‘I have attempted with humble & patient care to present to the reader the state and progress of the legal profession in Ireland, it has appear’d respectable even when the light of learning was sunk through Europe, and the law itself obscured by surrounding barbarism in succeeding Periods.’
February’s #Manuscript of the Month is Bartholomew Duhigg’s History of the King’s Inns. #Duhigg, #barrister and #librarian, published the History in 1806 and we hold his manuscript of it with additions and corrections. He wrote of King’s Inns and the various influences on it and the legal profession
Happy #LunarNewYear 🐴 To mark the #YearOfTheHorse we found this gorgeous illustration from "The Pageant of Chinese History" by Elizabeth Seagar and illustrated by Bernard Watkins.
New book on the constitution of the European Union added to the library's collection
New edition of 'The Art and Craft of Judgment Making' by Max Barrett now in the library
New EU data privacy book added to the library's collection
New edition of 'Legal Skills' by Finch & Fafinski now in the library
On one folio it states a man needs to have completed 5 years in an English Inn to become a member of King’s Inns (1670), and another folio it states that a stile must be erected to keep cattle out of the grounds (1609).
Our Manuscript of the Month for January is ‘The Black Book’ – the most important #manuscript in our #archive. It’s the earliest institutional record we have of the King’s Inns, from 1607 to 1729. It contains admissions, minutes, accounts and an insight into daily life in Dublin 400 years ago.
Stamps used to be, quite literally, stamped onto documents. The beautiful #embossing was an elegant way to show that the right money was paid to the right people. In the King's Inns archive we find #stamps from the last few centuries.
Drawing of a man in profile smoking a long pipe in the margins of a medieval manuscript
Here's a scribe who drew what he would rather be doing than working - smoking a pipe. In the @kingsinns.bsky.social we hold numerous Irish Manuscripts that discuss the history of Ireland, Greek Myths and Christianity
www.isos.dias.ie/collection/k...
View it online with @dias-isos.bsky.social
Line drawing by Jack B Yeats of a horse drawn sleigh in the snow. 'A Long Time Ago' is written below.
Photograph of A Broadside, a periodical printed by Cuala Press showing a hand painted line drawing of two men riding horse down a path talking to one another. Below the illustration is a partial view of a poem titled 'Bold Captain Freney' The periodical is dated December 1913.
A picture of a memorial from the King's Inns for John Butler Yeats. It states that he is to be admitted to the Degree of Barrister at Law.
#JohnBYeats is our literary link who joined the King’s Inns 1866 but followed his passion for painting. His children William, Jack, Susan & Elizabeth became creatives. Their periodical 'A Broadside' was pub. by #Cuala. Managed by the sisters, printed by Elizabeth, edited by William & ill. by Jack
New book on registration of deeds and title acts added to the collection
Cover of the Irish translation of Moore's Melodies by the John Archbishop of Tuam.
Section of the preface to Moore's Melodies "To Moore our native music shall ever be indebted"
Memorial of Thomas Moore's student admission to the King's Inns for the 2nd of November 1796.
Thomas Moore (1779 – 1852) is our November literary link. On 02/11/1796, he was admitted as a student into the King’s Inns. His love of literature led him to publish his collection of Irish songs Moore’s Melodies. In the foreword, the author writes ‘To Moore our native music shall ever be indebted’.
New edition of The Law of Local Government by David Browne now in the library
New edition of Child Law in Ireland by Lydia Bracken now in the library
New book on money laundering added to the library's collection
extract from barrister memorial of Maire Mhac an tSaoi
Front cover of book The Same Age as the State
Called to the bar in 1944, her autobiography 'The Same Age as the State' includes details of her time at King's Inns, her career as a diplomat and beyond.
front cover of Margadh na Saoire
Máire Mhac an tSaoi (4/4/1922 - 16/10/2021) is our literary link for October. A renowned Irish language poet, her 1956 collection 'Magadh na Saoire' is part of @kingsinns.bsky.social collection
Some new books added to the library's collection
handwritten entry in King's Inns library catalogue listing works by Tom Kettle
King’s Inns Library collection includes his works ‘The Day’s Burden’, ‘The Ways of War’ and ‘Irish Orators and Oratory’ seen here listed in an extract from our guard catalogue.
extract from barrister memorial of Thomas Michael Kettle
September’s literary link with King’s Inns is Tom Kettle (1880-1916), writer and poet who died at Ginchy during the Battle of the Somme in on 9 September 1916. He enrolled as a student in @kingsinns.bsky.social in 1903 and was called to the Bar in Easter Term 1906.
#JobOpportunity Archivist (part-time) at The Honorable Society of King's Inns
Read more and apply by Friday 12 September 2025 👉 www.kingsinns.ie/news-events/...
@kilibrary.bsky.social
#WeAreHiring #KingsInns #Archivist #Archives #KILibrary
title page of the labourers act by William Johnstons
His father, William John Johnston (1868-1940), also a barrister, and later a Supreme Court judge, authored commentaries on Land Purchase, and the Labourers Act. His daughter was Jennifer Johnston (1930-2025), author of ‘How many miles to Babylon?’ and ‘Shadows on our Skin’.
image of 3 books by Denis Johnston
Author of plays including ‘The old lady says ‘No!’’ and works from the @kingsinns.bsky.social collection ‘In search of Swift’ and ‘Nine Rivers from Jordan’. #literature
extract from barrister memorial of Denis Johnston
Our literary link for August is (William) Denis Johnston (1901-1984), playwright and author who died on 8 August 1984, was called to the Irish Bar in 1925 #barrister.
Extract from barrister memorial of Patrick Glynn McMahon
Obituary from ILT&SJ
In 1897 he was elected to the Federal Convention, later serving terms as Attorney General, Minister for External Affairs and Minister for Home and Territories. King's Inns Archives holds his Barrister Memorial, his obituary in the Irish Law Times & Solicitors Journal is in the library collection.
A slow start to his legal career did not induce him to stay in Ireland and in 1880 he left for Melbourne, Australia. He took on various roles, including a newspaper editor, moved to Adelaide and became an MP in South Australia.
Celebrating Irish people who have left Ireland seeking a new life #ArchiveDiaspora Patrick McMahon Glynn, originally from Gort, Co. Galway, was called to the Irish Bar in Easter Term 1879.
Works by Oliver St. John Gogarty in the library include a volume of poetry ‘Wild Apples’, play ‘Blight: The Tragedy of Dublin’ published under a pseudonym Alpha and Omega, and novel ‘Mad Grandeur’. The Barrister Memorial of Oliver Duane Gogarty is held in our archives.
#KILibrary #Archives
