The points of issue
Methuen Drama, London, 2001, individual playscript in wrappers (ISBN 0-413-76500-8), stating 'First published 2001 by Methuen.' Issued around the Royal Shakespeare Company premiere at The Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon, in 2001. A true first lacks any later-printing statement.
Is this the true first?
The UK Methuen 2001 individual playscript is the true first; later collected and US editions follow.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later reissues, Student Editions, and collected-plays volumes are not the first. No book-club issue is recorded.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Lieutenant of Inishmore a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Methuen Drama, London, 2001, individual playscript in wrappers (ISBN 0-413-76500-8), stating 'First published 2001 by Methuen.' Issued around the Royal Shakespeare Company premiere at The Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon, in 2001. A true first lacks any later-printing statement.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The UK Methuen 2001 individual playscript is the true first; later collected and US editions follow.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later reissues, Student Editions, and collected-plays volumes are not the first. No book-club issue is recorded.
I have a first edition of The Lieutenant of Inishmore — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.