Colm Ó Lochlainn Books

Ballad Broadsheet

UCD Library Special Collections holds the Colm Ó Lochlainn Book Collection

(opens in a new window)Click here to view ballad sheets from this collection in the UCD Digital Library.

The Collection

• The book collection of Colm Ó Lochlainn contains early Irish printings and handsome bindings of 19th and 20th century texts.
• The books relate to the subjects of Anglo Irish literature, Irish language, folklore, ballads and Irish history.
• The collection also contains broadside ballad sheets, songbooks and devotional literature. Many of the broadside ballad sheets have been digitized and are available on the (opens in a new window)UCD Digital Library website.
• Special Collections UCD Library purchased Ó Lochlainn’s manuscripts, letters, ballad broadsheets as well as his book collection in 1963.

Biographical History

• Colm Ó Lochlainn (1892-1972) was a ballad collector, Gaelic scholar, printer, publisher, binder and bibliophile, from Dublin.
• He owned the publishing company The Sign of the Three Candles and later The Three Candles Press.
• He was a lecturer in Modern Irish in UCD between 1933-1944.
• He wrote several books, published by his own company, The Three Candles Press.
• His most famous book is (opens in a new window)Irish Street Ballads which contains ballads selected from the many broadsheet ballads he had collected. 

Access and Use

• The material in this collection is available by appointment to students, teaching staff, and independent researchers. We also welcome interested members of the public.
• Please contact us at (opens in a new window)special.collections@ucd.ie for further information. To book an appointment (opens in a new window)click here.

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