Distinguished guests gathered in the Old Library of TCD …
Former presidents Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese, Irish creatives Louise Kennedy and John Redmond, RTÉ Director General Kevin Bakhurst and many more were among those marking a €7m donation to Trinity College Dublin from the Hilary and Galen Weston Foundation to support the design and construction of a gallery in the Old Library, while expanding access to its collections.
Trinity’s Old Library is open to the public, with conservation works scheduled to start at the end of 2027 and expected to be completed in 2030. Trinity’s first woman librarian and college archivist Helen Shenton explained how donations such as these help “to re-imagine the Old Library as a place of wonder, education and enlightenment accessible for all, from school children to scholars.”
The gallery will be named the Hilary Weston Treasures Gallery after the late Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, a philanthropist who focused on healthcare, women, education and literature, and a recipient of a Trinity honorary degree in 2004, among many other honours. She passed away in 2025 at the age of 83.
Hilary’s daughter Alannah was guest of honour and described her mother’s love of books; “She was an avid reader. This gift reflects her belief in literature’s power to inform, challenge and inspire, as well as her commitment to supporting writers through literary prizes in Canada and abroad. She took great pride in her longstanding relationship with Trinity College Dublin, both as an honorary degree recipient and through her foundation’s support to empower future business leaders. She was deeply moved by the dedication to renewing the Old Library, and honoured to contribute to the impact it will have in shaping new generations of writers and scholars in Ireland and around the world.”
Trinity Provost Dr Linda Doyle also spoke at the event, quoting Eavan Boland’s poem “Our Future Will Become the Past of Other Women” – particularly fitting under the gaze of four marble busts of trailblazing women installed in the Long Room in 2023 – Ada Lovelace, Augusta Gregory, Rosalind Franklin and Mary Wollstonecraft. Harpist Claire O’Donnell played as the audience marvelled at Luke Jerram’s Gaia installation.
Click into the gallery to see more of the guests in attendance:
Photography: Chris Bellew / Fennell Photography