Patrick Weston Joyce.

(1827-1914)

Patrick Weston Joyce was born in the mountain village of Ballyorgan on the borders of counties Limerick and Cork, when he was quite young his family moved to Glenosheen, a native Irish speaker he was educated at hedge schools in Kilfinane, Kilmallock, Galbally Co. Limerick and Mitchelstown, Co. Cork.

Joyce was a key cultural figure of his time. His wide interests included the Irish language, Hiberno-English, music, education, Irish literature and folklore, Irish history and antiquities, place-names and much else. He was principal of the Training College, Marlborough Street, in Dublin from 1874 to 1893.

He attained a BA at Trinity College Dublin and a MA in 1864 later he taught in Clonmel County Tipperary he was appointed Principal of Marlborough St. Teacher Training College, where he served from 1874 to 1893.

He became an association member of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland in 1865 and served as its president between the years of 1906-8

In 1845 he started work with the Board of National Education, during his life he produced many literary based mainly on the History of Ireland, he is probably remembered most for The Origin and History of Irish Names of Places which was produced in three volumes (1869, 1875, 1913) these works were widely acclaimed at at the time, his prolific pen also produced.

• Irish Grammer,
• Old Celtic Romances,
• The English Language in Ireland,
• Irish Local Names Explained (1870)
• Ancient Irish Music (1872)
• How to Prepare for Civil Service Examinations (1878)
• The Geography of the Counties of Ireland (1883)
• A Handbook of School Management (1876)
• Old Celtic Romances (1879)
• Irish Music and Song (1888)
• A Child’s History of Ireland (1898)
• A Reading of Irish History (1900)
• A Concise History of Ireland
• A Social History of Ancient Ireland 2 vols (1903-1920)
• The Story of Ancient Ireland (1906)
• A Small Social History of Ancient Ireland (1906)
• The Story of Ancient Irish Civilization (1907)
• The Wonders of Ireland and Other Papers on Irish Subjects (1911)
• Outlines of the History of Ireland (1894)
• Old Irish Folk Music and Songs, (1865)

The P.W. Joyce Collection at the Cregan Library in St Patricks' College, Drumcondra, Dublin, reflects many of Joyce's interests and includes many rarities. These include autographed presentation copies by P.W. Joyce or his brother Robert Dwyer Joyce or books from P.W. Joyce's own library.

The collection also contains nine manuscripts associated with P.W. Joyce or his family members, including a very fine manuscript in Joyce's hand of Echtra Cormaic itir Tairngiri agus Ceart Claíd Cormaic (Adventures of Cormac in the Land of Promise) and a passage from the Book of Ballymote which Joyce translated into English.