Born at Saul in Co. Down, MacCaghwell entered the service of Hugh O’Neill, Earl of Tyrone, and acted as a tutor to his sons on the Isle of Man before accompanying his master to Spain, where he studied law before joining the Franciscans. In 1616, he was sent to the newly founded Irish college at Louvain and in 1624 only narrowly missed being appointed to the generalship of the Franciscan order. Two years later he was made Bishop of Armagh in succession to Peter Lombard, but died before he could leave Rome.
Printed throughout in an Irish fount and in a contemporary limp vellum wrapper, this copy showed some waterstaining, but most are imperfect and this complete example went at £4000 to Quaritch.
Bonhams, London, May 15
No of lots: 578, Lots sold: 457
Sale total: £198,875 incl.
Buyer’s premium: 15/10per cent
MacCaghwell's A Mirror of the Sacrament of Penance
UK: A RARE example of Irish printing, this work by Hugh MacCaghwell, styled Aodh mac aingil, translates as A Mirror of the Sacrament of Penance and was printed at the Irish Franciscan College of St. Anthony of Padua at Louvain in 1618.
