The Philip B. Wilson Library has recently received a unique collection of Methodist Books.

The acquisition of this collection was made possible thanks to a £34,400 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The collection numbers almost 1400 volumes and includes many rare first editions. The collection is unique in that it covers a broad range of titles featuring the history of the Methodist Church in both Ireland and Britain including local church histories, world wide missionary outreach, Moravian books and the influence of other denominations on the growth and development of Methodism.

The collection will be conserved and made available to the public via the internet and a display. The collection will be of great interest to Methodist academics as well as anyone with an interest in the social history of the period.

The Wesley connection with Ireland is especially strong as he had family connections in both Counties Meath and Louth. He visited Ireland twenty one times and according to his journal entries, he spent almost six years of his life here. The local area is especially noted for its Methodism with Wesley having visited the Portadown, Lurgan and Tandragee areas on many occasions.