University Librarian at Cambridge from 1867 until his death, Henry Bradshaw (1831–86) had inherited from his banker father an important library of Irish printed books and pamphlets assembled in the early nineteenth century. Having added to it, Bradshaw generously presented the collection to the University Library in 1870, and it has been expanding ever since. Published in 1916, this three-volume catalogue was compiled by the bibliographer Charles Edward Sayle (1864–1924). The works listed here, numbering more than 8,000 items and dating from the early seventeenth century through to the late nineteenth century, represent a valuable resource for students of Irish history and printing. Sayle's catalogue reveals the breadth and richness of the collection at the time of publication. Prefaced by Bradshaw's letter gifting the collection to the Library Syndicate without imposing terms, Volume 1 lists works printed in Dublin by known printers between 1602 and 1882.
