The Russell Library houses the historical collections of St Patrick’s College, Maynooth which was founded in 1795 as a seminary for the education of Irish priests. The reading room was designed by renowned British architect and designer Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin (1812-1852) and completed in the year 1861. The Russell Library contains approximately 34,000 printed works dating from the 16th to the mid-19th century across a range of subjects including: theology, mathematics, science, geography and history. Other important collections include: medieval and Gaelic manuscripts, archival material and incunabula (pre-1501 printing).
Maynooth University Library
Access
Planning your research visit
The Russell Library is a research library, open to staff and students of the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, and St Patrick’s College, Maynooth. The Russell Library is also open to academic visitors, researchers from other institutions and to external readers. Readers are requested to make an appointment in advance of their visit.
Making an appointment
Your visit can be arranged by telephone on +353 1 7083890 , or by email
Access to the reading room
Access to the reading room is via four short flights of stairs. Wheelchair access is currently unavailable.
Finding the Russell Library
The Russell Library is on the south campus in St Mary’s quadrangle. Entering the building by the President’s Arch at the back of St Joseph’s Square, turn left and follow the cloister. Ring the Russell Library door bell to gain admittance.
Admission
Material at the Russell Library can be consulted by making an appointment by telephone on 01-7083890 or by e-mail
Opening hours
See opening hours at Library's main page
Contact us:
Phone 01-7083890
e-mail [email protected] or enquire at the John Paul II Library
Exhibitions can be viewed on a drop-in basis during Russell Library opening hours.
Location
The Library is located on the south campus, in St Mary’s quadrangle
Follow us
Read about MU Library Treasures here
Bibles
A sheaf catalogue of the Hibernian Bible Society collection is available for consultation in the Russell Library. The catalogue is arranged first by language and then chronologically.
Conservation
The Conservation team ensure that the Library’s books, manuscripts, archives, maps, prints, newspapers and ephemera are made accessible to readers in a manner which respects the integrity of the artefact and ensures its preservation for future use. They provide storage and housing solutions for the material and undertake treatment and repair of damaged items. Preservation activities include environmental monitoring, integrated pest management, disaster planning and support material put on exhibition both here in the Russell Library and in the John Paul II Library.
Incunabula
Our collection of fifteenth-century books, or incunabula, come from the earliest presses of Germany, France, Italy and Spain, in our collection.
The Library's holdings are recorded in the the British Library's Incunabula Short-title Catalogue an international database of 15th century European printing created by the British Library with contributions from institutions worldwide.
Digitised incunabula can be found on the web site of the vdIB project, a combined project of the Universities of Cologne and Wolfenbüttel, with links to other projects.
Manuscripts and Archives
The Russell Library holds a large and important body of manuscripts, representing a rich tradition of history, religion and literature from the early 15th to the late 19th century.
Gaelic Manuscripts
A very large and important body of manuscripts, representing a rich tradition of history, religion and literature from the early 15th to the late 19th century. First to be acquired were 114 volumes, transcribed principally by the scribal family of Ó Longain, for John Murphy, Bishop of Cork (1772-1847). The Irish manuscripts collected by Dr Laurence Renehan (1797-1857), church historian and president of Maynooth (1845-1857) came as part of a large bequest. Manuscripts (115 in number) collected or transcribed by Eugene O’Curry (1796-62), leading Gaelic scholar and Professor of Archaeology and Irish History at the Catholic University of Ireland, comprise the third major collection. A collection of fifty Gaelic manuscripts from the Library at St. Colman's College, Fermoy were relocated to the Russell Library, Maynooth in August 2013. The four major collections are listed and described in a printed catalogue begun by Paul Walsh, and completed by Pádraig Ó Fiannachta.
