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The Henry William Massy Diary (single item collection)
The Henry William Massy Diary (single item collection)
IE 2135 P32 · Fonds · 1839-1842

Bound hardback volume containing a diary kept sporadically by Henry William Massy as a young man about town, describing his professional and leisure activities and containing introspective reflections of his own shortcomings. The diary provides a lively and betimes poignant account of the life of a young man eager to advance in life but not quite possessed of the maturity to fulfil his ambitions. It provides glimpses of urban life of the professional classes in 1830s and 1840s Ireland and challenges the perceived rigid morality of the Victorian era by revealing Massy’s long-standing clandestine affair with Maria Cahill.

The diary commences in February 1839 with regular entries describing the weather, Henry’s daily professional and leisure activities, the books he is reading, the parties he attends and the visits he pays to his mistress, Maria Cahill. He castigates himself for his habit of getting up too late in the mornings, usually as a consequence of too much merriment the night before, and for smoking cigars in his office. However, most of his diary entries are upbeat and humorous in tone. On 15 March 1839 he mentions meeting ‘Mrs James Sadleir, who asked me to subscribe to a Lying-in-Hospital, which they are getting up here – I said I did not think gentlemen had anything to do with it – she said she wished I could prove that, if so I ought to take out a patent’. His mother and siblings feature regularly on the pages of his diary, as does a destitute uncle for whom a subscription is arranged among relatives to provide for him: ‘altogether we will make up £70 a year but my uncle says it w[oul]d not keep him in potatoes & salt – How many curates live on £75 a year!’ There is a gap in the diary entries between 11 April 1839 and 19 October 1840, which Henry attributes to his lazy habits: ‘I am beginning to know myself pretty well and alas! I must confess the great fault in my character is irresolution of purpose and insuperable indolence.’ He confesses to having entered as a law student two years previously, ‘determined to read diligently… and I did keep my resolution excellently for – a week!! – since then I have done nothing’. An entry dated 23 October 1840 is followed by a blank page and a page torn out.

Henry resumes the diary in January 1841 with a description of preparations for a dinner party he is about to give and an account of the dinner party itself. He mentions his appointment to the Commission of the Peace for County Limerick and provides a lively account of a meeting he attends in Dublin on 21 January 1841 advocating the introduction of railroads in Ireland. He describes in some detail ‘Ireland’s great men’ who spoke at the meeting, including the Archbishop of Dublin, the Duke of Leinster, Earl Mountcashell, John O’Connell MP, Colonel Edward Michael Connolly, Christopher Fitzsimon MP, Henry Grattan and William Torrens McCullagh. He describes his daily activities in Dublin, which in the main consist of reading Sir Archibald Alison’s History of Europe in the Dublin Library, wining and dining at the Queen’s Inn and the Oyster Tavern, writing poetry and visiting his mistress. On one occasion, he spends half an hour walking with a Miss Millet, ‘a very agreeable girl and handsome by Candlelight’. Returning to Limerick in February, he takes great delight at the reception of some comic verse he has published anonymously. He attends the petty sessions in Limerick city as chairman for the first time ‘and went thro’ the business very well’. In March 1841, he contemplates his relationship with his mistress. ‘Poor Maria! I feel that I love her much and I know not how I can ever desert her – I have often been thinking latterly of retiring from the world with her, and taking a cottage in some retired country, of spending the rest of my days in quiet, giving myself up to my little children & my books…’ In the same month he mentions his election as president of the Mechanics’ Institute and discusses his plan to introduce a new system at the court house ‘By occasional levity and by inflicting an equal punishment on rich and poor’. He is suffering from an undisclosed ailment which is slow to heal and which leaves him ‘generally sad and out of temper’. In early April 1841 he travels to London and spends two weeks mostly dining at Lincolns Inn and visiting various theatres. Returning to Dublin, he notes: ‘I think I may in time become a useful magistrate and have a pretty fair knowledge of my duties as such – There are gentlemen on the Tipperary Bench of many years standing and, God knows! They know little enough’.

There is another long gap in entries between 2 May and 1 October 1841, when Henry describes a weekly meeting of Poor Law Guardians. An entry made on 3 October is incomplete as a consequence of a page having been torn out. The next and final entry is dated 1 January 1842, in which Henry reflects on the less flattering aspects of his character and his lack of application to qualify for the bar or to finish a story intended for publication in Blackwood’s Magazine. He also reprimands himself for the sorry state of his finances: ‘Every one, who spends more than his income, is a fool’. The entry ends abruptly with yet another torn-out page. Pagination up to page 55, but with irregularities.

