 Presentation
The Old Library of the Irish College, built between 1772 and 1775, is located above the Chapelle Saint Patrick. It is one of the few surviving libraries of the many colleges, convents and monasteries which were situated in the Montagne Sainte-Genevieve area of Paris until the end of the 18th century.
The original library collection was entirely lost during the French Revolution. The current collection consists of almost 8000 volumes comprised of printed books and manuscripts, half of which were written or published between the 15th and 18th centuries. The main themes of the collection are theology, history, geography, philosophy and music.
The Library was completely restored between 2000 and 2002 as part of the overall renovation of the Collège des Irlandais. The collection was catalogued for the first time in the 1970s by Monsieur Maurice Caillet, former Inspector General of Libraries. Two distinct periods were identified: works from prior to 1812, mainly in Latin, and works dating from later than 1812, in English and French. This typed catalogue assisted in the development of a computerisation project. As a result, a catalogue referencing the complete library collection is now available on-line. A preservation project has been undertaken : dusting of books, restoration and environmental audit. Also, over 50 manuscripts have been digitized.
The staff of the Information Resources service welcomes groups for visits of the Library by appointment. For more information contact us at 01 58 52 10 83.
Access to the documents
Over 50 manuscripts, mainly courses taught in the English Seminary and Scottish College in the XVIIth and XVIIIth century, have been digitized and can be consulted online, through the catalogue (via the "Old library" search form).
Also, the Old Library collection is accessible for research purposes, by appointment, further to a written request to Carole Jacquet, Head of Libraries and Archives. Access to the collections of the Old Library is free of charge. Items are only available for on-site consultation.
Guidelines for readers Application form
Please fill in the application form and send it to:
Carole Jacquet
Centre Culturel Irlandais
5 rue des Irlandais
75005 Paris
or
Consult the catalogue
For more information on the online catalogue and on document research, click on the 'Online catalogue' link.
Events
12 June 12, 19.00
admission free, reservation necessary (space limited)
Old Library visit
 The Old Library of the Irish College is one of the few surviving libraries of the many colleges, convents and monasteries which were situated in the Montagne-Sainte-Geneviève area of Paris until the end of the 18th century. This visit provides a further opportunity to see the treasures of the Old Library - its three illuminated manuscripts dating from c.1500.
Fellowship, Old Library and Historical Archives
The Irish College Paris offers two Fellowship bursaries to encourage research on its Old Library and Historical Archives collections.
The purpose of the Fellowships is to establish the intellectual and academic value of the holdings.
The Old Library contains 8000 volumes (from the 15th to the 19th century). Once the library of the Irish College when it was a seminary, the collection contains works of theology, history, philosophy...
More than 19 000 items are held in the Historical Archives, covering a period extending from the 14th to the 20th century. The main themes are daily life at the Irish College and the buildings which were owned by the Irish Community, the grant foundations, the religious community...
For more details about the collections’ content and access to the online catalogues: Catalogues
The areas of research are open, depending on the candidate's interests, and could focus on a historical subject, a period of time, an author, the manuscripts or printed items, the provenance of part of the collections, the bindings...
We are looking for an output which would add to our knowledge of the library or archives and to the information which we can put into the public domain.
Priority will be given to research subjects examining a corpus of references instead of one reference in particular.
In 2010 and 2011, Fellows pursued the following research:
- Frédéric Manzini: Robert Boyle chez les philosophes en France et en Europe au XVIIème siècle : diffusion et influence
- Cormac Begadon: Belief and Devotion in a 19th century Irish Seminary: the evidence from the Irish College Paris Collections
- Justin Dolan Stover: Student life, curriculum, and college administration: the Irish College, Paris, under le bureau gratuit, 1870-1918
- Nienke Tjoelker: Irish Neo-Latin style and identity
- Linda Kiernan: Gentlemen Scholars: Minding manners and polite society at the Irish College, Paris
- Brid McGrath: Representative assemblies in Ireland and France in the early modern period
- Rebecca Schwarz: John Toland’s Irish Philo-Semitism: A New Window on Christian-Jewish Relations
- Emmanuelle Chapron: Bibliothèques décomposées : les livres des collèges d’Ancien Régime dans le fonds ancien du Centre Culturel Irlandais
To see a complete list of research undertaken since 2008, click here.
Conditions:
The result should be a report in English or in French (approx. 20000 words + appendix, bibliography...)
Duration: 1 month between April and November 2012
Grant: €1000 per month. Accommodation at the Irish College and travel (from Ireland) will be covered.
Deadline for receipt of applications (in English or French): 20th January 2012
Please send:
- CV
- Summary of your proposed research topic (500-1000 words) + your preferred dates
- Bibliography of the items you plan to consult
- Any additional relevant documentation
To: Carole Jacquet, Head of Libraries and Archives
or
Centre Culturel Irlandais
5 rue des Irlandais
75005 Paris, France
For any queries: 00 33 (0)1 58 52 10 33 or cjacquet@centreculturelirlandais.com
Thanks
These projects were made possible thanks to the financial support of the Government of Ireland, the Ville de Paris and the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
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