The Making of Marsh's Library: Learning, Politics and Religion in Ireland

Citation

Malcolm Allan, J. (2005), "The Making of Marsh's Library: Learning, Politics and Religion in Ireland", Library Review, Vol. 54 No. 5, pp. 331-332. https://doi.org/10.1108/00242530510600624

Books of library history rarely have the opportunity to include the context or concept of the foundation in any depth, the why and the how of it. When Muriel McCarthy wrote All Graduates and Gentlemen in 1980 it was an insider's informed view of the founder Archbishop Narcissus Marsh, his book collecting and the development of Ireland's first public library from 1701.

The tercentenary in 2001 was celebrated by a three‐day conference of scholars from specialist viewpoints giving additional insight but from outside the library. Thirteen in depth concentrated studies are now edited by the keeper and deputy keeper in a remarkable kaleidoscopic sequence. From Cambridge, Oxford, Swansea, London to Baltimore, as well as the neighbours in Dublin, Belfast and Maynooth, aspects are revealed of the intellectual and political climate in London and in Dublin which affected the content and timing of the building that now stands beside St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin.

Ranging from the esoterics of Christian Hebraism to witchcraft books, through the Hugenot theology of the first librarian, European library architecture of the 17th century and Anglo‐Irish relations in science, each paper contributes much to our knowledge of the times of the library formation in Restoration England and its development in early Georgian Ireland.

The connection with the Anglo‐Irish luminary Robert Boyle links the natural philosopher in London with the Church of Ireland bishop Marsh through publication of Bedell's Irish Bible and discussions on comets and mathematics, both topics dear to Marsh's scholarly heart. An Oxford man, the inspiration of the Bodleian in both architecture and cataloguing was rewarded by Marsh. His extensive collection of oriental manuscripts did not remain in Dublin and is here described for the first time by the Bodleian keeper whose responsibility they now are. This and elements in other papers fills out our knowledge of what belonged to Marsh, as a collector, but which he chose not to retain as part of this continuing library. Likewise the collections of Bishop Stilling fleet, 10,000 volumes Marsh bought for £2,500 in 1705, is set in context of these papers beside that of Dr Bouhereau bequeathed in 1719 and of Bishop Stearne in 1745.

Illuminating also is the account of objections to the consolidating Public Library Bill of 1707, a study of ecclesiastical, political and personal fervour and machinations over Marsh's benefaction rarely found in detail or at all in studies of library history.

These 13 papers each stand on their own in adding to bibliographical knowledge and to intellectual history of the century 1650‐1750 of the subtitle. Together they form a frame for the jewel that is Marsh's Library enhancing our understanding of what it meant in its early days. The editors and publisher are to be commended for presenting them in fully footnoted texts with illustrations sufficient and clear and with the added bonus of an index to the whole after a succinct introduction by Dr Muriel McCarthy.