A curious story: the 1972 sales of the library of the King’s Inns, Dublin.

The 1597 edition of the Opera Omnia of Tertullian, edited by Franciscus Junius, is one of the rarer early editions. A few days ago, I learned that there was a copy at the Tresoar library in Frisia, in the Netherlands, shelf-mark “F 1532”. The volume has a clear stamp showing that at one point it belonged the library of the King’s Inns, in Dublin. The four Inns of Court in London are professional associations, which every barrister must join in order to practice, and which provide various facilities for the legal profession. But Dublin did and does possess its own inn of court, the King’s Inns, which fulfils a similar role in the Irish legal system. This was established in 1541, and is an important part of the cultural heritage of Ireland. In particular it built up a valuable general library of antiquarian books and maps, including incunables, only a portion of which were related to the law. But much of it was of crucial importance for Irish heritage and cultural identity. Often the…