Caxton Celebration (1877)
Displaying the manuscript collection of Edward Murphy, Montréal, Québec
In the summer of 1877, a grand commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the first printed book in England took place across the British Empire. Called the Caxton Celebration, Montreal's event, organized by antiquarian societies, showcased something extraordinary – the richness of the Irish manuscript tradition from Edward Murphy's local collection.
Edward Murphy, a Canadian Senator and devoted businessman with a strong affinity for the Irish language, was born in Carlow, Ireland, and had arrived in Lower Canada (Québec) when he was just six years old. Actively engaged in numerous Irish societies in Montreal, he dedicated himself to collecting a substantial number of Irish-language manuscripts.
The exhibition of Murphy’s manuscripts not only highlighted the cultural depth of Montreal's Irish heritage but also garnered immense interest. His souvenir catalogue, giving text descriptions of the exhibited manuscripts, quickly sold out and a second printing was made within the same year. On public display were very early manuscript copies of Geoffrey Keating’s “Trí Bíor-ghaoithe an Bháis” (Three Shafts of Death), Brian Merriman’s “Cúirt an Mheán-Oíche” (The Midnight Court), and Pronsias Uailis’s “Nuadhfhoclóir Bogchruidheadh” (Softcover Modern Dictionary). Murphy and the Caxton Celebration provide a glimpse into the rich Irish cultural inheritance present in Montreal at the time.
In Murphy's vision, the display of Montreal's Irish language treasures served a greater purpose: to show the history and beauty of the Irish language. With his addition of contemporary dictionaries and printed works in Irish, Murphy emphasized the ongoing efforts to preserve and promote Irish as a living language. In this, Murphy was at the forefront globally. Ireland’s “Society for the Preservation of the Irish Language,” had only been established in a year previously, and it would be another year after Murphy’s display before the language was first allowed into Irish schools. The exhibition of Murphy’s manuscripts announced Canada’s participation in the global revival of Irish, and Murphy hoped it would show Montrealers:
“…what has been done, and is now doing, for the preservation of the ancient language of Ireland – a language in which there is found an ancient and extensive literature, original and peculiar to herself – a language which is valuable for elucidating her own annals – a language which is the key for unlocking much that is occult in the ancient history of Europe. This language is still a living one, spoken by a large number of the inhabitants of Ireland. Chairs have been established in the Catholic University of Ireland and in many of the Irish Colleges for its cultivation. These, with the special efforts now making [sic] by “The Society for the Preservation of the Irish Language,” will, it is to be hoped, successfully perpetuate and preserve a language, not only so ancient – so expressive – but so dearly cherished by the Irish people.”(1)
Discover Montréal’s Irish Language Treasures
Images used with generous permission of the Rare Books and Special Collections, McGill University Library
Trí Bíor-Ghaoithe an Bháis, Seathrún Céitinn, c. 1650
The Three Shafts of Death. 293 Pages.
Copied from the original about A.D. 1650. The original was written in 1631 and is a philosophical treaties reflecting on living and dying and the nature of life.
Nuadhfoclóir Bogcruaideach, Proinsias Uailis, c.1718
New Softbound Dictionary. 22 pages.
Proinsias Uailis was a repected Gaelic scholar and was called the oide-fhoclóir (or dictionary master / lexicographer). Born in Fine Gall, Co. Dublin, as a Catholic he was educated outside of Ireland. He was a respected lifelong teacher, and member of the Franciscan order. Uailis compiled this dictionary in 1706, which interestingly explains the meaning of common Irish words by using antiquated and obscure Irish words. Edward Murphy seems to have dated this copy to 1718, and only a fragment of the text from Ab up to the word Coibic now remains.
The Life of St. Patrick, John Chambers, 1764
A biography of the 5th Century patron saint of Ireland. Several manuscript biographies of Patrick exist, including his own Latin Confessio as well as Muirchú’s 8th Century Vita Sancti Patricii.
Cúirt an Mheadhóin Oidhche, Brian Mac Giolla Meidhre, c. 1812
The Midnight Court. 51 pages.
A satirical poem of 1000 lines, considered the greatest comic Irish poem. Composed in 1780, it describes a poet put on trial by the fairy host for the crimes of Ireland’s men against its women. This copy, displayed by Edward Murphy, is a very early copy of the original text.
Manuscripts Displayed But No Longer Extant
Prayer Book (c. 1680) Murphy noted of it “The penmanship and binding are good, and the style of both is indicative of its age. This is a curious and interesting book. It contains, among other things, the Calendar of Saints’ Days, Feasts, Fasts, &c., Prayer at Mass, the Seven Penitential Psalms, Psalter of Jesus, Prayers for Confession and Communion, the Litanies, the Vespers, and other Devotions.”
Books Displayed in the Irish Language using the Irish Type
An Tiomna Nuadh ar dTighearna Agus ar Slanuigheora Íosa Críosd Ar na Tharruing go Fíríneach as Ghreigis go Goidheilg (1602) by William O’Domhnuill, Archbishop of Tuam. (“The New Testament of our Lord And Saviour Jesus Christ Translated Truthfully from Greek to Irish,” It is unknown which edition was displayed.) See a similar edition.
Books Displaying the Modern Revival of Irish
A Primer of the Irish Language (1845) “For the use of the Students in the College of St. Columba.” See a similar edition.
An English-Irish Dictionary (1855) by Rev. Daniel Foley. See a similar edition.
An Irish-English Dictionary (1864) by Edward O’Reilly. See a similar edition.
Leabhar na gCeart (1847) by J. O’Donovan (“The Book of Rights”). See a similar edition.
The Topographical and Historical Poems of Ireland (1862) by O’Dugan and O’Heerin, facsimile. See a similar edition.
An Seanchus Mór (Vol 1 1865, Vol 2 1869, Vol 3 1873) facsimile by O’Donovan, O’Curry, et. al. (“The Brehon Laws”). See similar editions of Vol 1 and Vol 3
Fac-Similes of the National Manuscripts of Ireland (1874), which included the Book of Kells
For citation, please use: Ó Dubhghaill, Dónall. 2024. “Caxton Celebration.” Na Gaeil san Áit Ró-Fhuar. Gaeltacht an Oileáin Úir: www.gaeilge.ca
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Murphy, Edward. 1877. Caxton Celebration, Montreal June 1877: Manuscripts and Printed Books in the Irish Language and Character, and Fac-similes of the National Manuscripts of Ireland. 2ed. J. Starke & Co: Montreal.
