Ten shilling buy saw launch of largest Irish rare book collection
By Tom Gillespie
ÉAMONN de Búrca, a native of Mountgordon, Castlebar, and his son, Will, operate De Búrca Rare Books, the largest stockist of quality Irish antiquarian and rare books in the world.
Based at Blackrock, Co. Dublin, they offer the finest rare books, maps, manuscripts and prints relating to Ireland. Fine Irish bindings are their particular speciality and their subject range includes areas such as Irish history, travel, genealogy, biography, literature, economics, religion, fine library sets and much more.
Established in 1981, De Búrca Rare Books is now one of the world’s leading dealers in rare Irish books.
Now Éamonn has published ‘Three Castlebar Bindings’ - A Story With Digressions, where he recalls how his love of rare books started.
He said: “The first Castlebar binding is not really a Castlebar binding in the bibliopolic ensemble: but it protects an ornament what has turned out to be the most important book in my life.
“This is a book I bought in Castlebar in 1966, at the age of 16, when I was a pupil at St. Gerald’s College. It was my first antiquarian book purchase - a copy of Thomas Moore’s ‘History of Ireland’, published in Philadelphia in 1843, in what I now (but not then) would describe as full, straight-grained, green morocco binding, covers ruled in gilt with shamrocks in corners, with all edges gilt.
“I bought the book from a school pal, Jackie Herity, for 10 shillings - money I had earned when working in Tommy Prendergast’s Men's and Boys Wear.
“This was the start of my love of old books, especially those in fine morocco binding.
“This first acquisition has pride of place in my personal library and is truly unique (in booksellers parlance) in that it is the only book that I would never part with - at any price. Yes, I know. That is hard to believe.”
Éamonn continued: “Thomas Moore has played a surprisingly significant part in my life and antiquarian book business. During the summer holidays of 1967 I stayed with my aunt Mary (Cusack) Rattue in Devizes, Wilshire, and worked on a housing development for the Ministry of Defence at Warminster.
“This was not far from Sloperton College where Thomas Moore lived with his family from 1817 until his death in 1852.
“When I discovered that the author of my first rare book once lived nearby, I decided to learn more about him and his writings.
“Through the years there has been a Thomas Moore thread running through my life. Some time ago we had an enquiry from a client in Russia who was restoring the palaces of the Tsars. He was looking for a first edition of ‘Lalla Rookh’ which, he informed us, would be housed in the Summer Palace of the Tsars.
“Why? I learned that Tsarina Alexandra, Consort of Tsar Nicholas I (mother of Nicholas II, the last Tsar of the Russian Empire, who along with his family was executed by the Bolsheviks in July 1918), loved Thomas Moore’s work; and that her favourite book in the world was his classic oriental romance. It took pride of place in the Summer Palace Library at Peterhof.”
BOOK-BINDERS
Éamonn said an advertisement appeared in the Telegraph or Connaught Ranger on April 15, 1835 - ‘Book-Binding / W. & J. Stephenson / Book-Binders, Castle Street, Castlebar, / will execute all Orders they may be favoured / with, in the most elegant manner, on Moderate Terms, Scrap books, Portfolios, Map-cases, &c., &c., on / the shortest notice. April 14, 1835.
The advertisement further states in reference to book-binding, ‘for Cheapness, Elegance and Durability, that Stephenson’s stands unrivalled’.
In the Telegraph or Connaught Ranger of April 1844 a death notice appeared: ‘Dead. In this town, on the morning of Thursday last, in the 65th year of his age, Mr. William Stephenson, Book-binder.'
William was married and he and his wife had seven children; we know only the name of a son, Robert Phibbs Stephenson, also a bookbinder, who continued in the family business.
Éamonn stated: “A good reason for setting up a bindery in Castlebar at that time was the patronage of the ‘Big House’. In the town of Castlebar there was the residence of Lord Lucan; at Rahins and Breaffy there were the Brownes; and Westport House was the seat of the Marquess of Sligo. The latter had a magnificent library and would have kept the local and Dublin bookbinders very busy.
“Some years ago I was privileged to be in a position to bring about the successful acquisition, by the National Library of Ireland, of the enormous Westport House archive of documents, wills, letters books, maps, and rentals dating from 1541 to 1900. There were some 14,000 items in the archive.
