Reading the Enlightenment in Eighteenth-Century Ireland

This paper is concerned with the availability of key Enlightenment texts to Irish readers of the late eighteenth century. Enlightenment ideas were transmitted in various ways, but none so tangible as through print. Books, periodicals and newspapers brought the words and ideas of Enlightenment thinkers to Irish readers, either through their own writings in the original language or in translation, through abstracts and interpretations, or even in simplified form. The analysis explores key Enlightenment authors and the dissemination of significant texts. Through booksellers’ catalogs, texts published abroad were circulated to Irish readers, and thanks to less expensive Irish reprints, major works were made available. Circulating libraries and reading rooms, and libraries of forward-looking institutions such as the Royal Irish Academy, allowed members to consult books and periodicals. Enlightenment texts in English, in French, and in translation from French and other European vernacular languages form part of this enquiry.