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Posted on Monday March 14, 2016

Updated on Monday November 6, 2023

National Library of Ireland historic photographs

This collection of 34,000 historic Irish photographs, digitised from the National Library's collection of glass plate negatives, illustrates Irish life and society between 1860 and 1954.

Most photographs come from the Lawrence Royal & Cabinet Collections, a collection of commercially produced photographs taken between 1870 and 1914, showing topographical scenes throughout Ireland.

Also included are photographs from the Independent H Collection (early images from the Independent Newspaper Collection including the glass plates digitised showing people and events from 1912 to 1936); the Poole Whole Plate Collection (images of the south east of Ireland 1884 -1954, created by the family firm of AH Poole in Waterford, including studio portraits and social and political events) and the Eason Collection (images of Ireland, originally created for the Irish postcard trade by Eason & Son between 1900 and 1940).

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