Limerick: George M. Goggin’s, n.d. ( ca. 1832-37). An extremely scarce illustrated children’s reader, alphabet, natural and civic history in “Stereotype Edition” from printer George M Goggin’s wholesale and retail School-Book and Paper Warehouse, 15 George Street, Limerick. Goggin was the brother of Stephen Goggin (d. 1832), one of Ireland’s busiest printers of song books and ballads ( some “rebellious”). During the period this book was published in Limerick, the Whigs in England, under William IV, created a national system of elementary education in Ireland (1931-32) in response to outcries for reform in Ireland demanded by many, such as Daniel O’Connell. A full length portrait of William IV appears as frontispiece here. ”Prior to 1831 the provision of education in Ireland at the elementary level was extremely patchy...To bring some uniformity to this situation, and to attempt a radical piece of religious engineering, the Whig government decided that a national system of elementary education would be set up for Ireland, one in which the guiding principal was to be non-denominational” ( Bartlett, Thomas, IRELAND/ A History. pp. 272-273) A book such as this one was surely intended as much for the native Irish population of children struggling for advancement by means of speaking and writing in English. Having English as a skill a bit later during the Famine would be of value to those trying to emigrate. The book contains a full page lettered alphabet, plus a 4 page illustrated alphabet from “A” for apple to “Z” for zebra, and, additionally, spelling and reading lessons composed of words of one syllable, the reading lessons mostly taken from scripture; Following this are separate lists and readings in words of 1-3 syllables, etc. Next comes Short Lessons in Natural History with woodcuts of a lion, a bear,a horse, a dog, a cameleon, a reindeer, an eagle, and an ostrich. In the ten page “A Short History of Ireland/ From the earliest period to the Union” we find woodcuts of a few kings and mention of trade in a fine linen “which has been brought to astonishing perfection”. The natives are described as brave and hospitable, but often in conflicts that fail to promote “the blessing of eternal peace.” The history ends with some rather profound understatements about the years of strife up to the Union in 1800. In conclusion are general rules for spelling and directions for reading with propriety. Thus far we have found only copies of a seemingly similar title, published by Egan in Dublin, at Middlebury College and the Universiy of Iowa Libraries. “avoid hem’s and ha’s between your words” 12mo ( 14.5 x 8.5 cm); engraved frontispiece as paste-down + title page with alphabet on verso; (iv) pp.from woodcut illustrations; 9-71 pp., the last page pasted down as rear endpaper; with fourteen illustrations from woodcuts in the text.