 Massy, Henry William (1816-1895), magistrate and justice of the peace
The Hella Scholz Papers
IE 2135 P14 · Fonds · 1921-c. 1980s (predominantly 1940s)

This collection contains photographs, correspondence, school records and ephemera accrued by Hella Scholz during her youth and early adulthood. They provide insights into her life in Germany before and during the Second World War, which revolved mainly around school, hobbies, boyfriends and holidays. Wartime administration and the Nazi regime feature faintly in the backdrop: Hella was a member of Hitler Youth and of Bundes Deutscher Mädel (League of German Girls), the girls’ wing of the Nazi Party youth movement. However, apart from owning a portrait of Adolph Hitler, there is no indication of Hella being a Nazi sympathiser, she was simply a young middle-class girl growing up during the Nazi regime. Some of the collection highlights include Hella’s correspondence with Günther Junge, a rare enough example of an exchange in which the letters of both parties survive, and an extensive photographic record of Hella’s life. The collection provides intimate glimpses of a life which remained remarkably happy and stable during an extraordinarily dark period of European history. Spanning as it does the rise and fall of National Socialism in twentieth-century Germany and post-war Britain, it forms a rewarding primary source for researchers of this era.

 Fuller, Hella née Scholz (1925-2003)
The Grace O’Malley Cantillon Papers
IE 2135 P83 · Fonds · c. 1880-2014 (predominantly 2005-2014)

This collection contains research notes and research material generated and collected by Grace O’Malley Cantillon while preparing her book on family history titled The Round House O’Malleys: The Power of One Woman! (2014). The collection encompasses a range of primary manuscript material sourced by the author, including letters from her uncle Thomas O’Malley to his mother and sisters while trying to carve out a life for himself in Australia between 1910 and 1914 (P83/1/6/3/2-11). Another interesting compilation of primary material (degree certificates, apprenticeship agreements, personal correspondence and memoirs) relates to Grace O’Malley Cantillon’s father, Charles Vincent O’Malley, who operated a successful dental practice in Limerick city in the first half of the twentieth century (see P83/1/6/7/1/1-P83/1/6/7/5/6). Also worth noting are the memoirs of Frank O’Malley describing his life as a rubber planter in early twentieth-century Malaya (P83/1/6/6/3-5). In addition, there is an extensive photographic component extending back to the 1880s. The primary material in this collection provides useful insights into Ireland as part of the British empire and the blossoming of the prosperous Irish Roman Catholic professional class following Irish independence.

 Cantillon, Grace née O'Malley (b. 1934), family historian
The Glin Papers
IE 2135 P1 · Fonds · 1801-1998

The Glin Papers, unfortunately, do not reflect the long history of the family, as many of the older documents were allegedly burnt in a tantrum by the aptly nick-named ‘Cracked Knight’ or John Fraunceis Eyre FitzGerald, 25th Knight of Glin. They date from 1800 onwards and have been arranged into eight series according to the tenure of the various Knights.

Series A, which relates to John Bateman FitzGerald, 23rd Knight of Glin, contains a single document in the form of a volume which contains a printed copy of a private Act of Parliament passed to force John Bateman to raise money by mortgage or otherwise to pay off incumbrances. The Act shows the incumbrances to amount to almost £14,000 and notes that Colonel John had incurred legal costs of at least £1500 and had spent more than £6000 on Glin Castle and demesne.

Series B relates to John Fraunceis FitzGerald, 24th Knight of Glin and ranges from his marriage settlement with the long-suffering Bridgetta Eyre (1812) to a deed poll appointing him as High Sheriff of Limerick (1830). The marriage settlement burdened the estate to the tune of £8,000, and when his eldest son and heir married in 1835, the estate was further burdened with £6,000 to account for the portions of younger children. By the time of his death in 1854, John Fraunceis had managed to create or oversee principal sum incumbrances amounting to at least £14,000. There are also documents in this section which show how short-term cash was raised, as was the practice in 19th century, by creating mortgages. This series also contains the constabulary journals and personal journals of William Massey Blennerhassett, who married John Fraunceis’ daughter Margaretta Sophia FitzGerald (P1/20-33).

Section C concerns John Fraunceis Eyre FitzGerald, 25th Knight of Glin, the aforementioned ‘Cracked Knight’. The most interesting of the documents related to this section are the mortgages raising money from the Glin lands and reflect the almost ever-present insolvency facing the family (P1/44-50). One in particular from 1864 (P1/48) lists incumbrances on the estate which then totalled £14,000 in principle sums not including the £1539 charge that was being transferred. It would appear, therefore, that incumbrances had risen to approximately £15,500 by the end of The Cracked Knight’s tenure. Also of note are the estate day books which span form 1858-1867 and record the receipt of rents from the estate (P1/51-52).

Series D concerns Desmond John Edmund FitzGerald, 26th Knight of Glin. The documents in this section comprise mainly leases, conveyances and mortgages relating to lands on the Glin estate. Also of interest are the Long Rock fishery records which span from 1866-1890 (P1/144-145). Another document of note is the will of his cousin, Jane Augusta Richardson (P1/148) as a later annotation to the document reads: ‘The beautiful Mrs. Richardson probably mistress of Desmond John Edmund FitzGerald, Knight of Glin’.

