The Oireachtas Library is exhibiting a selection of treasures from its Dublin Castle Collection to mark the centenary of the handover of Dublin Castle.
On 16 January 1922 the British Authorities formally relinquished power in Ireland by handing Dublin Castle over to the provisional government. Symbolically the handover of Dublin Castle was a momentous event in the centuries-long struggle for Irish sovereignty.
The reference library of the Chief Secretary’s Office was later transferred to Leinster House and became part of the Oireachtas Library’s collection. Dating back to the 16th century, the Dublin Castle Collection contains thousands of volumes of parliamentary material, books, maps, newspapers, manuscripts, prints and pamphlets. The Oireachtas Library has been running an extensive programme since 2009 to digitise its historical collections, making over 12,000 documents available to the public.