History of Early Printing in Ireland 19 



But there are two other places in which there is evidence 

 that printing was done in the l7th century. I will first allude 

 to Limerick. It would appear that there was a press in Limerick 

 when it was besieged by the Williamite forces, at which was 

 printed "Les Dialogues de la Pierre de Touche Politique de 

 M. Le Noble," and the evidence is a Paris reprint of this work 

 now in British Museums. When William III. came to Ireland 

 in 1690 he had with him a printer Edward Jones, at whose 

 portable press Orders and Proclamations were printed, probably 

 at Carrickfergus and Belfast. 



Lastly, we come to the great City of Belfast, although a 

 small town in 1696 when printing commenced there. Your late 

 lamented and able bibliographer, Mr. John Anderson, has done 

 for Belfast bibliography a great and lasting work, and in that 

 work he was assisted by other Belfast bibliographers, some of 

 whom I am glad to say are still living and taking part in this 

 interesting work. I will not presume to deal with Belfast here, 

 though I am glad I was able to put together into stricter and 

 fuller form, in a paper before the Royal Irish Academy, in a list, 

 every known or credited item of printing there from 1696 to 1700 

 inclusive. I hope this compilatien will be added to as years 

 progress. 



Before passing from the I7th century to the 18th century 

 I will give you some information as to the origin and development 

 of the newspaper press in Ireland prior to the year 1701. I have 

 already, in referring to printing in Cork, stated that the first 

 periodical in Ireland was printed there, but the first publication 

 at all resembling a newspaper, or journal of that kind, that has 

 up to the present been discovered was printed in Dublin and has 

 a somewhat lengthy title^" An Account of the Chief Occurrences 

 of Ireland. Together with some particulars from England.'' 

 This publication is very rare and only two numbers are forth- 

 coming. No. 2 is in the Library of Cambridge University. (I 

 have not details of it). The fifth number, of which I have some 

 details, is for the period, as stated below the title, "from 