Series E relates to Desmond FitzJohn Lloyd FitzGerald, 27th Knight of Glin. The documents in this section contain the usual leases, mortgages and marriage settlements but there is also a small amount of personal correspondence which is of interest, including a letter from his father-in-law, the 4th Earl of Dunraven, in which he declares that if FitzJohn were to hire a woman to look after the young Desmond Windham Otho, ‘she would have to be appallingly old and ugly to save your character’ (P1/303). They also reflect FitzJohn’s interest shooting parties and golf, as many surviving letters written by him to his son, Desmond Windham Otho, while attending boarding school, describe little else (P1/540).

Series F relates to Desmond Windham Otho FitzGerald, 28th Knight of Glin. In addition to leases, conveyances, con-acre agreements and rental accounts (P1/604-638), a large amount of material in this series concerns household and estate accounts with cashbooks and hundreds of tradesmen’s receipts and invoices for various goods and services (P1/639-695). There are also account books for the Long Rock Fishery, which was established in part by the Knight’s grandfather, Desmond John Edmund. The weirs were closed in 1935 when the Government took them over (P1/707-709). The failure of the 28th Knight of Glin’s garage business also features in this series and illustrates clearly the bitter legal wrangle that followed (P1/550-555). More personal items in this series relate to the Knight’s wife, Veronica Villiers. An avid correspondent, the collection is home to many hundreds of letters written her by family members, friends and acquaintances (P1/370-497). There is also much official correspondence with stockbrokers, solicitors, and land agents (P1/354-369). Other interesting items in Veronica’s possession include watercolour sketches (ca. 1850) by her great-aunt, Amelie T. Amherst (P1/504-506), and a small collection of black and white photographs (P1/507-518).

Series G concerns Desmond John Villiers FitzGerald, 29th Knight of Glin. The papers contained in this series include school reports (P1/744, P1/749) and volumes of lecture notes from his time at UBC and Harvard (P1/751-776); leases, undertakings and rentals (P1/777-817); and correspondence concerned with the estate (P1/818-843). There is much in this series devoted to the afore-mentioned refurbishment of the Castle, including correspondence with Horatio Ray Milner (P1/844-852), and plans and drawings of the restoration work (P1/854-878). There are also very interesting documents related to the development of Glin Castle as a guest house (P1/884-948), which show how the estate survived by utilising the tourist trade. Correspondence from these papers reflects the success of Irish tourism enterprises, especially in this case, in attracting the upper end of the American market. Milner also provided money to improve the farm at Glin in order that it become viable and self-sustainable. Correspondence, farm invoices, account books and bank statements are the main document-types in this series (P1/949-1138).

 FitzGerald family, Knights of Glin
The Gerard Gallivan Papers
IE 2135 P30 · Fonds · c. 1939-2003 (predominantly 1980-2000)

This collection documents Gerard Gallivan’s career as a playwright, comprising manuscript and typescript drafts of his plays and other works; correspondence with theatre producers, actors, publishers and writers’ societies; posters and programmes relating to his plays; diaries; photographs; and press cuttings.

 Gallivan, Gerard (1920-2003), playwright
The Frances Condell Papers
IE 2135 P3 · Fonds · 1880-1995 (predominantly 1961-1974)

The material consists of correspondence, speeches, press cuttings, photographs and taped interviews relating to Frances Condell’s political career; typescripts and drafts of poems, articles, short stories and stories for children; genealogical material and photographs relating to the Eades family; and assorted recordings. Collection highlights include letters signed by President John F. Kennedy, Senator Edward Kennedy and Mrs Lyndon B. Johnson, and correspondence with the American poet Beverley Githens Dresbach (1903-1971).

 Condell, Frances née Eades (1916-1986), first female Mayor of Limerick
The Ernest de Regge Collection
IE 2135 P16 · Fonds · 1923-1957 and 2008

Preliminary and draft manuscripts with edits, finisehd manuscripts and stencils (copies for choir members) of de Regge’s musical compositions.

 De Regge, Ernest (1901-1958), musician, organist and composer
The Emmanuel College Cambridge Compendium (single-item collection)
The Emmanuel College Cambridge Compendium (single-item collection)
IE 2135 P86 · Fonds · c. 1680-1720

A bound manuscript compendium of statutes, orders and decrees relating to Emmanuel College, Cambridge. Covering the period 1585 to 1661, the contents reflect the physical and curricular expansion of the College during its first 75 years of existence.

