About RCSI Heritage Collections

RCSI Heritage Collections collects, preserves, and curates material relating to the history of RCSI since 1784 and to the development of medicine and surgery in Ireland more generally. Among the collections is the RCSI College Archive, the personal papers and private collections of prominent individuals associated with RCSI and Ireland’s medical heritage, and various special collections including medical instruments, antiquarian books, medical pamphlets, and artwork and sculpture.

RCSI College Archive
At the heart of RCSI Heritage Collections is the RCSI College Archive. The College Archive exists to preserve the institutional memory of RCSI and document the contribution of the College and its people to past and future developments in healthcare education and practice around the world.

The College Archive encompasses the breadth of activities undertaken by RCSI: from its establishment as the national training body for surgery in 1784 to its present day iteration as a world-leading health sciences university and research institution offering education and training at undergraduate, postgraduate, and professional level. It contains formal and official records that provide evidence of the governance and administration of RCSI at institutional and departmental level.

Personal Papers & Private Collections
RCSI Heritage Collections hold the personal papers and private collections of more than 20 individuals including prominent medical figures associated with RCSI and Ireland’s medical history.

Special Collections
RCSI Heritage Collections hold a number special collections relating to the history and practice of medicine and surgery in Ireland more generally.

Digital Heritage Collections
RCSI Digital Heritage Collections hosts a growing body of digital material and online resources relating to the history of RCSI and Ireland’s medical heritage.

https://www.rcsi.com/dublin/library/collections/heritage-collections