BELFAST 



NATURAL HISTORY 

 AND PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY 



SESSION 1916-T7. 



24th October, 1916. 



HISTORY OF EARLY PRINTING IN IRELAND. 

 ByE. R. McDix, M.R.LA. 



(Abstract.) 



Section L— (1550— 16L3). 



Before proceeding to deal with actual printing in Ireland, 

 the earliest date for which at present known is 1550, I might 

 preface ray lecture by remarking that there were natives of 

 Ireland doing printing work on the Continent at an earlier date. 

 One of these was the distinguished ecclesiastic, Maurice O'Fihily, 

 subsequently Archbishop of Tuam, who, at one period of his life, 

 is said to have worked as a printer in the great city of Venice ; 

 and when he returned to his native land to fulfil his ecclesiastical 

 duties it is possible that he may have brought with him a printing 

 press. At least one would like to think that he did, if he 

 possessed one of his own. Venice was famous for its printing at 

 the end of the 15th century and beginning of the 16th, and 

 O'Fihily could not have learnt in a better school. It is interest- 

 ing to note that a book, said to have been actually printed by 

 him when so working in Venice, was sold in Dublin this year 

 (1916) at a public auction. Perhaps at some future date some 



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