Museum of Literature Ireland

About the museum

The Museum of Literature Ireland, known as MoLI, grew out of talks that began in 2010 between the National Library of Ireland and University College Dublin. A donation from Martin and Carmel Naughton made the project possible, and Fáilte Ireland added funding and advice. It opened to the public on 21 September 2019, after builders had started work in October 2017.

The museum is housed in Newman House on St Stephen’s Green, the historic site where UCD was founded. It occupies two Georgian townhouses and the former Aula Maxima, which Scott Tallon Walker Architects and Ralph Appelbaum Associates converted into an exhibition space of about 10,000 square feet with a new mezzanine. The premises are owned by UCD, and the museum is run by Newman House Literary Centre CLG in partnership with the National Library. Nearly 40,000 people visited in its first six months.

Visitors move through exhibitions that mix film, sound and installation with literary treasures. Its best-known object is Copy No. 1, the first copy of James Joyce’s Ulysses. Other displays cover the sound of Irish literature, Dublin as a literary city, the role of the State in Irish writing, Oscar Wilde’s De Profundis and children’s author Mary Murphy. The collection also includes manuscripts, papers and artworks, and the museum has received the collection of the former Dublin Writers Museum. A walled garden and a café in the original student dining halls complete the visit.

Highlights

• Copy No. 1, the first copy of Joyce’s Ulysses
• Riverrun of Language, an immersive installation on the sound of Irish literature
• A City of Words, on how Dublin became a literary city
• Ulysses By Design, showing artists’ and designers’ versions of Joyce’s novel
• Readers Garden and The Commons Café in historic Newman House

Permanent exhibitions

• Copy No. 1 – The first copy of James Joyce’s Ulysses, shown up close.
• Riverrun of Language – An immersive installation that lets visitors experience the sound of Irish literature.
• A City of Words – An exhibition on how Dublin became a literary city loved by readers around the world.

Founded

2019

Operated by

Newman House Literary Centre CLG (in partnership with University College Dublin and the National Library of Ireland)

Admission & discounts

The self-guided ticket is priced from €16.50 and gives all-day access to the exhibitions, the Readers Garden, The Commons Café and the MoLI shop. Reduced prices are mentioned as available but not published. MoLI membership includes unlimited entry.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The conversion of the Aula Maxima was planned to give universal access across the historic Newman House site.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations

Free activity sheets for children and adults are available at reception. The exhibition What I Like Most lets visitors walk through Mary Murphy’s children’s story and join activities from the book, and the museum runs family workshops and full-day events.

Getting there & parking

The museum is about three minutes’ walk from Grafton Street.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

The Commons Café is in the original student dining halls of Newman House. The MoLI shop is open daily from 10:00 to 17:00, and no museum ticket is needed to visit it. The historic courtyard and Readers Garden, with a tree about 200 years old, are open to visitors.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

Spaces include the Old Physics Theatre for ceremonies and dinners, the Saloon for drinks receptions, the Readers Garden, the Aula Mezzanine and Gardens for corporate events, and the Bishop’s Room for board meetings and small dinners. Weddings, naming ceremonies, parties and conferences are hosted.

Plan your visit