GOGARTY, Oliver St. John. Elbow Room (First edition)

Dublin: The Cuala Press, 1939. First edition. pp. [iv], 32. Original quarter linen over blue paper-covered boards, title printed in black on upper cover and spine label. A fine copy.

One of the last books issued by the Cuala Press before the outbreak of the Second World War, Elbow Room contains a selection of poems by Oliver St. John Gogarty, physician, wit, senator and one of the most colourful figures of the Irish Literary Revival. A close associate of W. B. Yeats, George Moore and James Joyce, Gogarty achieved lasting literary fame as the model for Buck Mulligan in Joyce’s Ulysses. His poetry combines lyrical grace with satire, humour and a deep affection for the Irish landscape and character.

Printed by Elizabeth Corbet Yeats at the Cuala Press, the volume exemplifies the private press ideals which made Cuala one of the most important literary presses of the twentieth century. Established by the Yeats sisters in 1908, the Press became the principal vehicle for publishing many of the leading figures of the Irish Literary Revival. As noted in the colophon, only 450 copies were printed during the last week of October 1939. Cuala editions were produced in small numbers and intended for a select readership, and they remain highly sought after by collectors of Irish literature and fine printing.

[L4 8D]