Chester Beatty Library

Chester Beatty Library Review

A connoisseur's delight, this "library" is considered one of the overlooked treasures of Ireland. After Sir Alfred Chester Beatty (1875-1968), a Canadian mining millionaire and a collector with a flawless eye, assembled one of the most significant collections of Islamic, Early Christian, and Far Eastern art in the Western world, he donated it to Ireland. Housed in the gorgeous clock-tower building of Dublin Castle, and voted European Museum of the Year in 2002, the library is one of Dublin's real gems. Among the exhibits are clay tablets from Babylon dating from 2700 BC, Japanese wood-block prints, Chinese jade books, early papyrus bibles, and Turkish and Persian paintings. The second floor, dedicated to the major religions, houses 250 manuscripts of the Koran from across the Muslim world, as well as one of the earliest Gospels. The first-floor "Arts of the Book" exhibition looks at the different origins and finest examples of books throughout the world. Life-size Buddhas from Burma and rhino cups from China are among the other curios on show. Guided tours of the library are available on Tuesday and Saturday at 2:30 pm. On sunny days the garden is one of the most tranquil places in central Dublin. The shop is full of unique and exotic souvenirs relating to the collection.