126 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



be dealt with in a subsequent paper ; but printing in "Waterford appears, so 

 far as such press was worked by the Confederate Catholic party, to have 

 certainly ceased in the year 1646. Whether Bourke's press was transferred 

 from Waterford to Kilkenny is not perfectly clear. At one time I thought 

 that this was what happened, as printing ceased in Waterford and became 

 much more abundant in Kilkenny in the latter part of the fifth decade of 

 that century ; but Bourke's name appears on only one (which seems strange) 

 imprint of Kilkenny printing, and some very interesting information has been 

 kindly placed at my disposal by the Bev. E. Hogan, s.J., m.e.i.a., which 

 I shall mention concisely here, as it throws light upon the printing in 

 Kilkenny at this period. 



In the custody of the Jesuit Order in Dublin is an original or 

 contemporary copy of a valuable document dealing with disputes which 

 arose between the Order at the time in Kilkenny and the Lord Nuncio 

 and the Supreme Council of the Confederate- Catholics. Bather Hogan 

 has kindly given me a translation of the third and fourth paragraphs of 

 this document, which refer to the printing-press ; and, with his permission, 

 his translation will be printed as an appendix to this paper ; but the 

 substance of it may be given shortly as follows : — 



The Society had in Kilkenny a printing-press in their House of 

 Novitiate, which they used for printing certain documents in connexion 

 with their Order. The complaint against them was that, when asked for 

 the use of this press for the service of the Nuncio, they had refused 

 permission, and that they had assisted the Supreme Council in carrying 

 away the press so that it would not be in their power to assist the Nuncio. 

 This they denied ; and alleged that the press was taken from them by the 

 Supreme Council by authority, and so they had no control over it at the 

 time ; and the report of the visitor, who was sent to inquire into this 

 complaint, entirely confirmed this answer. 



He states at some length that the press was used in the College of the 

 Jesuits for their own purposes, but that in one sheet which was printed there 

 Lord " O'Neale," who was one of the Supreme Council, was reflected upon 

 adversely, and the Supreme Council took offence at this, reproved the Jesuits 

 for it, and subsequently issued a proclamation prohibiting anything being 

 printed unless it was signed by seven of the Councillors. This proclamation 

 was made in April, 1648. The Council afterwards (in May) sent their 

 secretary, and he took possession of the press, and also took over the men 

 who worked at it, who were ordered to work for the Council's wages. It was 

 only after this that when the Nuncio applied for the use of the press, the 

 Jesuits could not accede to his request, as they had no further power over it. 



