My reference the other day to Dublin's first newspaper has called the attention of a correspondent to the earliest extant musical work printed in Ireland. That music-printing has been in operation in Dublin as early as 1686 is evident from an advertisement of Robert Thornton, at the sign of the Leather Bottle in Skinner's Row, in which he announces "the choicest new songs, with plates," to be sold at "two-pence a song." Nevertheless, the only specimen of Thornton's music engraving that has come down is a reprint, made in 1696, of "A New Irish Song" originally printed by John Playford.
In 1698 an edition of Barton's Psalter, for the first time with music, was published in Dublin. The following is a copy of the title-page of this extremely scarce book:
"The Psalms of David in Metre. New Translated. With Amendments. By W. Barton, M. A. And sett to the best Psalm Tunes in Two Parts, viz., Treble and Bass. By Thomas Smith. Printed by J. Brent and S. Powell, Dublin, at the back of Dick's Coffee House in Skinner's Row."
So great was the success of this first Dublin edition with music that, in 1706, a second edition, "corrected and amended," was produced. After 1698 music-printing went on apace in Dublin.
The Irish Times, November 8th, 1930.