Museum of Literature Ireland

The Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI) is a vibrant partnership between University College Dublin and the National Library of Ireland that celebrates Ireland’s literary heritage and inspires future generations to engage with the art of writing and reading. 

Launched in September 2019, the Museum of Literature Ireland serves as a home for prized artifacts of the Irish State’s literary collections. MoLI explores the wide canon of Irish writing through its permanent and temporary exhibitions. By offering immersive multimedia presentations, maintaining an agile exhibition turnover, fostering cross-disciplinary collaborations, and hosting a vibrant calendar of public events (both on-site and offline), the Museum of Literature Ireland has succeeded in quickly cultivating a diverse and devoted audience, despite facing extended closures in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Its approach aims to dismantle elitist perceptions of literature and highlight the unifying power of storytelling and the written (and spoken) word. MoLI operates as a new, values-driven museum with a mission to engage everyone, on local, national and international levels and particularly those who may not typically engage with the literary artform. The museum develops programmes in close collaboration with local community groups, placing a strong emphasis on presenting diverse voices to empower people across various age, gender, sexuality and socio-economic spectrums. The museum provides opportunities for public engagement at all stages of life, from early-years education programmes and young writers bursaries to adult literacy workshops and free public live events.