“It gave me great satisfaction to know that this magnificent archive of primary source material on the history of Mayo, that had remained intact and survived the ravages of wars, confiscations, and the inclement weather of the west, was now safely in the care of the State.”
In the Telegraph or Connaught Ranger for 1847 and 1848 there appeared advertisements for book-binding by Robert Stephenson, Book-binding and Copperplate Printer, who offered his services out of Market Street, Castlebar.
In the following year his address was Mr. Clifford’s Plumbing Establishment on Main Street.
Robert married Eliza Ellen Miller of Sligo on November 4, 1845. She was the daughter of Henry Miller, a Sexton. They had four daughters. The eldest, Margaret (1845-1908), was born in Castlebar. Eliza Anne (b. 1848), Anna (b. 1850), Ellen Jane Ismena (b. 1852) were all born in Sligo.
Robert probably had a brother William who died in 1895 aged 85 years. His address is given at Bridge Street, occupation - bookbinder (Sligo Cemetery Records).
It would appear therefore that Robert, his wife and four daughters moved from Castlebar to Sligo before April 1848 when Eliza Anne was born. He set up as a bookbinder in Bridge Street, Sligo, and later in the century the business was carried on by Margaret who learned the trade from her father. She is listed in the 1901 Census as a bookbinder.
Éamonn admitted: “I am intrigued by the Stephensons and their bookbinding. Who were they, where did they come from and where did they go?
“Questions to be answered and clues to be followed include the following - the connection between Robert and William junior? Presumably they were related. There is only one recorded binding by this Castlebar binder, on a Roman Missal, now in the National Museum, Dublin.
“There were also bookbinders in Ballina and Sligo named Stephenson. What was the connection with the Castlebar Stephensons?
“The Phibbs part of Robert P(hibbs) Stephenson’s name suggests a possible Sligo/Leitrim link?
“In Griffith’s Valuation of Castlebar Union for 1855 there is no record of the Stephenson family. One can only assume that they had left the town and that their business had declined in post-Famine Mayo. The 1851 Census of Occupations records one bookbinder in Co. Mayo.”
LEADING SPECIALISTS
After issuing his first De Búrca Rare Books catalogue in 1981, Éamonn has become the world’s leading specialist in books of Irish interest.
His son, Will de Búrca, is a qualified bookbinder having served an apprenticeship with Antiquarian Bookcrafts in Dublin. He now specialises in buying and selling books relating to Irish history, literature, fine bindings, signed editions and manuscripts.
Will writes articles for The Irish Times on book collecting and contributes book reviews for Irish Arts Review. He has previously studied marketing and communications at Sotheby’s, New York, and he now oversees all digital aspects of his family’s rare book business including e-commerce, website content and growth of social media accounts.
De Búrca Rare Books is always in the market to buy fine rare books and manuscripts of literary and historical interest relating to Ireland and pay top prices for the right material. They also offer a professional valuations service.
Their publishing company, Edmund Burke Publishers, makes a significant contribution to the canon of Irish historical publications and literary works.
De Búrca Rare Books has published many important works on Irish history and topography, both reprints and original works.
In 1990, they published the third and best edition Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by The Four Masters, a great masterpiece of Irish history. Another publication, Maamtrasna The Murders and The Mystery, by Fr. Jarlath Waldron, was a bestseller and remained at the number one spot for eight weeks in succession, while Wendy Walsh and Charles Nelson’s Flowers of Mayo won two design awards, including the Best Overall Book of the Year Award.
De Búrca Rare Books specialises in valuations for insurance, probate, exhibition and has carried out valuations for some of the most important libraries, both public and private, throughout Ireland and the United States.
Éamonn admitted: “My favourite book about Ireland is the 1633 first edition of ‘Pacata Hibernia’ one of the finest historical works on Ireland in the 16th century, with a magnificent set of maps and plans. The title page is in Latin and English but the text is in English.
“I am particularly proud of publishing Charles Nelson and Wendy Walsh's Flowers of Mayo, which won the overall book of the year award in 1995.”
De Búrca Rare Books are located at Cloonagashel, 27 Priory Drive, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, and can be contacted on (01) 2882159 or (01) 2886960 or email deburcararebooks@gmail.com.