Resources
The main Local Studies Collection is held at the County Library, Tallaght. The collection includes over 10,000 books, periodicals, audio-visual material, photographs, prints and maps relating to the history and social, demographic and economic development of South Dublin County. Smaller collections are held in branch libraries. The collection can be searched on the South Dublin Libraries catalogue.
Digital Resources
Connecting to the Past: Mapping South Dublin County in Time
Trace an address or townland over time on our map viewer.
South Dublin County History
South Dublin County History gives an overview of the history of South Dublin’s villages, and includes maps, walking tours and images.
A collection of over 5,000 images digitized and presented by our local studies staff.
Ask About Ireland is an initiative of public libraries together with local museums and archives in the digitization and online publication of the original, the unusual and the unique material from their local studies collections to create a national internet resource for culture. It also includes a digital library of books on Irish history and provides access to Griffith’s Valuation online. South Dublin Libraries have contributed material to the website, on a wide range of subjects, from the flight of the Bremen, to the flora and fauna of our parks.
Go to South Dublin Libraries content on Ask About Ireland
The Irish Times Digital Archive
The Irish Times Digital Archive features exact reproductions of all articles published by the Irish Times from 1859 onwards. This resource can only be accessed on our in-branch library computers.
The Irish Newspaper Archive is the world's largest online database of Irish Newspapers, Search, retrieve and view Ireland's past exactly as it was originally published. This resource can only be accessed on our in-branch library computers.
Village Histories
South Dublin County covers the south-west corner of Dublin. The area we serve includes Tallaght, Clondalkin, Lucan, Rathfarnham, Templeogue, Rathcoole, Saggart, Newcastle and Palmerstown. Visit www.southdublinhistory.ie to get a history of these areas. The site also includes bibliographies for the further study of each area.
Local History files
A file on most of the civil parishes of South Dublin County is available. Each file consists of miscellaneous material from periodicals, newspapers, books, pamphlets and other sources. They provide a good starting point for a study of a particular area and are shelved in box files at LH 941.83. Books on the history of the South Dublin County area can also be found here.
South Dublin County includes all or part of the following civil parishes:
Rathfarnham, Kilmahuddrick, Aderrig, Kilbride, Palmerstown, Ballyfermot, Kilmactalway, Rathcoole, Whitechurch, Cruagh, Leixlip, Saggart, Lucan, Crumlin, Tallaght, Esker, Newcastle and Clondalkin.
Journals and Periodicals
The following journals and periodicals are held. Available back issues have been purchased. All journals and periodicals are shelved at the end of the Local Studies Collection sequence.
- Archaeology Ireland
- Dublin Historical Record
- History Ireland
- Irish Ancestor (ceased publication in 1995)
- Irish Ecclesiastical Record
- Irish Family History
- Irish Genealogist
- Irish Roots
- Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland
- Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy
-
Tallaght Magazine (no longer published)
Newspapers
Back issues of the Tallaght Echo, from 1994-present are held at the County Library.
The Irish Times Digital Archive can be accessed on all computers in all branch libraries through and The Irish Newspaper Archive provides access to the archives of many provincial newspapers as well as the Irish Independent, Sunday Independent and the Freeman’s Journal. Again, this is accessible on the computers in all of our branches.
A collection of newspapers on microfilm are also available at the County Library:
- Dublin Evening Post 1778 – 1805, 1811-1814, 1824 and 1859
-
The Freeman’s Journal 1763 – 1867, 1770 – 1806
Schools Folklore Collection
The Schools' Scheme of 1937-1938, devised by the Irish Folklore Commission represented one of the greatest initiatives ever undertaken in the field of folklore collecting in Ireland. Over a period of eighteen months, primary school pupils researched and recorded material dealing with a wide range of Irish folk tradition, from folk tales and folk legends, riddles and proverbs, songs, customs and beliefs to games and pastimes as well as descriptions of traditional work practices and crafts. The County Library holds microfilm copies of the material collected by schools in South Dublin County which are as follows:
- Edmondstown Boys N.S., Rathfarnham
- Edmondstown Girls N.S., Rathfarnham
- Saggart N.S.
- Presentation Convent, Lucan
- Lucan Boys N.S.
- Newcastle N.S.
- Brittas N.S.
- Glenasmole Boys N.S.
- Firhouse N.S.
- St. Mary’s, Tallaght
- Presentation Convent, Clondalkin
-
Rathfarnham Boys N.S.
Special Collections
The County Library holds collections of the works of local authors Katharine Tynan, Charles Lever, Austin Clarke, Patrick Pearse and Liam C. Martin. An almost complete set of the works of Katharine Tynan is held.
Directories
An almost complete set of Thom's Directories is held in the County Library along with copies of its predecessor, The Treble Almanack.
