The National Library of Ireland (NLI) welcomed the family and friends of Richard Hayes to a special event in August to celebrate the official launch of the Richard Hayes Room at the NLI. Richard Hayes (1902-1976) lived many remarkable lives ­– he was an academic, the Director of the National Library of Ireland from 1940-1967, a loving father, and one of World War II’s most successful Nazi codebreakers.

Appointed as Director of the National Library of Ireland in 1940, Hayes managed his official duties while secretly leading a team of cryptanalysts. They successfully cracked the infamous ‘Görtz Cipher,’ a Nazi code so challenging that even the experts at Bletchley Park, Britain’s wartime cryptography centre, were initially unable to solve it.

Hayes’ extraordinary work played a crucial role in securing an Allied victory. He was described by MI5 as ‘Ireland’s greatest unsung hero’ and the U.S. Office of Strategic Services as ‘a colossus of a man.’ Hayes died in 1976, leaving behind a collection of papers and manuscripts, which are now catalogued in the National Library of Ireland.

Learn more on the NLI’s website:
https://www.nli.ie/news-stories/news/nli-unveils-richard-hayes-room-after-former-director-and-wwii-code-breaker