Irish Furniture: Woodwork and Carving in Ireland from the Earliest Times to the Act of Union

by Desmond FitzGerald, James Peill

This lavishly illustrated and comprehensive volume is the first devoted entirely to the subject of Irish furniture and woodwork. It provides a detailed survey—encompassing everything from medieval choir stalls to magnificent drawing-room suites for the great houses—from earliest times to the end of the eighteenth century.
The first part of the book presents a chronological history, illustrated with superb examples of Irish furniture and interior carving. In a lively text, the Knight of Glin and James Peill consider a broad range of topics, including a discussion of the influence of Irish craftsmen in the colonies of America. The second part of the book is a fascinating pictorial catalogue of different types of surviving furniture, including chairs, stools, baroque sideboards, elegant tea and games tables, bookcases, and mirrors. The book also features an index of Irish furniture-makers and craftsmen of the eighteenth century, compiled from Dublin newspaper advertisements and other contemporary sources.

323 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1978

About the author

Desmond John Villiers FitzGerald, 29th Knight of Glin, was an Irish hereditary knight and president of the Irish Georgian Society.

FitzGerald was the last Black Knight; as he had no sons and the title cannot be passed to a daughter, the title was extinguished with his death.