1736.a.4, 1

Imprint: London: George Bell and Sons, York Street, Covent Garden. 1875.

Quarto volume, measuring 372 x 290 mm, half-leather binding, with original green cloth and gilt cover with Celtic design pasted onto front fixed endpaper; pp. xxvii, 127, with 71 carbon print illustrations mounted on card leaves with letterpress captions printed beneath (plates are numbered 1-65, but six plates consist of two part panoramas). The work collects the research into early Irish forts, monasteries and churches undertaken by Edwin Richard Wyndham Quin, 3rd Earl of Dunraven, a man of varied interests who, in the words of his son, in 'the later years of his life ... devoted himself with ever increasing assiduity to archaeology.' A joint founder in 1845 of the Celtic Society, 'it was, however, to the work of observing and mapping, photographing, and otherwise studying and endeavouring to preserve the architectural remains and other antiquities of Ireland, that he principally addressed himself.' Much of the work involved in compiling the information presented in the present work was undertaken in the second half of the 1860s: 'The summers of 1866, 1867, 1868, 1869, he spent in carefully going over the ground in Ireland with which he was previously acquainted, and in investigating the ecclesiatical remains of localities new to him. With the exception of Tory Island in the county of Donegal, I don't think there is a single island or barony in Ireland containing anything of architectural value which escaped his notice. On these expeditions he generally took with him a photographer, Mr. Mercer, who most effectively seconded his efforts. He was also frequently accompanied by Dr. Stokes, of Dublin, one of his earliest friends, and by his daughter, Miss Margaret Stokes, the editor of this work.' On his death in 1871, however, the work was far from complete and was edited into its published form by Miss Stokes. The first volume, containing parts 1-2, deals with stone buildings without cement (divided into pagan forts and early Christian monasteries) and stone buildings with cement (divided into churches withour chancels and churches with chancels).