To strengthen bilateral cooperation and the exchanges between this office and the National Library of Ireland (NLI), His Excellency Representative Simon S.K. Tu visited the Irish National Library on 20 October 2016. The two sides also exchanged views on the development of the National Libraries of Ireland and Taiwan.
Representative Tu said that Ireland has a long and rich history of literary and artistic creation, having so far produced four Nobel Prize winners, including internationally renowned poet WB Yeats and other famous writers such as James Joyce. He noted the great potential for the development of academic and cultural exchanges between Ireland and Taiwan.
Representative Tu pointed out that the National Library of Taiwan has made great progress in recent years, and its scale is now similar to that of many national libraries of Europe and North America. It houses abundant books, publications and literary materials, specializing in Chinese literature. Moreover, it is committed to promoting exchanges with its collection, and cooperating with other major world libraries. Representative Tu expressed his hope that it would have the opportunity to cooperate with the Irish National Library.
Founded in 1877, the National Library of Ireland is highly regarded by the government and the public, and widely known for its collection of famous manuscripts, including the Yeats collection of manuscripts and related artifacts, and the collection of Seamus Heaney, another famous 20th century writer and Nobel laureate. The library collects all kinds of books, manuscripts, micro volumes and other materials, presently totalling about 5 million items. Next year the government subsidy of €10 million will be used to renovate and expand the collection. At present, the library is holding an exhibition on the life, writings and manuscripts of WB Yeats, which is rich in content and is worth a visit for those who are interested in Irish literature, art and history.
Entrance of National Library of Ireland
Grand reading room of National Library of Ireland
Calendar and the activities of National Library of Ireland
Exhibition on the life, writings and manuscripts of WB Yeats
