Marsh's Library

Marsh's Library is one of the great hidden treasures of Dublin: a perfectly preserved eighteenth-century library tucked behind St Patrick's Cathedral, which many visitors walk straight past. It was founded by Narcissus Marsh, Archbishop of Dublin, and opened in 1707 as the first public library in Ireland, and the building, designed by William Robinson, the architect of the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, has remained almost unchanged for more than three hundred years. Inside, you climb to two long galleries meeting at a right angle, lined from floor to ceiling with the original dark oak bookcases, each topped with a carved and lettered gable. On the shelves sit some twenty-five thousand books from the sixteenth to the early eighteenth centuries, on theology, medicine, law, science, travel, navigation and literature, along with manuscripts, many still in the places assigned to them three centuries ago. The most famous feature is at the end of the second gallery: three wired alcoves, known as the cages, in which readers consulting the rarest books were locked to prevent theft. Writers have loved the place. Jonathan Swift, Dean of St Patrick's next door, was a governor of the library and annotated some of its books; Bram Stoker read here; and James Joyce visited and mentions the library in Ulysses. The library mounts small, beautifully presented exhibitions drawn from its collections, which change regularly and often surprise. It is open Tuesday to Saturday and closed on Sundays and bank holidays, with a modest admission fee for a self-guided visit. It is a short visit, about half an hour to an hour, but it stays with you.

What makes it special: Dublin has grander libraries, most famously the Long Room at Trinity College, but at the moment most of the Long Room's books have been removed for its redevelopment, while Marsh's is complete, intimate and rarely crowded. You can stand a few feet from shelves that have held the same books since the reign of Queen Anne, in near silence, which is something no other Dublin attraction offers. Look for books damaged by bullets fired during the 1916 Rising, when the area was caught in the fighting, and ask the staff about the library's stories; they are knowledgeable and generous with their time.

Practicalities: book tickets online through the library's website, or ask at the door. The main galleries are upstairs and, because of the historic building, are not wheelchair accessible, though the ground floor, shop, garden and reading room can be accessed on request, and staff will help carry buggies up the stairs. The library closes for a winter break over Christmas and New Year, reopening in early January, and may close at other times with notice on its website. Photography rules can vary, so ask before taking pictures.

Around it: Marsh's Library sits in the close of St Patrick's Cathedral, so visit them together: the cathedral first, for Swift's tomb and the story of the door of reconciliation, then the library next door. The small garden beside the library is a peaceful spot. From here, Christ Church Cathedral and Dublinia are about ten minutes' walk north, and the Teeling distillery and the antique shops of Francis Street are a few minutes west in the Liberties. For a literary theme, combine Marsh's with the Book of Kells and the Long Room at Trinity and an evening in a pub with literary connections, such as the Palace Bar. The library's shop, small but well chosen, sells prints, cards and books inspired by the collections, which make unusual souvenirs for readers and history lovers back home.