‘Treasures are normally the most valued possessions of an institution, kept in a safe place. Our treasures are different in that they are not only part and parcel of our heritage but also part of a living tradition’. So said Thomas Kabdebo, librarian at St Patrick's College, Maynooth. The famous library presents items from its special collection of antiquarian books in this volume. The dizzying breadth and diversity of the library's collections covers early Gaelic manuscripts, 19th century pamphlets, architectural plans and drawings, and the famous Salamanca Archives, comprising a stunning 50,000 documents gathered by Irish colleges in Spain over 400 years. The theology of past centuries is illuminated here by treasures from the Hibernian Bible Society and Bishop Thomas Furlong, and by rare and curious books including an 1876 Moose Cree New Testament and a 13th century manuscript of St Augustine's De Pastoribus. Lavishly illustrated throughout in colour and black and white, Maynooth Library Treasures celebrates this famous library through a series of revealing essays, allowing the reader to discover and appreciate its many wonders.
