National Library of Ireland

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Though the National Library is predominantly a research institution, some parts of it are open to the public. These include the grand domed Reading Room - the place in which Stephen Dedalus expounds his views on Shakespeare in James Joyce's Ulysses - and the Exhibition Room, which plays host to changing displays from the Library's extensive collections.

There's also a walk-in genealogical service for people keen on tracing their family trees. At the time of writing, a multimillion euro extenion plan (to increase exhibition, reading and repository space) had been approved for the Library.