WALKER, Joseph C. Historical Memoirs of the Irish Bards.

WALKER, Joseph C. Historical Memoirs of the Irish Bards; an Historical Essay on the Dress of the Ancient and Modern Irish; and a Memoir on the Armour and Weapons of the Irish. Two volumes. 141 Dublin: Printed by J. Christie, 170, James's-Street, 1818. Second edition. pp. (1) xiv, [1], 400, [34 (Lamentations with music), 6 (plates)], (2) xii, 435, 14 (plates). Recent half morocco over cloth boards, title, author and volume in gilt on double labels on spine. Occasional foxing. A very good set.

"Walker's Historical Memoirs of the Irish Bards, along with his friend Charlotte Brooke's Reliques of Irish Poetry published three years later, are ""Important milestones in the later cultural history of the country ... Both authors break new ground in that they direct attention away from the contemplation of the remote past to observation of the contemporary Irish cultural scene and from historical speculation to literary appreciation of vernacular Irish poetry ... the two authors acted upon the spell of the romantic movement and their works may be regarded as its first literary fruits in Ireland."" [R.A. Breatnach, Stud. Hib. 1965].

The six-page list of patrons includes: The Earl of Charlemont; Mrs. Canavan; Miss Cooper; Mr. Curry; Justice Day; Mr. Delany; Miss Farrell; Rev. T.P. Le Fanu; Mrs. Leland; Lady Morgan; L. Mansergh; Mr. Maddock, Four Courts; Sir Richard Nagle; Daniel O'Connell, Merrion Square; Lady Harriott Ponsonby; Hon. B. Yelverton, etc." WALKER, Joseph C.

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