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
The section of the catalogue of Eamon de Valera’s extensive papers, covering his time as President of the Executive Council and his first period as Taoiseach (1932–1948), includes material on negotiations with the UK; the drafting, publication and approval of the 1937 Constitution; the Emergency; and Irish neutrality. Among this rich documentation, is a file …
The Easter Cycle comprises a period of fasting, purification and spiritual renewal which culminates in joyful celebration of Christ’s Resurrection. In this short post it is only possible to sketch a very brief outline of some of the popular customs and practices which characterise the Easter observances in Irish tradition, which were, in the main, …
Continue reading "‘Mac na hÓige Slán!’ The Easter Cycle in Irish Folk Tradition"
UCD Woodland Path In April 2023 on a rather damp day, I stepped onto UCD’s campus for a walk. Little did I know then that two years later I would be contributing to the university’s Cultural Heritage Blog. As a recent addition to the Special Collection’s team getting to know its collections, my attention turned …
Continue reading "Waysides, Woodlands and Special Collections"
This is the third and final part in the history of the Sound Archive at the National Folklore Collection. The first and seconds parts can be found here: Part 1 and Part 2 Reels to reels in the Audio Archive This final part of the story begins in the 1960s, with open-reel technology being used …
Most books contain clues relating to the many hands that made them. A rise in the appreciation for the art of the book — that is as an object — has generated a desire both to admire and to study books for their individuality and charming features, such as printers’ devices, marbled endpapers, painted fore-edges, …
Continue reading "Tiny Tickets: the mark of past booksellers & bookbinders"
P202/8 Dan O’Herlihy, [1947] In the summer of 2023 Olwen O’Herlihy, daughter of the actor Dan O’Herlihy and Elsie Bennett, deposited a collection of correspondence that her parents exchanged during periods of separation spanning the years 1945 to 1993. The primary focus of the collection is the early years of Dan’s and Elsie’s marriage and …
Continue reading "Letters of Dan O’Herlihy, UCD Graduate and Actor (1919–2005)"
February 1st, St Brigid’s Day, heralds the beginning of spring in Irish tradition and as such, quite a few of our previous blog posts for the season have discussed the saint in literary tradition and folk tradition, as well as the coming of spring and the beginning of the agricultural year. The first folklore blog …
What is a museum? If you ask anyone, the answer might be very simple: it’s a place where you go to admire art and learn about history. But more often than not, we overlook the importance of the museum as a part of history itself. How many of us have actually tried to learn about …
P234/291 Photogravure by Emery Walker: portrait of Yeats by Charles Shannon, 1908 +++ In this final blog post for 2024, we will look at letters in Josephine McNeill’s papers concerning the death of W.B. Yeats. These letters include what is claimed by his wife, George, to be the last letter he wrote. Some of the …
Continue reading "“The poet’s funeral”: the death of W.B. Yeats in letters to Josephine McNeill"
This is the second part in the history of the Sound Archive at the National Folklore Collection. The first part can be found here. Caoimhín Ó Danachair in the sound recording studio, Irish Folklore Commission This part of the story begins in 1939 when Séamas Ó Duilearga had a chance meeting with a member of …
Continue reading "The Evolution of the Sound Archive at the National Folklore Collection"