Yeats’s many interests – Ireland, literature, folklore, theatre, politics, mysticism, and the occult. Some highlights include manuscripts of many of Yeats’s most beloved poems including “The Lake Isle of Inisfree” and “Easter, 1916”, his Nobel Prize medal, personal artefacts – from Yeats’s school reports to a cherished carved piece of lapis lazuli – remarkable photographs of Yeats and his family and friends, and much more.

            This exhibition is made possible by the generosity of the Yeats family in donating these wonderful items to the NLI.

            Permanent Exhibition, Open Monday to Sunday

            Monday, Thursday & Friday, 9.30am - 5pm, last admission 4.30pm

            Tuesday - Wednesday, 9.30am - 7pm, last admission 6.30pm

            Saturday - Sunday, 9.30am - 5pm, last admission 4:45pm

            Public Holiday Mondays, 12pm - 5pm, last admission 4:45pm

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              Getting Here Opening Hours Reader's Ticket Accessibility

              Exhibition | Seamus Heaney: Listen Now Again

              Step into the World of Seamus Heaney
              Date Running until 2027 | 10am–4pm Monday to Saturday, last admission 3.30pm | Closed on Bank Holidays
              Location Seamus Heaney: Listen Now Again, Bank of Ireland Cultural and Heritage Centre, Westmoreland Street, Dublin 2, D02 VR66
              Category Exhibition
              Price Free, booking not required
              Date Running until 2027 | 10am–4pm Monday to Saturday, last admission 3.30pm | Closed on Bank Holidays
              Location Seamus Heaney: Listen Now Again, Bank of Ireland Cultural and Heritage Centre, Westmoreland Street, Dublin 2, D02 VR66
              Category Exhibition
              Price Free, booking not required
              image of doorway
              In Person

              Experience the poet’s life, work, and imagination through his desk, manuscripts, and personal treasures.

              Enter the life and imagination of Seamus Heaney, Ireland’s Nobel Prize–winning poet, and experience the forces—both personal and cultural—that shaped his extraordinary work. This immersive exhibition invites you to walk alongside Heaney through the moments, memories, and inspirations that defined his life.

              At the center of the experience is Heaney’s own writing desk, a quiet witness to his creative process. Surrounding it are original manuscripts, letters, unpublished works, diary entries, photographs, personal artefacts, and multimedia recordings—each offering a window into the mind of one of the 20th century’s greatest poets.

              Enhance your visit by joining one of our daily guided tours at 11:30 am and 2 pm, offering deeper insights into the exhibition’s highlights. Larger groups are also warmly welcomed, and advance bookings can be arranged for a tailored experience.

              Drawn from the extensive archive generously donated by Heaney and his family to the National Library of Ireland in 2011, the exhibition brings his legacy vividly to life.

              Curated by Professor Geraldine Higgins, Director of Irish Studies at Emory University, it is presented in partnership with the National Library of Ireland, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, and Bank of Ireland, blending scholarship, creativity, and cultural heritage in one unforgettable journey.

                If our team can be of any assistance, please contact us at heaneyexhibition@nli.ie

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                Getting Here Opening Hours Reader's Ticket Accessibility

                December In-Person Tours | Seamus Heaney: Listen Now Again

                December in-person tours
                Date Tuesday, December 6th, 13th, and 20th | 11am-12pm
                Location Seamus Heaney: Listen Now Again, Bank of Ireland Cultural & Heritage Centre, Westmoreland Street, Co. Dublin, D02 VR66
                Category Tour
                Price Free; booking not required
                Date Tuesday, December 6th, 13th, and 20th | 11am-12pm
                Location Seamus Heaney: Listen Now Again, Bank of Ireland Cultural & Heritage Centre, Westmoreland Street, Co. Dublin, D02 VR66
                Category Tour
                Price Free; booking not required
                image of a woman looking at computer
                In Person

                Every Tuesday, join our exhibition guides for a tour of 'Seamus Heaney: Listen Now Again'.

                Enjoy a fascinating journey exploring the highlights of Heaney's archive, from his rural origins through to his remarkable career as a poet.

                  If our team can be of any assistance, please contact us at heaneyexhibition@nli.ie

                  Visit

                  Getting Here Opening Hours Reader's Ticket Accessibility

                  Exhibition | Yeats: The Life and Works of William Butler Yeats

                  Date Open all year
                  Location National Library of Ireland, 7-8 Kildare Street, D02 P638
                  Category Exhibition
                  Price Free, booking not required
                  Date Open all year
                  Location National Library of Ireland, 7-8 Kildare Street, D02 P638
                  Category Exhibition
                  Price Free, booking not required
                  A portrait of WB Yeats by George Charles Beresford
                  In Person

                  Experience our award-winning exhibition on William Butler Yeats (1865-1939), one of the great writers of the 20th century and a significant influence on modern Irish cultural identity.

                  The exhibition draws on items from the National Library of Ireland’s Yeats Collection, the largest collections of books, manuscripts and personal items relating to WB Yeats in the world.

                  Explore Yeats’ many interests – Ireland, literature, folklore, theatre, politics, mysticism and the occult. Exhibition highlights include manuscripts of many of Yeats’ most beloved poems including “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” and “Easter, 1916”, his Nobel Prize medal, personal artefacts from Yeats’ school reports to a cherished carved piece of lapis lazuli, remarkable photographs of Yeats and his family and friends, and much more.

                  Exhibition opening hours

                  Monday, Thursday & Friday: 9.30am - 5pm (last admission 4.30pm)
                  Tuesday - Wednesday: 9.30am - 7pm (last admission 6.30pm)
                  Saturday - Sunday: 9.30am - 5pm (last admission 4.30pm)
                  Public Holiday Mondays: 12pm - 5pm (last admission 4.30pm)

                    If our team can be of any assistance, please contact us at learning@nli.ie

                    Visit

                    Getting Here Opening Hours Reader's Ticket Accessibility
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