‘I found the focus to rebuild my life here’: Irish libraries offer much more than books

Semir Saleh arrived in Ireland two years ago as an asylum seeker from Eritrea , one of Africa’s poorest countries.

The 44-year-old left his country when he was in his late 20s. Since declaring independence from Ethiopia in 1993, Eritrea has been ruled by a dictator, and the country has a long history of repression and mandatory military service.

Shortly after arriving in Ireland, Saleh joined Gorey Library in Co Wexford . He credits the library services with giving him a sense of purpose.

“Physically, I was in Ireland but psychologically, I was trying to bring myself to Ireland,” he said. “I met one of the librarians and she gave me a card and told me how to use the library and its services.