Further information:
- Ó DÚSHLÁINE, Tadhg: ‘The religious mind of Maynooth’s Gaelic manuscripts’ in Agnes Neligan (ed.), Maynooth library treasures (Dublin, 1995), pp. 91-111
- Ó FIANNACHTA, Pádraig: ‘Lámhscríbhinní Gaeilge an Choláiste’ in Etaín Ó Síocháin (eag.), Maigh Nuad: saothrú na Gaeilge, 1795-1995 (Maigh Nuad, 1995), pp. 36-48
- Ó FIANNACHTA, Pádraig: ‘Lámhscríbhinní Gaeilge Mhaigh Nuad’ in Léachtaí Cholm Cille, xxiii (1993), pp. 177-99
Maynooth Manuscripts on Microfilm
The following manuscripts have been microfilmed and may be consulted in the John Paul II Library on the microfilm reader-printer:
- B 2-5; B 7-9; B 11-13; B 16-20; C 3-4; C 6-7; C 10-13; C 14-17; C 19024; C 25-30; C 31-35; C 37-9; C 41-9; C 51-8; C 60-1; C 63-5; C 67-71; C 73; C 75-84; C 86-8; C 90-92; C 94-6; C 100-6; C 108-115; DON 1-3; DON 6; DON 9-12; DON 14; DR 1-4; H 1-7; LAV 12; LAV 15; LC 1-2; LOM 1-3; LM 1-5; M 1-78; M 80-7; M 89-112; M 114; MF 1-5; MF 7-10; MF 12-4; R 64-73; R 75-6; R 78-81; R 97
Irish Script on Screen
- A number of Maynooth manuscripts have been digitized as part of the Irish Script on Screen project, Meamram Páipéar Ríomhaire. The project, run by the School of Celtic Studies at the Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies, digitises a selection of manuscripts from various Irish institutions, with commentary. These form a valuable corpus for the use of scholars and students that can be examined minutely on screen, without the need for access to, or handling, the original manuscripts.
Latin, French and English Manuscripts
Medieval Manuscripts
- A small collection of manuscripts, largely liturgical, devotional or ecclesiastical, and almost all continental in origin. The earliest is an 11th century account of conciliar events in the Diocese of Rheims in 991, attributed to Gerbert, Bishop of Rheims, who later became Pope Sylvester II. The collection also contains Books of Hours from Paris and Bruges and a fine fifteenth-century benedictional with intricate penwork, which belonged to Armand de Narcès, Archbishop of Aix en Provence, who died of the Black Death in 1348
Further information:
- LUCAS, Peter and LUCAS, Angela: ‘Lost and found: some manuscripts from Liège now in Maynooth’ in Scriptorium, lviii, 1 (2004), pp. 82-99
- WOODS, Penelope: ‘Books rich, rare, and curious’ in Agnes Neligan (ed.), Maynooth library treasures (Dublin, 1995), pp. 29-35
Later manuscripts
Many of these manuscripts have associations with Maynooth. They include the following collections:
- Renehan Manuscripts
- Seventy-nine volumes of material gathered for an ecclesiastical history of Ireland, bequeathed by Rev. Dr Laurence Renehan (1798-1857), Scripture scholar, ecclesiastical historian and president of Maynooth (1845-1857). Listed.
- Shearman Manuscripts
- The papers of Rev. John Francis Shearman (1830-85), antiquary, and parish priest successively of Dunlavin, Howth and Moone. Author of Loca Patriciana (1879), he was also keenly interested in Kilkenny family history, including his own. Calendared.
- O'Hanlon Manuscripts
- Notes and correspondence of John, Canon O'Hanlon (1821-1905), hagiographer, historian and Dublin priest, relating chiefly to his monumental and unfinished Lives of the Irish saints (10 vols, January-October, Dublin, 1875-1907), published in parts. Unpublished notes for the remaining months, indexed. O’Hanlon MSS listed in Pádraig Ó Macháin and Tony Delaney, Like sun gone down: selections from the writings of John Canon O’Hanlon (Crosspatrick: Galmoy Press, 2005), pp. 243-50.
- Molloy Manuscripts
- Papers and lecture notes of Monsignor Gerald Molloy (1834-1906), professor of Theology at Maynooth, and subsequently professor of Natural Philosophy, vice-rector and rector of the Catholic University and vice-chancellor of the Royal University. He gave public lectures popularising science.
