Special Collections Rare Books

Special Collections actively collects rare, antiquarian and contemporary books of enduring value. Major subject emphases include Irish history, culture, travel, politics and social science, with particular strengths in Limerick history and literature.

The core of the rare book holdings was established with the acquisition of three major libraries - The Norton Collection in 1997, The Leonard Collection in 2003 and The McAnally Collection in 2008. Special Collections also houses a number of smaller named collections which focus on specific subjects. These include The Patrick Lysaght Kerry Collection and The Gilsenan Yeats Collection containing printed works of William Butler Yeats.