A selection of some of the rarest books at Maynooth University
A new exhibit for Research Week shines a light on the most exceptional period of book publishing through a showcase of six items which were recently catalogued from the rare book collections of St. Patrick’s Pontifical University held the Russell Library. These six treasures are the only known recorded texts of their kind in Ireland.
Incunabula are books printed prior to 1501 during the earliest period of typography when Johannes Gutenberg developed his printing press in Germany in the mid-15th century. The invention of printing transformed the ways in which knowledge was transmitted and received. These early printed books offer insights into the evolution of printing and the popularisation of certain texts.
The Russell Library is privileged to hold over 50 of these extraordinary books, which includes a 1481 summer edition of Jacobus de Voragine's Der Heiligen Leben printed in Urach – an exceptionally rare copy and the earliest printed Bible in the collection from 1482.
The exhibit will be on display in the Russell Library for Research Week 2023, 23-27th October. Opening hours are 10:00 - 13:30, 14:00 - 16:30 daily. No booking required. For more details, please contact (01) 7083890 or [email protected] Please note that the Russell Library is not currently wheelchair accessible.
Explore the online exhibition here.