Irish College, Paris
The Irish College, Paris, traces its origins to a small community established by John Lee, in the Collège de Montaigu in 1578. It subsequently became a seminary, and was formally affiliated to the University of Paris in 1623. In 1677, Louis XIV granted the Irish use of the Collège des Lombards. It served not only for students of the priesthood, but also for lay students of other professions. The Collège des Irlandais in the rue du Cheval Vert was opened in 1775, while the community of priests continued in sole possession of the Collège des Lombards. Almost 2,000 Irish students took degrees in the University of Paris in the 17th and 18th centuries.
The Maynooth collection comprises documents, print and manuscript, from 1792-1830. These have been calendared. There is also a collection of copies of legal documents relating to the history of the College.
Further information:
- BROCKLISS, L.W.B. and FERTÉ, Patrick: ‘Prosopography of Irish clerics in the Universities of Paris and Toulouse, 1573-1792’ in Archivium Hibernicum, lviii (2004), pp. 7-166
- SWORDS, Liam: ‘Calendar of the papers of the Irish College, Paris, 1316-1800’. MA thesis, (Maynooth, 1979). A calendar of the material held in the Irish College, Paris
- SWORDS, Liam: Soldiers, scholars, priests: a short history of the Irish College, Paris (Paris, 1985)
Early student notebooks
This collection comprises over 100 early student notebooks originating from Irish continental colleges. The material dates from c.1645 to the early twentieth century. Much of the material is in Latin, although some of the notebooks are in English. Many of the items contain author signatures, titles and dates.
Architectural plans and drawings
The Russell Library holds the plans and drawings for college buildings by A.W. Pugin (1812-52). It also houses the plans and drawings of the College Infirmary, outbuildings, etc. by J.J. McCarthy (1817-82) and the plans of the John Paul II Library by Hendy, Watkinson and Stonor (1984), along with associated documentation
Further information:
- SEYMOUR, Valerie: ‘Architectural plans and drawings’ in Agnes Neligan (ed.), Maynooth library treasures (Dublin, 1995), pp. 167-94; select bibliography, pp. 193-4.
Maynooth College Archives
- Maynooth College archives are the administrative records of St Patrick’s College, Maynooth, founded in 1795 as the National Catholic Seminary in Ireland.From the later Middle Ages, with no university in Ireland, young Irishmen, many of whom were aspirants to the priesthood, had made their way abroad, chiefly to Oxford and Cambridge. From the mid-16th century, with the beginning of anti-Catholic legislation, there was a shift to the continent, with a group forming in Paris as early as 1578 and the first Irish College in Spain founded in Salamanca in 1592. By the end of the 18th century, prior to the French Revolution, there were 480 Irish students in 12 continental colleges, and 87% of those students were in France or the Austrian Netherlands. The only continental colleges restored after 1815 were those in Paris, Rome and Salamanca.
- The Catholic Relief Acts of 1782 and 1793 finally permitted Catholics in Ireland to open schools and to teach. When war began between France and Britain in February 1793, the Irish colleges were effectively closed. It was principally this sudden loss of a training ground, that resulted in the foundation of the college at Maynooth, staffed by professors who had all been educated on the continent.
- The archives are essentially administrative rather than personal. They are housed in rooms adjacent to the Russell Library and are maintained by the College Archivist. They include archives from the Irish College in Salamanca (1592-1951). Those seeking access should write to the Honorary Archivist, St Patrick’s College, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, or contact the Librarian of the Russell Library. The archives are consulted in the Russell Library.
Further information:
- CORISH, Patrick J.: ‘Maynooth College Archives’ in Catholic Archives, 13 (1993), pp. 46-8
Students at Maynooth
Surviving sources of information for each student provide the diocese, date of matriculation and date of ordination. This information has been published in two volumes
- HAMELL, Patrick: Maynooth students and ordinations index, 1795-1895 (Maynooth, 1982)
- HAMELL, Patrick: Maynooth students and ordinations index, 1895-1984 (Maynooth, 1984). This volume reproduces class photographs 1882-1984
Class lists, prize lists, ordinations, courses, college staff present and previous, are to be found in the College Kalendarium, which began in 1863, and appears annually.
