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This collection contains material created and received by the Carrol, Angus and Scott families, particularly during their ownership and residence of Tulla and Lissenhall but also beyond. It includes legal, administrative and personal documents. There is a small amount of late eighteenth century material, the more interesting of which is a map from 1798 of the Kingdoms of Spain and Portugal, though the bulk of the documents are from the nineteenth century. Legal documents include wills and issues of probate and executorship, affidavits, judgments, opinions and correspondence covering financial and trustee arrangements. They also include a large quantity of correspondence related to land sales and transfers, such as agreements, ejectment decrees and indentures, much of which arise from William Hutchison’s efforts to bring estate matters into order. Of particular interest is a return of debts due by the late Lieutenant General Sir William Parker Carrol and paid by his executors which lists many Limerick and Tipperary businesses from the period. Later documents, particularly relating to a legal struggle between the Carrol’s and Lloyds Insurance regarding claims for losses due to the theft of livestock and equipment during the 1920s, are also illuminating.
The Carrol family’s direct involvement with the Tulla and Lissenhall Estates has resulted in the collection containing some rental accounts which provide the names of tenants, acreage and their rentals and also estate accounts which includes the names of local individuals and businesses having commercial interaction with the Carrol estate. Other estate material involves correspondence regarding day to day estate management and operations but worthy of note is a print of the Encumbered Estates auction schedule which includes a description of Lot 1, Lissenhall, its tenants and rents at the time of William Hutchison Carrol’s purchase, and also Alice Carrol’s interactions with the Land Commission leading up to her vacating Lissenhall.
Personal material includes a great deal of personal correspondence and letters from family members much of which is concerned with family genealogy and includes printed and transcribed material from third party sources. Correspondence from institutions with regard to personal finances, stocks and taxation issues is also present. There is a significant quantity of photographs, both in albums and loose covering most of the principal individuals dating from the 1860s to the 1990s. Also present is a large scrapbook. The result of a familial connection to the Scott’s and compiled over nearly fifty years from 1895 to 1944, it contains copious material on Clement Scott and also the Du Maurier family, including photographs of Gerald Du Maurier and the young Daphne with her siblings.

The O’Mara Papers comprise predominantly business and personal records created and generated by Stephen O’Mara Junior (1884-1959) in the course of his life. Material relating to his parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and siblings is perfunctory.

The business records cover mainly correspondence in O’Mara’s capacity as director of O’Mara’s Bacon Company and later as director of the Bacon Company of Ireland and do not encompass all operational aspects of the business. However the material provides an interesting view of the bacon industry in early 20th-century Ireland and its gradual decline from the 1930s onwards.

The personal records cover O’Mara’s political career, including his three terms as Mayor of Limerick from 1921 to 1923; the second Bond Drive to the United States, his subsequent imprisonment in 1922-1923 and the ensuing court case of 1927; and his later political involvement, particularly his role as a founding director of The Irish Press. His personal correspondence is extensive and illustrates O’Mara’s prominent role in the family as a provider of employment opportunities for the younger generations and as a generous source of financial support in times of hardship. Other material of note includes extensive correspondence and architectural drawings relating to Strand House, New Strand House and Ivy Bank House, homes of the O’Mara family.

One of the most significant aspects of the collection is material relating to the O’Brien family of Boru House, particularly the private correspondence of the novelist Kate O’Brien with her sisters, brother-in-law and nephew. The letters illuminate O’Brien’s method of writing, the creative process behind each of her novels and the ups and downs of her career as author. They also reveal her complete lack of financial acumen, her tendency to live wildly beyond her means, and her lifelong dependency on the fiscal good will of Anne and Stephen O’Mara. Of Kate O’Brien’s private life the letters reveal almost nothing, demonstrating a high degree of circumspectness and a tendency to compartmentalise various aspects of her life. The one rare exception is correspondence relating to her brief marriage and its aftermath in 1922-1925 which, while not revelatory as such, exposes a more vulnerable aspect of Kate’s personality.

The O’Brien material also contains correspondence to and from lesser known members of Kate O’Brien’s family, including her parents and her brothers Tom and Eric who died in 1918 and 1920, respectively. A small number of items relate to Michael O’Brien who died in institutional care in 1923. The identity of this individual has not been ascertained but he could possibly be Michael Alphonsus O’Brien who was born between 1888 and 1889 and is claimed to have died in infancy. Also of interest are letters from Austin Clarke to Anne O’Brien in 1916-1917 written in the early stages of the poet’s literary career, which reveal the fragility of his search for expression and sense of identity.

