Quaker House Historical Library

The Dublin Friends Historical Library – officially the Historical Library of Ireland Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends – is situated in Quaker House. It contains the manuscript and printed archives of Quakers in Ireland since their establishment here in the 17th century. The library and archives are open to the public every Thursday, except for the Christmas holidays, from 11.0 am to 1.0 pm. The 74 and 74A buses from Grand Canal Dock or Earlsfort Terrace to Stocking Avenue pass close to the door of Quaker House.

The most important manuscripts are the Minutes of the various Quaker meetings and committees. Many of these havbe been microfilmed and scanned to computer files, others have been digitally photographed.  In addition, the collection contains comprehensive records of births, marriages and deaths. These, from the earliest times up to the mid-19th century, are now searchable on computer database.

The Library Database contains references to writings by or about individual Quakers, 38,696 of them and more being added. A database of Disownments and Resignations gives details of more than 7,000 Quakers who, for a variety of moral lapses, incurred the displeasure of the Society in the course of its first 250 years.  A Removals database gives details of the departures of Quakers from their own meetings to others, elsewhere in Ireland or abroad. Together these provide a rich fund of genealogical information.

The collection of printed books contains works from the 17th century up to the present, together with many theses for higher degrees.  The Library also holds a large collection of printed pamphlets, manuscript letters, essays and photographs.

Librarian and archivist duties are seen to by a team of volunteers who engage in cataloguing, assisting visiting readers and replying to queries by telephone or e-mail.

Enquiries are welcome.

The Historical Library holds a stock of recent books relating to Quakers in Ireland, available by mail order.  Press here for catalogue and for a list of other publications.

Mailing address is Historical Library, Quaker House Dublin, Stocking Lane, Dublin 16; Phone +353 1 4956890;

Email: qhist@eircom.net

Curator: Christopher Moriarty