Minister Catherine Martin and Minister Kieran O’Donnell open Joly Lecture Theatre at the NLI

Our new Joly Lecture has been officially opened by Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport, and Media, Catherine Martin TD, alongside Minister of State for the Office of Public Works, Kieran O’Donnell TD. This modern, tiered facility, accommodating 96 people with enhanced accessibility features, is part of the ‘Reimagining the National Library’ initiative.

Minister Martin praised the new theatre, calling it a significant milestone in the National Library’s redevelopment project 'Reimagining the National Library'. This major redevelopment is set to transform the former book storage area in the West Wing of the building into a publicly accessible cultural space, enhancing Dublin's cultural landscape. Planning permission for the next phase of this transformative project has been granted by Dublin City Council.

Minister O'Donnell commended the work undertaken by all teams to deliver this state-of-the-art lecture theatre. He highlighted the importance of the planning approval for the next phase, which will ensure the preservation and adaptation of this remarkable historic building.

NLI Director, Dr. Audrey Whitty, emphasised the value of the new theatre in making Ireland’s recorded history more accessible. Named after Jaspar Robert Joly, a major donor to the NLI, the theatre will facilitate a wider reach for lectures, readings, and other events.

Read the full press release.