UCD LIBRARY CULTURAL HERITAGE COLLECTIONS
Welcome to the UCD Library Cultural Heritage Collections blog. Discover and explore the historical treasures housed within our Archives, Special Collections, National Folklore Collection and Digital Library
Caoimhín Ó Danachair played many important roles within the Irish Folklore Commission and later the Department of Irish Folklore; recording informants, capturing photographs, looking after the questionnaire system and much more. He first joined the staff of the Commission in January 1940, having spent the period of 1937-1939 training in comparative folklore and ethnology as …
During my time in Special Collections, I worked on two main projects: tidying the new storeroom and searching for provenance within a particular collection. Both tasks required physically handling almost every book I encountered. The biggest revelation from this work was the sensory nature of special collections. I went into the tasks knowing I would …
Continue reading "Internship at UCD Special Collections: A Surprisingly Sensory Situation"
UCD is home to a collection of some 5000 printed and handwritten items belonging to the Irish Franciscans, including a copy of the Annals of the Four Masters signed by Mícheál Ó Cléirigh OFM (d. 1643), and notes compiled by John Colgan OFM (d. 1658) as part of his research into Ireland’s history, place-lore, and …
Continue reading "A DOMINICAN LETTER IN UCD’S FRANCISCAN COLLECTION"
Jonathan Swift, author, satirist and clergyman, was born in Ireland to English parents in 1667. While he spent many of the early years of his education and career between both countries, he was appointed Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, in 1714. Swift had hoped for a senior clerical appointment in England, but despite this, …
Provenance in relation to books refers to what is rather grandly called ‘custodial history’; this could be mistaken for the rap sheet of a frequent tenant of Mountjoy rather than a blameless book. At its simplest, provenance refers to the previous owners of the book, from the first purchaser who inscribed his or her name …
Background Hugh Kennedy (1879–1936) is a distinguished figure in Irish political and legal history, having been both the first Attorney General of the Irish Free State, and later its first Chief Justice. His papers, which are in the custody of his alma mater UCD, offer fascinating insights into the beginnings of the Irish Free State …
Continue reading "Hugh Kennedy and the Chapel Royal, Dublin Castle"
‘In direct contrast to this oral folklore is physical folklife, generally called material culture. Now we deal with the visible rather than the aural aspects of folk behavior that existed prior to and continue alongside mechanized industry. Material culture responds to techniques, skills, recipes and formulas transmitted across the generations and [is] subject to the …
When considering primary sources for analysing social trends or movements in Ireland during the 1940s-1960s, what comes to mind? Dáil minutes, foreign policy correspondences, and newspaper articles might be some initial thoughts. However, one key primary source often overlooked is the pamphlet. These were not just short, forgettable handouts, but rather small, concise writings distributed …
Continue reading "What can pamphlets tell us about the Catholic Church’s reaction to the red scare?"
UCDA P351/59 (1) Photograph of Dick Humphreys with Miss Pearse and other St Enda’s alumni (November 1954) Later this year UCD Archives will be delighted to make available for research the papers of Richard (Dick) Humphreys. These papers are analogous and contemporaneous to many other collections of private papers held by UCD Archives and will complement …
With the submission of a copybook of completed material for the Schools’ Collection of the Irish Folklore Commission in 1938, the Principal of St Leonard’s National School, Ballycullane wrote an accompanying letter which read: A chara, My folklore collection herewith. I got it completed just now because my teaching career finishes here directly. Any job …
Continue reading "Mary B. Dunphy, part-time collector from South Wexford"