Special Collections
The Special Collections Reading Room is on the bottom floor of the Luke Wadding Library building in room no. LB30
In 2008 WIT Libraries was successful in obtaining a Museum and Archives Grant from the National Heritage Council for the cataloguing of the Christ Church Cathedral Collection. The grant should help to to make the collection more accessible to researchers and to the general public who wish to look at items from it in closer detail. It is hoped to have this work completed by the end of the year. WIT Libraries is appreciative of the National Heritage Council in their help with this undertaking.
- Special Collections Reading Room
- The Christchurch Cathedral Collection
- Viewing the Collection
- Staff Contact
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Special Collections Reading Room
Holdings may be read only in the Special Collections Reading Room which is reserved for readers using this material. The Reading Room has been appropriately designed to house such a collection. It is open to all interested in researching this rare Ecclesiastical and Law collection. Special guidelines are in force for handling material in the Reading Room, which includes the use of pencils only. Books residing in the reading room may only be transferred with the expressed permission of the Special Collections Librarian.
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The Christchurch Cathedral Collection
The Christchurch Cathedral collection dates from the 16th century to the present day. It consists of about three thousand ecclesiastical and Law holdings. It is chiefly a number of separate collections that were gathered together by the cathedral over time. The law collection is of national significance in its own right. The entire collection owes its basis to Bishop Charles Este who bequeathed his library to the Mayor of Waterford in 1745 the year of the Scottish rebellion of Bonny Prince Charlie. The cathedral itself, where the library would come to be housed, was not built until 1775. A major addition to the collection was made in 1779 when Henry Alcock, a prominent Church of Ireland member, of Nymph Hall near Dunmore also left his library to the cathedral.
Nearly one third of the stock is made up of law books of major historical research interest donated by Robert Dobbyn whose family left their collection to the citizens of Waterford. It is perhaps the finest collection or Early Law books in the country with the exception of the King’s Inn. The collection was heavily supplemented by 19th century Church of Ireland clergy donations. Scholars of the Quaker movement will find the collection an invaluable source of research.
Major items of research interest to scholars and researchers include proceedings of the Irish House of Commons and Irish Statues, works by Erasmus, rare Bible’s, historical Old and New Testaments, Books of Common Prayer, hymnals, and books of interest to local historians. It can be viewed by the general public with the permission of the Special Collections Librarian.
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Viewing the Collection
The Christchurch Cathedral Collection, Waterford has been housed in the Waterford Institute of Technology since 2006. The Special Collections Reading Room has been designed with the sensitivity and care expected for maintaining and nurturing just such a collection. Viewing is by appointment only.
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