Poetry Ireland at No. 11
No. 11 Parnell Square, is an all-island venue and resource centre dedicated to celebrating, supporting and promoting poetry, poets and writers.
We are delighted to have now officially opened the doors of No. 11 Parnell Square, Ireland's Home for Poetry and Heritage.
For the remainder of 2026 our spaces will be programmed by Poetry Ireland / Éigse Éireann and won’t be available for external hire.
Further detail on our programming will be available on this website and on our social channels over the coming weeks and months.
Our Seamus Heaney Poetry Library will open to the public in the Autumn.
The building will be open to the public for events only, and does not operate an open door policy.
Getting Here
No. 11 is widely served by public transit routes as below.
Nearest indoor car parks are at Q-Park Clerys and Park Rite Parnell.
Nearest public transport points: Connolly Train Station, Parnell and O'Connell Upper Luas - Green Line, or Abbey Street – Red Line. Numerous bus routes stopping within a minute or two of the building, including: 1, 4, 7, 9, 11, 13, 16, 38, 40, 41, 44, 46A, 120, 122, 123, 140 and nearby stops served by routes such as 19, E1, E2, F1, F2, F3, depending on where you're travelling from.
An accessible parking space is available to the rear of the building for poets and performers participating in events, but access must be coordinated with the Poetry Ireland / Éigse Éireann team.
Access
The main entrance is via the front door of No.11 on Parrell Square, via a series of steps. The entrance is accessed via a ramp that negotiates that change in level from street to the entrance. A small step is located at the front door. A portable and robust ramp is available to negotiate this change in level for any wheelchair users. We ask visitor who require ramp access to inform us in advance.
All visitors will be greeted when on site and directed towards the relevant rooms.
"The place itself is a still life restored to living matter, a new space whose true life is renewed once more."
With the opening of No. 11 Parnell Square, Ireland will have acquired a major cultural asset, a new public space to advance and celebrate the art of poetry nationally and internationally. This substantial all-Ireland resource will be a living presence in the city, and it will be the hub from which Poetry Ireland projects its many services all over the island and beyond to the wider world. When complete No. 11 Parnell Square will mark the success of our lifetime ambition of creating a permanent home for an artform for which Ireland is world famous. This will enable us to deliver and grow our services, to articulate a shared vision, and to breathe life, energy and spirit into bricks and mortar.
A dynamic cultural quarter is being created in the heart of Dublin City at Parnell Square. This bold and visionary project will fulfil the city’s ambitions for a ‘Civic Spine’ connecting the capital’s key historic places. In a landmark development, the City Library will find a new home beside Dublin City Gallery, The Hugh Lane. Adjacent to the world-renowned Gate Theatre, No. 11 Parnell Square will play a pivotal part in this exciting transformation.
The restoration and re-use of No. 11 will preserve and enhance the building’s 250-year history. This national architectural asset will be an accessible creative space for local, national and international visitors. With the establishment of No. 11 Parnell Square, Dublin will join a select group of major cities – Paris, Melbourne, Edinburgh, Berlin, Chicago and New York – with centres dedicated to poetry.
Poetry Ireland / Éigse Éireann and The Irish Heritage Trust are working together to unlock the potential of No. 11 Parnell Square in the heart of Dublin city.
In 2024 work commenced on the conservation-led refurbishment, managed by McCullough Mulvin Architects, which marks the beginning of a new chapter for this iconic Georgian building. It is set to become an inclusive cultural centre dedicated to celebrating and sharing Irish poetry, heritage and culture with the public.
Both organisations have their headquarters in this historic building thanks to the generosity of Fingal County Council.
