In general, I may say that these part-time collectors have been excellent, because we do our best to pick them carefully. -Seán Ó Súilleabháin, 1950 On walking into the archive of the National Folklore Collection (NFC), you are greeted by walls of numbered manuscripts. To your right are the rolling shelves holding the bright green … Continue reading Part-time Collecting for the Irish Folklore Commission
Through the centuries the Irish have been referred to as storytellers, poets and singers. But where do these poems and songs come from? In UCD Archives there is a small fragmentary collection that belonged to a collector and translator of Irish manuscripts. Eugene O’ Curry was born in Dunaha, Co. Clare on 2 November 1794. … Continue reading Fireside songs they are gone
Librarians have a very mixed attitude to markings, underlining, or scribbling on books. In most cases it is frowned upon. In one infamous case from the 1960s, the British playwright Joe Orton served six months in gaol for defacing books from Islington Public Library. However, in other cases, far from being viewed as vandalism, ‘markings’ … Continue reading Providential Provenance
For the second year in a row, Ireland was without its annual St Patrick’s Day parade, and yesterday lacked the costumes, floats and crowds of Patrick’s Days past. In Irish tradition, however, the celebration of St Patrick is not limited to March 17th, and stories of his many feats, journeys and teachings survive, both in … Continue reading St Patrick: A Legend in the Landscape
To celebrate International Women's Day, which takes place on Monday 8 March, we are looking at how one woman fought alongside Irish parents to establish the first multi-denominational and co-educational school in Ireland. Gemma Hussey (nee Moran) was born on 11 November 1938. She grew up in Bray, Co. Wicklow and was educated at the … Continue reading IWD 2021: Gemma Hussey
If you have spent time in our Special Collections reading room with some of our 17-20th century books, you may have marveled at some of the patterns that form the endpapers of your chosen material. While probably not the reason you have requested the book, those papers have a unique history all of their own, … Continue reading Marbled Papers: A Brief History of an Endangered Bookcraft
A speckled thrush upon a bush pours forth her matin hymn A new-born hope has in her woke; with her 'tis not a whim. Some wondrous thrills her bosom fills - what can she do but sing When back again o'er wood and plain has come the joyful Spring. Tomás Ó Muircheartaigh holding a bird. … Continue reading The Joyful Spring
The first 2021 addition to our Decade of Centenaries series comes from the collection of Thomas Cardiff, Transport Officer of 6 Battalion, Dublin Brigade and of 2 Brigade, 2 Eastern Division, IRA, between the years 1921 and 1922. Cardiff joined the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in March 1917 and first served with H Company, 3 … Continue reading DOC Series: IRA Transport Officer
Agus muid ag ceiliúradh fhoilsiú an chéad fhoclóir Béarla–Gaeilge le 60 bliana anuas, breathnaímid siar ar réamhtheachtaí an fhoclóra chéanna agus an fear dílis a stiúraigh an togra úd. As we celebrate the publication of Ireland’s first English–Irish dictionary in 60 years, we take some time to look back at its predecessor that served us … Continue reading Ag Cruthú Foclóir Nua / What It Takes to Build A Dictionary
With December starting tomorrow, Christmas can be just about seen peaking it's head above the horizon. After such a crazy year and to really get into that Christmas spirit, UCD Cultural Heritage Collections have put together an Uplifting Advent Calendar which can be seen and followed on our Twitter accounts; UCD Archives, Special Collections and … Continue reading Our Uplifting Advent Calendar