The subsequent careers and dates of death of Maynooth priests may be traced using the Irish Catholic Directory (Dublin), which has appeared annually since 1836. A chronological check in the annual list of parish priests and curates will chart movement from parish to parish and also any promotion.
Further information:
- CORISH, P.J.: Maynooth College, 1795-1995 (Dublin, 1995)
- HEALY, J.: Maynooth College: a centenary history (Dublin, 1895)
- CORISH, P.J. and SHEEHY, David C.: Records of the Irish Catholic Church (Dublin, 2001)
Salamanca Archive
From the late 16th century, Irish colleges grew up on the continent in countries where trade links with Ireland were already well established and where there was support for Catholic reform. Young men, seeking an education for the professions or training for the priesthood, gravitated to university centres in Spain, France and the Low Countries where small colleges were established to provide their formation. Many of these closed in the turbulence of the late 18th century. The only ones to re-open in 1815, were those in Salamanca, Paris and Rome.The archives of the Irish College in Salamanca came to Maynooth on the closure of the college in 1951. They comprise some 50,000 administrative documents dating from the foundation of the college in 1592 to the mid- 20th century. The collection also includes some papers from other Irish colleges in Spain: Lisbon (flourished 1590-1834), Valladolid (founded 1592), Santiago de Compostela (fl. 1605-1769), Seville (fl. 1612-1767), Madrid (founded 1629), Alcalá de Henares (fl. 1649-1785).
The material for the new Salamanca Archive can be searched here: St. Patrick's College Maynooth Archives Catalogue
Further information:
- RICHARDSON, Regina Whelan: ‘The Salamanca Archives’ in Agnes Neligan (ed.), Maynooth library treasures (Dublin, 1995), pp. 112-147; Salamanca bibliography pp.144-7
Irish students at Salamanca
- HUARTE, Amalio: ‘Petitions of Irish students in the University of Salamanca, 1574-1591’ in Archivium Hibernicum, iv (1915), pp.96-130
- O’DOHERTY, Denis J.: ‘Students of the Irish College, Salamanca, 1597-1619’ in Archivium Hibernicum, ii (1913), pp. 1-36
- O’DOHERTY, Denis J.: ‘Students of the Irish College, Salamanca, 1619-1700 (lists of students and accompanying data taken from the “oaths”)’ in Archivium Hibernicum, iii (1914), pp. 87-112
- O’DOHERTY, Denis J.: ‘Students of the Irish College, Salamanca: lists of students taken from the oaths, 1715-78…from reports of examinations, 1617, 1626-1766…from the Diario, 1743-78…and from two separate lists, 1789 and 1796’ in Archivium Hibernicum, iv (1915), pp.1-58
- O’DOHERTY, Denis: ‘Students of the Irish College, Salamanca: lists of students, 1776- 1837 and 1855’ in Archivium Hibernicum, vi (1917), pp.1-26
Irish students at Alcalá de Henares
- ‘Students 1707-1785’ in Patricia O’Connell, The Irish College at Alcalá de Henares (Dublin, 1997), pp. 51-79
Irish students at Lisbon (Irish College of St Patrick)
- ‘Students [1590-1830s]’ in Patricia O’Connell, The Irish College at Lisbon, 1590-1834 (Dublin, 2001), pp. 55-99
Irish students at Santiago de Compostela
- ‘Students…’ in Patricia O’Connell, The Irish College at Santiago de Compostela, 1605-1769 (Dublin, 2006), pp. 73-128
Irish students at Seville
- SILKE, John: ‘The Irish College, Seville’ in Archivium Hibernicum, xxiv (1961), pp. 103-147; list pp. 121-47
Maps and Atlases
The map collection in the Russell Library includes a complete, bound set of the six-inches-to-one-mile (1:10,560) Ordnance maps of Ireland, published 1832-46 (the first edition). These indicate houses, streams, roads and quarries, baronies, townlands and field boundaries. There is also a complete set of one-inch Ordnance maps of Ireland (1903) with Catholic parish boundaries and ESB electrification lines, added in the late 1940s.
