Belfast - Linen Hall Library

Our first city break of the year was to Belfast in February. I've just recently downloaded all the photographs from the camera and came across three of the exterior of the Linen Hall Library. I decided to visit the library as a tourist/visitor to the city. I liked the sense of anonymity to the visit, but I also felt like a mystery shopper. The first thing I loved was the actual location of the library on Donegall Square North, sitting on a corner facing the City Halls. The entrance had the feel of a conservative men's club in the city, all sandstone, glass and wood. The red hand of Ulster on the overhang is now painted cream but in older postcards you can see the hand painted red. The library was founded in 1788 and is the last subscribing library in Ireland.
Once we had climbed the stairs to the main information desk we came around to the coffee shop and main lending area of the library. Being a local studies librarian I was more interested in what treasures they had waiting on the third floor. So, I pulled the other half up the stairs and promptly left them to browse the shelves. I think I’m lucky to have such an understanding other half. So, the third floor, you could have picked me up at the end of the weekend and I still wouldn’t have finished looking, observing and reading the books. They had some very interesting titles including for me, The Commissioned Sea Officers of the Royal Navy 1660-1815, fascinating book. The room it full of books dedicated to local studies and family history, they hold a card index of the births, deaths and marriages from the Belfast newspaper 1801-1863. The view from the third floor is stunning looking over to the green copper roof of the city halls. So, time well spent visiting the library and viewing first hand the extensive collection they hold. The only annoying thing is not taking note of the books of interest to both myself and for my job. Thankfully I can access their online catalogue from work and home.

©Sam Moore -images