Special Collections holds a number of older printed book collections (material pre-1850). These can only be used in the Rare Books Reading Room.
Older printed books collections include:
The Older Printed Books Collection contains material published before 1851 which for the most part were purchased between 1849 (when the College was founded) and 1900; some were received from institutions such as the Royal Cork Institution, the old Cork Public Library and the Royal Irish Academy. The collection contains 13,000 volumes. The collection contains material in: French, German, Italian, Latin, Irish Gaelic, Greek, Dutch and Spanish. The majority of items date from the 18th and 19th centuries with a small portion from the 16th and 17th centuries. Subjects include: Irish, English and European history, philology, palaeography, literature, music, philosophy, natural sciences and medicine.
The Torna Collection contains the books, journals and pamphlets belonging to the late Professor Tadhg Ó Donnchadha (Torna) who was Professor of Irish at University College Cork (1916 - 1944).
The Torna collection contains 3000 items and contains material in: Old Irish Gaelic, Irish Gaelic, Scots Gaelic, Welsh, Breton, Cornish, Latin, Old Norse, German, French. Torna's personal collection has been supplemented by newer material in Irish. Both collections are located in the Reference Reading Room of Special Collections.
Torna's personal collection is organised by “author surname,” for example: T STOK. The newer material uses the Dewey Decimal System, for example: T 891.62 OhUI v.26.
Meyer, Kuno, trans. Selections from Ancient Irish Poetry. London: Constable, 1913.
The Arbois de Jubainville collection consists of 304 items which are mostly books with some pamphlets. Professor Marie Henri D’Arbois de Jubainville (1827 – 1910) was a French historian and Celtic scholar in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The then University President Bertram Windle acquired the collection in 1907 for UCC. The collection contains material in French, German, Manx, Breton, Cornish, Welsh, Irish Gaelic and Scots Gaelic. Material in the collection dates from 1707 – 1918 and the subjects include Celtic studies, religious thought, antiquities and folklore.
Martin, Jacques. Histoire des Gaules et des conquêtes des Gaulois: depuis leur origine jusqu'à la fondation de la monarchie françoise; ouvrage enrichi de monumens antiques & de cartes géographiques. Paris: Impr. de Le Breton, 1752-54.
St Fin Barre's Cathedral Library was founded in 1720 by Bishop Browne and UCC Library acquired it in 1984. The bulk of the collection consists of the private collections of Archdeacon Pomeroy (1725), Bishop Crow of Cloyne (1727) and Bishop Stopford (1805). Subjects include theology and ecclesiastical matters, classics, history, literature and science. Most of the books were printed in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, chiefly in London and Dublin. The collection contains material in French, German, Italian, Latin, Irish Gaelic, Greek, Dutch and Spanish.
St. Antonius. Quarta pars totius summe maioris beati Antonini. Venetijs: per Lazarum de Soardis, 1503.
Special Collections holds the following books in series:
Special Collections also holds material on:
Special Collections holds facsimiles of annals and manuscripts:
Special Collecitions holds manuscripts on microfilm from institutions in Ireland, Europe and America.
Special Collections holds over 200 Gaelic Irish manuscripts.
Special Collections holds a number of incunabula (items printed before 1501):