Pamphlets
There are over 12,000 pamphlets in bound volumes, principally from the 18th and 19th centuries, and mostly published in Ireland or England. They cover a wide range of topical and controversial issues: writers reacting to government policy, verse and political satire, parliamentary speeches, comic operas, charity sermons, associations for improving society, inventions, agricultural innovation, accounts of military expeditions, art exhibitions, medical theories and court cases.
Reprography
The library does not photocopy early-printed books and manuscripts. Digital images may be ordered provided there is no breach of copyright, and subject to a condition appraisal by the Librarian. These images are for private study only. Should they be required for reproduction, permission must first be sought from the Librarian.
Teaching Support
The Russell Library collections span ten centuries and a wide range of subjects. In support of departmental programmes, we teach classes which include the following:
- Aspects of book history which compliment a particular area of study. This can provide an invaluable backdrop to research and give an understanding of the broader picture of publishing for a given period
- Introduction to the history of the book
- Introduction to manuscripts and archives
Contact the Russell Library for more information by telephone +353 1 7083890 or email
Planning your research visit
Planning your research visit
The Russell Library is a research library, open to staff and students of Maynooth University and St Patrick’s College, Maynooth. The Russell Library is also open to academic visitors, researchers from other institutions and to external readers. Readers are requested to make an appointment in advance of their visit.
Making an appointment
Your visit can be arranged by telephone on +353 1 7083890 , or by email
Access to the reading room
Access to the reading room is via four short flights of stairs. Wheelchair access is currently unavailable.
Finding the Russell Library
The Russell Library is on the south campus in St Mary’s quadrangle. Entering the building by the President’s Arch at the back of St Joseph’s Square, turn left and follow the cloister. Ring the Russell Library door bell to gain admittance.
Useful Links
Bindings
- CRAIG, Maurice: Irish bookbindings, 1600-1800 (London, 1954)
- FOOT, Mirjam: Decorated bindings in Marsh’s Library (Aldershot, 2004)
- McDONNELL, Joseph: Five hundred years of the art of the book in Ireland ([Dublin], 1997)
- McDONNELL, Joseph and HEALY, Patrick: Gold-tooled book bindings commissioned by Trinity College Dublin in the eighteenth century (Leixlip, 1984)
Book History
Europe and America
- Bibliopolis
Database on the history of the printed book and libraries worldwide. Books and articles. Over 33,000 entries. Maintained by the Koninklijke Bibliotheck in The Hague, with collaborators from 30 countries. - Il Libro Antico
Links to sites for all aspects of the early book: from paper history and ornament databases to book projects and discussion groups. Wide in scope. Strongly European. Based in Udine. - Society for the History of Authorship, Reading and Publishing (SHARP)
A global network for book historians, with over 1,000 members in over 20 countries. SHARP works with affiliated scholarly organisations around the world encouraging the study of book history. - Directory of Web Resources for the Rare Materials Cataloguer
While intended for cataloguers, contains a large number of useful links for readers
Ireland and Britain: members of the book trade
- POLLARD, M.: Dictionary of members of the Dublin book trade, 1550-1800 (Oxford, 2000)
- BENSON, C.J.: The Dublin print trade, 1801-1850’ Ph.D. thesis. (University of Dublin, 2005)
- MUNTER, R.: The print trade in Ireland, 1550-1775 (New York,1988)
- PLOMER, H.R. et al: Dictionaries of printers and booksellers in England, Scotland and Ireland, 1557-1775 (London, 1977)
- BRITISH Book Trade Index.
Brief details and sources for all members of the trade in Britain up to 1851 - SCOTTISH Book Trade Index (SBTI).
