Fonds P31 - The Tom Nestor Papers

Identity area

Reference code

IE 2135 P31

Title

The Tom Nestor Papers

Date(s)

  • c. 1960-2012 (Creation)

Level of description

Fonds

Extent and medium

4 standard boxes

Context area

Name of creator

(1936-2023)

Biographical history

Thomas G. (Tom) Nestor was born in 1936 in Coolcappa, Rathkeale, County Limerick as a farmer’s son and one of ten children. He was educated in St Flannan’s College, Ennis, in 1950-1954, and began his working career in 1955, first with Shannon Sales and Catering Service, and then with an American company in Ennis, where he lived from 1981 to 1990. Nestor later became self-employed and ran a training and consultancy programme for middle managers until his retirement in 2004. He married in 1964 and settled in Birr, County Offaly.

Nestor began his writing career in 1964 with two articles about rural Ireland, which were published in the Manchester Guardian. These were followed by Twilight in Suburbia, written for Donacha O’Dulaing for his radio programme A Munster Journal. The work was however rejected. His published works include three radio plays broadcast by BBC and RTÉ, some thirty short stories published in Scotland, USA and Australia, and three novels: The Keeper of Absalom’s Island (1999), The Blue Pool (2002) and Talking to Kate (2009). From 1964 to 1998 Nestor also contributed to The Limerick Leader with his column My Life and Times.

Thomas Nestor died on 22 December 2023 at the age of 87.

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Donated by Tom Nestor to the University of Limerick on 14 March 2011, except for P31/1/1/4/6, which was donated by the author in 2014.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Drafts, published works, correspondence with publishers and literary agents and agreement forms illustrating Tom Nestor’s career as an author and playwright.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

All records have been retained.

Accruals

No accruals are expected.

System of arrangement

The material has been arranged into three series according to form. Series 1 comprises literary material, including drafts and published works. Series 2 comprises agreement forms and correspondence predominantly with publishers, broadcasting houses and literary agents. Series 3 contains literary ephemera.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Unrestricted access to all items.

Conditions governing reproduction

Standard copyright regulations apply to all items. For photocopying or reproducing material, please consult with the staff.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

    Language and script notes

    Physical characteristics and technical requirements

    Paper documents mostly in good condition.

    Finding aids

    Allied materials area

    Existence and location of originals

    Existence and location of copies

    Related units of description

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    Publication note

    Published works by Tom Nestor in addition to those forming part of this collection are available in the Special Collections and Archives Department and the Main Library at the University of Limerick.

    Notes area

    Alternative identifier(s)

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    Description control area

    Description identifier

    Rules and/or conventions used

    This description follows guidelines based on ISAD(G) 2nd edition (2000), Irish Guidelines for Archival Description (2009), National Council on Archives: Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names (1997) and EAP Guidance on Data Protection for Archive Services (2018).

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        Archivist's note

        Papers arranged and described by Anna-Maria Hajba in Januar 2012 and revised in July 2021.

        Accession area