A rare 17th century shipping document signed by King James II and English diarist Samuel Pepys has been presented to the National Library of Ireland.
The ship’s pass dating from 1687 is one of the few known examples of 17th century ships' passes in the world, and was originally acquired by the Dublin Port & Docks board in 1924.
The document was intended to provide safe passage for the merchant ship, the Mary of Cork, which was bound for the Canary Islands.
The Spanish island archipelago were, at the time, major exporters of sugar and a fortified white wine, known as Malvasia, which was extremely popular in Britain.
Experts believe the ship, which was manned by a crew of five, may have been trading in such foodstuffs, in return for products such as salted Irish beef.
The ship's pass was issued at the Court of Whitehall in London on September 29th, 1687 and was signed by King James II, who was the Lord High Admiral, and Samuel Pepys in his capacity as secretary to the Admiralty.
In April 1688, the ship's pass was returned to Ireland, where it was entered into the registry of the High Court of Admiralty of Ireland.
The pass was purchased by the Dublin Port & Docks Board in 1924, and will now go on display in the National Library's Department of manuscripts.
It was presented to the library today by the chief executive of the Dublin Port Company, Enda Connellan.
"Dublin Port Company is delighted to present this interesting and rare historical document to the National Library of Ireland. This will ensure that it is appropriately conserved and displayed. In its new home it will also be more accessible to the public," Mr Connellan.
