ISBN 9780950548869, 106pp, full colour, hardback, €25.00 available from Four Courts Press, 7 Malpas Street, Dublin 8, Ireland. info@fourcourtspress.

The history of Dublin’s goldsmiths is described in this important book, which charts the history of the Dublin Company of Goldsmiths from the Middle Ages to the present. It demonstrates the close link between the guild and the city and shows howthe Company adapted to changing circumstances to maintain relevance in the modern era. Granted a royal charter by CharlesI in 1637, the Company is the only survivor of the Dublin trade guilds. It has however a much longer and earlier history as the Goldsmiths’ guild took part in the late 15th century Corpus Christi pageant and goldsmiths are recorded in Dublin backto the late 12th century. The Company was involved in civic government and several of its members were elected asLord Mayor of Dublin. Perhaps its greatest achievement was, through the Assay Office, guaranteeing the purity and probityof Dublin gold and silver, which is still highly regarded today. Douglas Bennett is a former Master & Clerk of the Companyof Goldsmiths.