Oscariana: A Wilde Dublin Festival

Special Exhibitions

This year we are thrilled to have two exhibitions featuring Oscar Wilde first editions and other artefacts during the week of Oscariana. Trinity College Dublin's Old Library is hosting the exhibition, From Decadence To Despair, and Marsh's Library has a fantastic display of Oscar Wilde first editions on show. Both of these locations played important roles in Oscar's life.

Oscar was a student at Trinity and spent many hours in the Old Library. He would have regularly utilised Marsh's Library. But there is a darker connection between Marsh's Library and the Wilde family. It was here that Oscar's father William, asked permission from Mary Travers's father for her to help him with his work. The relationship between William Wilde and Mary Travers led to a notorious sex scandal and trial that shook Dublin society.

These exhibitions are running throughout the Oscariana festival.

From Decadence to Despair

Visitors to the Old Library at Trinity College Dublin can now enjoy a carefully curated collection of rare Oscar Wilde archival material and memorabilia on display in the Long Room.

Access to the exhibition, entitled Oscar Wilde: From Decadence to Despair is included in a ticket to the Book of Kells Experience and it will be on display until January 29, 2025.

The Library acquired the Oscar Wilde collection in 2011 from Julia Rosenthal, a book dealer and lifelong collector of Wildean works, based in London. It comprises more than 150 items of symbolic significance to Wilde’s biography in manuscript and print format, as well as photographs and unique memorabilia. It is the only Oscar Wilde archive held in a public institution in Ireland, which is remarkable given he was born here. Due to the popularity and the value placed on material relating to him, much of it is in the hands of private collectors.

You can learn more about the exhibition here. There is an online version of the Oscar Wilde exhibition, From Decadence to Despair, that is available for viewing, on the Library of Trinity College Dublin website. Additionally, Trinity’s digitised Oscar Wilde Collection can be viewed on the Virtual Trinity Library.

Tickets are available through the Visit Trinity Ticketing Site. Tickets

Wilde first editions

The historic and atmospheric Marsh's Library, located in St. Patrick's Close, next to the cathedral, was the very first public library in Ireland. It opened in 1707 and holds more than 25,000 books, including an important collection of Wildean works. The library has put on display some of Oscar's greatest works for duration of the Oscariana festival.

These works include a first edition of The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), The Happy Prince and Other Tales (1888), and Oscar's first ever collection of poetry, simply entitled Poems (1881). The works are on display in the Marsh's Library gift shop.

Admission Charge: €7 for adults. €4 for students & senior citizens. Free entry for under 18s and social welfare recipients.