The first half (folios 1-43) contains the Latin text of the College’s first statutes as provided by its founder Sir Walter Mildmay. The second part of the manuscript (folios 44-81) comprises orders and decrees primarily in English concerning such matters as the borrowing and buying of books from the college library, stipends, rent rates for chambers and rules of the use of the college tennis court. In 1630, one of the decrees ordered that no student ‘shall size bread and beer anywhere but in the Butteries, nor have Dyett provided for them constantly out of the College’ (p. 63). The onset of a plague epidemic eight years later also features prominently. Scholars and fellows of the College were permitted to ‘have free leave to betake themselves thither, where they shall be able best to provide for their own safety, and that notwithstanding the same, they shall receive in the time of their absence the allowance from the College…’ (p. 68) In 1651, misbehaving students were threatened with fines and imprisonment when it was discovered that some of them ‘not regarding their own birth, degree, and quality have made divers contracts of marriage with women of mean estate, and of no good fame in the town to their great disparagement, the discontent of their Parents and friends, and the dishonour of the government of that our University’. Students were strictly forbidden to ‘resort to such houses and places as are mentioned in the said Statute to eat or drink or play or take tobacco, to the misspending their time and to the corrupting of others by their ill example, and to the scandalizing the government of our said University.’ (pp. 71-72)

The volume is most likely from the library of William Shaw (1688-1739) of St John’s College, Cambridge, Rector of Akenham and antiquary. Among the Clarendon Papers held at the Bodleian Library are two further manuscripts from the collection of William Shaw, namely an eighteenth-century commonplace book (MS. Clar. dep. c. 413) and an eighteenth-century volume of ‘Extracts of Records &c. relating to St John’s College in the University of Cambridge’ (MS. Clar. dep. c. 414). The Emmanuel College volume has an eighteenth-century numbering on the inside front cover (No. 47). The two manuscript volumes in the Bodleian Library bear identical numbering, respectively nos. 100 and 46, placing the latter just next to our volume, also relating to a Cambridge college.

The inside cover of the volume contains the bookplate of Charlotte Villiers, Countess of Clarendon (1721-1790), formerly Lady Charlotte Capell, heiress to the wealthiest branch of the Hyde family and wife of Thomas Villiers, Baron Hyde and later 1st Earl of Clarendon (both titles acquired through his marriage). The family seat, The Grove, the name of which appears on the bookplate, was located near Watford, in Hertfordshire. It was acquired in 1753 by Thomas Villiers and turned into one of the most fashionable country homes in England.

 Emmanuel College, Cambridge
The Edward P. McGrath Papers
IE 2135 P8 · Fonds · 1957-1958 and 1963 (including copies of originals from 1904-1931)

The collection is based on a single theme, namely, the publishing background to James Joyce’s Dubliners. The book did, indeed, have a very strange history. Its journey began in 1904, when Joyce submitted a collection of short stories to the publisher, Grant Richards. It was not until February 1906 that Richards accepted them. Unfortunately, Richards had problems with his printer who refused to set up the print for the story Two Gallants, as he objected to certain passages therein. Richards and Joyce had many debates and arguments about the deletion and modification of this and other passages in the book. Finally in 1907, Richards backed away from publishing the work. In 1909, George Roberts of the Dublin firm Maunsel & Co. accepted Dubliners and signed a publication contract in August of that year. However, Roberts had second thoughts about its publication soon after and the entire first print run of the book was burned before it was launched. Dubliners was finally published in 1914 by the original publisher, Grant Richards, a full ten years after it was written. McGrath seems to have had a great interest in discovering what influenced two successive publishers to reject the manuscript. Other items in the collection include an original Seán O’Casey letter to McGrath in which he enclosed a large signed black and white photograph of himself (P8/4). There are also press cuttings which comprise of an obituary of Oliver St. John Gogarty (P8/20) and a review of a book about Joyce (P8/21).

 McGrath, Edward Patrick (1929-1994), journalist and consultant
The East Limerick Brigade Papers
IE 2135 P46 · Fonds · 1900-1962 (predominantly 1921-1922)

The collection contains a vast array of documentation relating to the activities of the East Limerick Brigade during the War of Independence, both day-to-day organisation and military engagements involving the brigade. The material documents the logistical problems of running an amateur guerrilla army with extremely limited resources. It also paints a picture of the efforts made to maintain morale during the Truce of 1921. The collection includes a weekly British intelligence report by Major General Strickland (P46/2/1) providing a comprehensive account of the state of Ireland in February 1921. The report was captured by the East Limerick Brigade in 1921 and was slightly damaged by the British forces in an effort to burn it before it fell into enemy hands. Other documents of interest in the collection include the announcement of the Truce in July 1921 signed by Ernie O’Malley (P46/1/3/1/3), and an order issued by O’Malley of the steps to be taken in the event of the collapse of the Treaty talks and the resumption of hostilities (P46/1/2/2/12).

 MacCarthy, John Maurice (1896-1976), Irish Volunteer