Chester Beatty

To some it is a hidden gem, to others a well traversed spot when in Dublin, yet to more they may be totally unaware of it. I am talking of course about the Chester Beatty library. The Chester Beatty Library, now known as the Chester Beatty, is a museum and library in Dublin. It was established in Ireland in 1953, to house the collections of mining magnate, Sir Alfred Chester Beatty.

When he died in January 1968 the Irish Examiner presented the following overview of his achievements.

Sir Chester Beatty, the millionaire copper mining magnate who died on Saturday, was one of the greatest benefactors of art treasures to Ireland in recent years. He transferred most of his collections of paintings and oriental objects d'art to Ireland several years ago and fitted up A museum in which to house them at Shrewsbury Road, Dublin. Among nis collection were valuable scrolls from v.ie _Middie-East, the products of earlier civilizations and these he made available for study by scholars of world renown in this sphere.

Aged 92, Sir Alfred Chester Beatty was made Ireland's first honorary citizen in 1956, after seven years' residence here-. Though he was born in New York his maternal grandmother was from Mountrath in Laois, and his father and grandfather were born in Dublin. Treasures reputed to be worth £3,000,000 are housed in his home at Shrewsbury Road. The library alone contains 13,000 volumes.

The President, Mr. de Valera, on hearing of the death on Saturday of Sir Chester Beatty, said:

"Everyone who knew Sir Alfred Chester Beatty will be deeply grieved by the news of his death but nowhere will his loss be felt more deeply than among his many friends in Ireland. Honoured in several countries and by numerous learned bodies this expert in the special field of mineralogy, this great humanitarian, this enlightened patron of art and culture came to reside here in Dublin in 1950.

'"He came as a friend and admirer of our country and immediately gave expression to the sincerity of his admiration by a generous gift of 93 paintings some of which are in the National Gallery while the remainder are on display at the donor's own wish in municipal galleries throughout Ireland.

"Three years later he presented to us a collection of rare oriental weapons now in the Military College Museum. And then as if the generosity of his heart towards Ireland was boundless he built and endowed for the nation the Chester Beatty Library at Shrewsbury Road. Dublin, to contain his unique and most cherished collection of oriental manuscripts, paintings and miniatures, a collection acclaimed by the many scholars who have visited the library at the finest of its kind in all the world.

In September 1968 the final part of the collection was handed over to the nation, a ceremony attended by the President of Ireland and the Taoiseach.

For more information search the pages of the Irish Newspaper Archive (www.irishnewsarchive.com )