TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN has renamed its central library after the celebrated poet Eavan Boland, following a decision to remove the name of George Berkley from the building.

The ‘denaming’ of Berkeley – an Anglo-Irish Bishop, scholar and philosopher who lived in the 1700s – came about following protests from students and representatives over his ownership of slaves and connections to the slave trade.

It follows a consultation process the college was “marked by thoughtful conversations”, resulting in a total of 855 public submissions on the library’s name. The process was overseen by the Trinity Legacies Review Working Group (TLRWG).

The move also means that the Eavan Boland Library will be the first building on Trinity’s campus to be named after a woman.

Provost Dr Linda Doyle said that it would be a “fitting recognition of Eavan Boland’s poetic genius” that the university’s main library will now carry her name.

Trinity is renaming its main Library after acclaimed Irish poet and alumna Eavan Boland. This Board decision follows analysis and public consultation overseen by the Trinity Legacies Review Working Group. Read the full article here...
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Boland, who studied at Trinity, won numerous awards throughout her career writing about Irish history and the role of women in Irish society. She died in 2020 aged 75.

“Eavan’s poetry is well-known across the generations, and her outstanding artistic contribution to highlighting the role of women in Irish society is widely appreciated,” Doyle said, paying thanks to all who took part in the process that led to today’s decision.

The working group said it identified several options for the renaming of the Library, with their preferred recommendation being The Eavan Boland Library.

Its chair, professor Eoin O’Sullivan paid tribute to students “who not only called for a change in the library’s name, but who worked with us to achieve that change”.

“We are grateful for the 855 submissions from within Trinity and outside which animated our deliberations and reflections on the matter,” he said.

This was led by the Students’ Union which said the name did not reflect the values of Trinity in the 21st century.

Students of colour also said they did not feel comfortable entering a library that was named after an enslaver and some labelled it “abhorrent”.

History of Trinity library

The library opened in 1967 and was named after George Berkeley in 1978.

In a statement in April last year, Trinity said the decision to dename the library “represented a nuanced approach and the result of careful consideration and detailed analysis”.

Trinity added that Berkeley bought slaves and “sought to advance ideology in support of slavery” and that the “continued use of the Berkeley name on its library is inconsistent with the University’s core values of human dignity, freedom, inclusivity, and equality”.

“The denaming does not deny Berkeley’s importance as a writer, philosopher, and towering intellectual figure,” said the Trinity statement.