All members of the book trade from the beginning of printing in Scotland to c.1850. Maintained by the National Library of Scotland. - BROWN, P.: London publishers and printers, c.1800-1870 (London, 1982)
- TWYMAN, M.: Directory of London lithographic printers, 1800-1850 (London, 1976)
Catalogues
- WorldCat
Combined catalogue of over 10,000 libraries, containing over one billion records. Worldwide. Strong American input. - Online European catalogues
Hosted by the Herzog August Bibliothek, Wolfenbüttel. Includes collective catalogues, national bibliographies and comprehensive coverage for specific periods. Detailed for Germany. Many have links to images. - The European Library
Combined national and union catalogues for 22 of the 45 countries of Europe (Ireland and Spain are not included) - English Short Title Catalogue
Catalogue of the letterpress output of Britain, Ireland and North America, no matter what the language; and of printing in English anywhere else in the world, 1473-1800. Locations given for extant copies. (This is now integrated into WorldCat)
Britain
- Library Hub Discover
Jisc Library Hub Discover is a combined catalogue of major UK and Irish libraries. In a single search you can discover the holdings of the UK’s National Libraries (including the British Library), many university libraries, and specialist research libraries.
France
- Collection Collectif de France
Combined search of the Bibliothèque Nationale (BN-OPALE Plus), the Bibliothèques municipales (BMR) and the catalogue du Système universitaire (SUDOC). More than 15 million items.
Germany
- GBV
Union catalogue of 780 libraries in seven German states. Over 27 million records.
Ireland
- Irish Libraries
Links to the catalogues of 17 Irish university, institute and research libraries.
Spain
- Catálogo Colectivo del Patrimonio Bibliográfico Español (CCPB)
Combined catalogue of the national, institutional and research libraries of Spain
Early Printed Texts Online
- Early English Books Online (EEBO)
Over 107,000 out of 125,000 items printed in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and North America, from 1473 to 1700. Full text, in facsimile. - Neo-Latin Texts Online
An analytic bibliography of Latin texts, written during the Renaissance period and later, that are freely available on the web, with links. Contains over 21,000 items.
Prints: artists and engravers
- BENÉZIT, E. [at al.]: Dictionary of artists (14 vols, Paris, 2006)
- BRYAN, M.: Dictionary of painters and engravers (5 vols, 4th ed., N.Y., 1964 reprint)
- HOUFE, Simon: Dictionary of nineteenth-century illustrators and caricaturists (Woodbridge, 1996)
- HUNNISETT, B.: An illustrated dictionary of British steel engravers (Aldershot, 1988)
- POLLARD, M.: Dictionary of members of the Dublin book trade, 1550-1800 (Oxford, 2000)
- STRICKLAND, W.: A dictionary of Irish artists (2 vols, Dublin, 1989 reprint of 1913 ed.)
Prints: Catalogues
- ELMES, Rosalind M.: Catalogue of engraved Irish Portraits, mainly in the Joly Collection [in the National Library], and of original drawings (Dublin, 1937)
- ELMES, Rosalind M.: Catalogue of Irish topographical prints and original drawings in the National Library of Ireland; revised and enlarged by Michael Hewson (Dublin, 1975)
- LAW, Andrew Bonar: A contribution towards a cartobibliography of the printed maps and charts of Dublin city and county (Dublin, 2005)
- LAW, Andrew Bonar: A contribution towards a catalogue of engravings of Dublin (Dublin, 2005)
- LE HARIVAL, Adrian and DILLON, Susan: Illustrated summary catalogue of prints and sculpture in the National Gallery of Ireland (Dublin, 1988)
- NATIONAL Library of Ireland Prints and Drawings Catalogue
- NATIONAL Portrait Gallery (London) Online Catalogue
Information on more than 90,000 portraits with over 51,000 illustrated
Rare Books Groups and Events
- Rare Books Group. Library Association of Ireland
- Rare Books and Special Collections Group. Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) UK
Publishes the Rare Books Newsletter, three times a year. Includes a diary of forthcoming seminars, lectures and workshops
John Paul II Library
Opening Hours 07:00-22:00
Service Hours 08:00-20:00
Russell Library
Opening & Service Hours
10:00-12:30 14:00-16:30