
Yeats: The Life and Work of William Butler Yeats at the National Library of Ireland (NLI)
The exhibition Yeats: The Life and Works of William Butler Yeats is at the heart of the National Library of Ireland on Kildare St, where WBY was a frequent visitor throughout his life. Described as “one of the most important literary exhibitions yet staged internationally”, over half a million visitors from Ireland and abroad have experienced the life and works of the poet in person at this wonderful exhibition.
The exhibition is based on the Yeats Collection – thousands of manuscripts and other items written by or relating to William Butler Yeats. It is the largest collection of Yeats material in the world, featuring drafts of the writer’s most famous works, in addition to personal papers ranging from diaries and letters to royalty statements and tax returns; from school reports and newsclippings to automatic writing and WBY’s personal library of books.
The Yeats Collection was generously donated to the NLI by Mrs George Yeats, WBY’s wife, and his son Michael, between 1959 and 2002.
Admission to the library and exhibition is free with the following opening hours;
Monday – Wednesday 9.30am to 7.45pm
Thursday – Friday 9.30am to 4.45pm
Saturday 9.30am to 4.30pm
Sunday 1.00pm to 5.00pm
Open bank holidays 12.00pm to 5.00pm
Tel: + 353 1 603 0200 Email: info@nli.ie