The National Library of Ireland has added some significant additions to its impressive online digital collection of artefacts. Portraits, engravings and drawings from some of Ireland’s most famous and revered historical personalities including Robert Emmet, Theobald Wolfe Tone and Daniel O’Connell are part of the newly updated digital archive.

The new archive consists of over 10,000 images of famous figures from Irish history up to the end of the 19th century.  It has taken some years for these works to become available, but finally the new catalogue has been added to the National Library’s digital collection, which is freely available to anyone online.

Heritage Minister Jimmy Deenihan believes that the collections are very important as they tell the story of the country. Mr. Dennihan said “The National Library of Ireland holds collections that are of great national significance. The newly digitised collections chart the story of Ireland and are a wonderful piece of our cultural and literary heritage which will now be preserved for and made accessible to the people of Ireland for generations.”