The series comprises a large collection of archival material compiled by Fr. Senan Moynihan OFM Cap., the founding editor of ‘The Capuchin Annual’. The historical material spans from the mid-eighteenth century to the mid-twentieth century, with a strong focus on Irish history, politics, religion, literature, and culture. Notably, this collection offers a comprehensive, multi-faceted view of the Irish revolutionary period, combining official documents, personal correspondence, propaganda, press coverage, and visual material. It provides invaluable primary sources for understanding the political, social, and cultural dynamics of early twentieth century Ireland, as well as chronicling the personal stories of those involved in the struggle for independence.
Types of Material
The collection includes original letters, manuscripts, typescripts, printed pamphlets and books, periodicals, newspaper clippings, photographs, postcards, musical scores, and ephemera.
Historical and Political Content
The collection contains a wealth of original documents, letters, pamphlets, periodicals, and photographs directly relating to the Irish revolutionary period, including the 1916 Rising, the War of Independence, and the Civil War.
The collection includes extensive runs of various revolutionary newspapers, bulletins, and propaganda, such as ‘Irish War News’, ‘Irish Bulletin’, ‘Sinn Féin’, ‘An Phoblacht’, ‘Éire: The Irish Nation’, and ‘Republic of Ireland (Poblacht na hÉireann)’.
Key Figures and Correspondence
The archive includes correspondence and memorabilia from or about major Irish revolutionary figures such as Patrick Pearse, Éamon de Valera, Michael Collins, Tom Clarke, Terence MacSwiney, Roger Casement, Thomas MacDonagh, Constance Markievicz, Liam Mellows, Frank Fahy, and others. There are also memorial cards, photographs, and original letters from and about these individuals, providing insight into their roles and personal experiences during the revolutionary years.
Political and Military Documentation
The collection features election fliers, anti-treaty pamphlets, Sinn Féin circulars, and communiqués from the Four Courts during the Civil War.
Minute books and attendance records from the Irish Volunteers, including signatures of key participants in the 1916 Rising.
Affidavits, pension certificates, and reports on Dáil proceedings document the administrative and legal aftermath of the revolutionary period.
Visual and Ephemeral Material
Numerous photographs, postcards, and prints depict revolutionary leaders, events, funerals, commemorations, and the destruction in Dublin during and after the 1916 Rising and Civil War. There are also original memorial cards for executed leaders and commemorative materials for significant anniversaries of the Rising.
Press and Public Opinion
The series includes many contemporary newspaper clippings, both Irish and international, covering the 1916 Rising, the War of Independence, the Civil War, and subsequent commemorations. These clippings provide context on public sentiment, propaganda, and the international response to events in Ireland.
Notable Thematic Volumes
Several bound volumes are specifically dedicated to the Irish Revolution, containing original photographs, fliers, ephemera, and pasted-in content from 1916 to 1923. Other volumes focus on partition, anti-conscription campaigns, and the experiences of republican prisoners in Northern Ireland.
Literary and Cultural Material
Includes periodicals and journals such as ‘The Irish Review’, ‘The Nation’, ‘An t-Óglách’, ‘The Capuchin Annual’, and others.
Original manuscripts and correspondence from Irish writers, poets, and scholars, including William Frederick Paul Stockley, Patrick Stephen Dinneen, Daniel Corkery, Thomas Moore, Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw and many others.
Religious and Ecclesiastical Content
Letters and documents from and about Capuchin friars, bishops, and other diocesan clergy, including missionary work and religious ceremonies.
Printed devotional texts, sermons, pamphlets, and literature reflecting Catholic doctrine and practice.
Music and Art
Music manuscripts and sheet music, notably by Carl Hardebeck and other Irish musicians.
Exhibition catalogues, photographs, and correspondence relating to Irish artists and sculptors such as Jack B. Yeats, Mary Redmond, Laurence Campbell, and Richard King.
Biographical and Genealogical Material
Biographical notes, memorial cards, and correspondence relating to prominent Irish figures, families, and contributors to ‘The Capuchin Annual’.
Genealogical records, account books, and business documents, including material on the Pearse family.
Irish Language and Folklore
Manuscripts, letters, and publications in Irish, including works by Tadhg Ó Murchadha, Peadar Ua Laoghaire, Tadhg Ó Donnchadha, Risteard De Hindeberg (Richard Henebry), and other notable Irish language writers.
Folklore collector notes and texts, with references to the Irish Folklore Commission.
International Connections
Correspondence and material relating to the Irish diaspora, international religious missions, and global events (the collection includes letters from the United States, Argentina, France, Germany, Italy, and Israel).
