RARE EDITIONS of the former Dublin Evening Maildating back over 170 years are to be presented to the Dublin City Library tomorrow by an east Galway archivist and town councillor.
The 157 issues of the newspaper date from February 5th, 1838, to December 31st, 1855, and have been part of the personal collection of Cllr Norman Morgan (Ind), a printer and member of Loughrea Town Council.
First published in 1823, the Dublin Evening Mailwas the longest running evening newspaper in Ireland when it last appeared in 1962.
Mr Burke purchased the issues some years ago at auction.
“The newspaper was one sheet, front and back, printed by the proprietors in 27 Parliament Street, Dublin, and published every Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening, with a subscription of £3 annually, payable, in advance,” he said.
Mr Morgan, who is due to receive an honorary degree from NUI Galway (NUIG) in September for his community work, has a rich and varied library collection – part of which he has already donated to NUIG.
Among his many books are works by Abbey Theatre founders Edward Martyn and Lady Gregory, both of whom had Loughrea area connections; volumes of the Seanchas Mór (The Great Tradition) or Brehon laws; and a copy of the Leabhar Breac(Speckled Book).
Mr Morgan recently donated 13 issues of the Galway Independentof the 1800s to NUIG. "The university library was delighted, as hard copies of the paper from a later date are in the British Museum library," he said.
“Someone asked me why I didn’t sell these rare newspapers for a vast fortune,” Mr Morgan said. “I explained that I could, and that I could bring my wife on holidays with some of the proceeds, but two weeks later we would have forgotten where we were.
“This way, we won’t forget what we’ve been involved with,” he said. “There is a great joy in doing the right thing.”