The material also comprises an extensive photographic record of the O’Mara and O’Brien families particularly in the 1920s and 1930s.

Programmes, posters, flyers, brochures, photographs and publications collected by Patricia Crosbie. The material reflects her dancing career, particularly her involvement with the Cork Ballet Company, Irish Ballet Company, and Irish National Ballet.

The material in this collection was sourced by Professor Robert A. Stradling for his book The Irish and the Spanish Civil War 1936-1939, published in 1999. An intimate view of life in Spain for the Irish Brigadiers can be gleaned from some of the written material, which includes photocopies of diaries, memoirs, correspondence and routine orders. An entry in the diary of Tralee-man Tom Hayes, Legionnaire in ‘D’ Company, dated 15 December 1936, provides an account of the journey to Lisbon on board the German ship, the S.S. Urundi, noting ‘In bed all day very sick… Weather is bad… A lot sick one man broke leg other scalded when ship swayed…’ (P13/1/1/3/1). Photocopies of routine orders, many of which were originally typed out by Matthew Beckett of Westport, county Mayo, offer an insight into the daily life of volunteers after they reached Spain, addressing areas such as divine service, casualties, decease in strength, transfers, promotions, inspection of equipment, cleanliness and parades (P13/1/1/5/3).

The memoirs of Matthew Beckett, who served as Legionnaire in ‘C’ Company, offers a harrowing account of his company’s first night in Badajoz, stating ‘In Badajoz we had the first glimpse of the kind of war we were going into… It bore the marks of war on many buildings – blood-stained walls, scribbled mottoes on buildings… The Church had been used a stable for the mules during the Red occupation and it was badly marked & statutes burnt and defaced. A number of nuns from the adjoining convent had been tortured and shot’ (P13/1/1/5/10). One of a series of letters home from a young Brigadier with ‘C’ Company, Patrick Hickey, reassures his mother about his drinking habits in Spain, ‘…we get paid every week and we spend on grub and cigs, I never touch the drink now it is only a cod getting drunk out here you need your head where I am…’ (P13/1/1/2/3). Possibly one of the most poignant documents in the collection is a copy of the autograph book of Lieutenant Tom Hyde of ‘A’ Company, the first casualty on the side of the Irish Brigade. The document is a testament to the popularity of this man from Midleton, county Cork. Amongst the many warm messages from his comrades is one from General Eoin O’Duffy himself, recorded after Hyde’s death in February 1937, which reads ‘To Tom in Heaven. You were the first to join the Brigade, you were the first to give your life for this cause which the Irish Brigade is fighting for’ (P13/1/1/6/1).

The photographic component of the material includes a collection of original prints from James Roche, a photocopy of the collection of Joseph Cunningham and mostly photocopies of images of other Irish Brigadiers including Matthew Beckett, Leo McCloskey, Diarmuid O’Sullivan, James Finnerty, Patrick Hickey and Padraig Quinn. The James Roche collection contains views of life at the garrison at Cáceres, the trenches in Ciempozuelos and La Marañosa. One of the most moving images in this group is that of the body of Lieutenant Tom Hyde after an attack at Ciempozuelos (P13/1/2/1/3). The oral material consists of a series of sound recordings of interviews conducted mainly by Professor Stradling between 1994 and 1996 with Irish Brigadiers, their families and friends and addresses issues such as what prompted them to join the Irish Brigade, their experiences in Spain and their views on the recognition received by the Brigade on their return from Spain from the church and the state. William Geraghty, from Dublin, attempts to explain his reasons for travelling to Spain by stating the following: ‘…in my limited learnings of the history of the friendship that existed between Spain and Ireland and all that Spain tried to do in the sad times my forefathers experienced, the Spanish Armada, giving sanctuary to the O’Donnells and all the rest…I felt indebted to Spain for their kindness to… our ancestors’ (P13/1/3/3).

