The Irish Parliament and Print, 1660–1782

The article considers the uses made of print by the Irish Parliament between 1660 and 1782. Proceedings were made more widely available, initially with printed Votes and then with fuller Journals. Just how widely is considered. The record of the house of commons and the house of lords is compared. Also the authorised publication of statutes is traced. Sizes of format and editions and costs are considered, concluding that these seriously limited access to the publications. In contrast, varieties of unofficial print, generated either by individual members and candidates or by partisans, are discussed. The effect of these productions was to increase awareness of politics and, arguably, to generate more intense controversies.