Administrative documentation includes military dispatches, telegrams, correspondence and memoranda in English, Spanish, French and Italian, addressing a range of issues such as the arrival of the Irish Brigade, Irish casualties, the hospitalisation of Irish Brigadiers, disciplinary problems, the behaviour of General Eoin O’Duffy, the dissolution of the Irish Brigade and arrangements for repatriation, the issue of minors serving in the brigade and the activities of Irish Independent journalist Gertrude Gaffney. A photocopy of a telegram from Mussolini in March 1937 contains a message of support for the Irish Brigade, which translates as follows: 'Let the Legionnaires know that I am following hour after hour their action and it will be crowned by victory’ (P13/2/1/2/5).

Media coverage consists of newspaper articles printed before, during and after the war. Of particular interest is a series of articles produced by Special Correspondent for the Irish Independent, Gertrude Gaffney, giving an account of the day-to-day experiences of the Irish Brigadiers (P13/3/1/1/1-2). Post-war coverage includes articles in numerous Irish newspapers, with some items on the International Brigade (P13/3/1/2/1). It also addresses other published material including books, periodicals and other sources (P13/3/2/1).

The major strength of the Robert Stradling Collection is the fact that it successfully assembles documentation relating to the role of the Irish Brigade in the Spanish Civil War from a range of different sources, in Ireland and Spain. This body of material provides a number of different perspectives on the war, including the personal accounts of the Brigadiers, the official documents of the administration of General Franco and the Irish Brigade, and the views of the media at home and abroad. In addition, it provides access to copies of material that in many cases remain in private ownership today. The emotional impact of this collection cannot be underestimated. The official documents of the Irish and Spanish administrations provide an insight into the mechanics of war, whilst the diaries, memoirs, photographs and sound recordings provide a rare glimpse into the thoughts, feelings and actions of those men that followed General O’Duffy to Spain. This is a rich body of material that will provide a valuable source of information to researchers in Ireland and abroad.

Mainly programmes and press cuttings illustrating Sara Payne’s career as a dancer, teacher and choreographer; the activities of the Payne School of Dance and Mime; and the early development of ballet as an art form in Ireland.

This collection contains some of Seán Lysaght's published works (including essays, poetry and book reviews) and correspondence with publishing companies, journals and newspapers illustrating his early development and maturing as a poet.

Posters, flyers, brochures, press cuttings, images and a recording relating to Shakram Dance Company’s dance works and performances.

The collection comprises approximately 250,000 photographic items, including press cuttings, reports, brochures spanning over five decades. Of particular significance are the photographs taken between 1959–1998, which visually capture the Shannon Development story, and provide unique insights into the life in Ireland in the latter half of the twentieth century. It chronicles the evolution of Shannon town, as well as the broader Shannon region from a large agricultural base to a leading industrial and tourism centre. There is also material relating to the wider Clare Region, Limerick, Tipperary, Offaly, and Kerry.
The photographs include images of the many people of renown that passed through Shannon Airport, coverage of the world’s first duty free zone and images of newly acquired aircraft. The early construction days of Shannon Town and people at work in associated industrial settings are also captured. There are many photos of events at Bunratty Castle, Knappogue Castle, Dromoland Castle, Cragaunowen and the Cliffs of Moher, which provide a valuable insight into the development of new tourist attractions in the region during the 1960s.
Besides offering a visual account of the development of the airport and its environs, the collection offers unique opportunities to consider a range of topics including life, culture, dress, and some of the social norms of Ireland in the latter half of the twentieth century.

This collection consists of published and unpublished material assembled by Simon Dalby for the preparation of his MA Geography thesis, ‘Political Ecology: A Study of the Irish Anti-Nuclear Movement’ (University of Victoria, Canada, 1982). Published material includes articles; books, booklets and pamphlets; conference proceedings, speeches and public lectures; EEC communiqués; newsletters; periodicals; press cuttings; reports; and treaties and acts. Unpublished material comprises correspondence, minutes, reports, fact sheets, posters and other items created by Irish anti-nuclear groups including Alliance for Safety and Health (ASH), An Taisce, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, CONSERVE, Donegal Uranium Committee, The Ecology Party, Friends of the Earth, Noxious Industry Action Group, Nuclear Opposition Wexford, Nuclear Safety Association, Socialist Labour Party, Trade Union Anti-Nuclear Campaign and UCC Nuclear Opposition Group. There are also notes made by Simon Dalby during the preparation of his thesis, including extracts from published material; notes taken during interviews, conferences and seminars; and notes on minutes and correspondence.

Diary, letters, campaign medals and other memorabilia relating to Thomas Noonan's military service in the First World War and his death in Gallipoli in August 1915.