The 'Feis Maitiú' was established in 1909 by Fr. Aloysius Travers OFM Cap., who saw the need for a festival to encourage people interested in preserving Irish culture and language. The programme for the annual Feiseanna gradually expanded to include competitions for singing, instrumental music, speech and drama, in both English and Irish. The collection consists of organizational records and promotional materials which document the activities of the Father Mathew Feis from its inception. Correspondence and financial records document the development of the Feis, while other records such as competition results, photographs, posters and fliers primarily document competition productions and performances.
This section contains records relating to the sale by the Capuchin Franciscan Order of Father Mathew Hall, Church Street, and the Bow Street Friary building. The principal agents for the sale of the two properties (sold as lots) were Hamilton Osborne King (HOK). The old Friary consisted of a four storey L-shaped building of circa 2,675 m2. The original portion of the building was built towards the end of the nineteenth century, with a northern wing added in the early twentieth century. Access to this portion of the Friary was from Bow Street. The sub-series contains solicitors’ and auctioneers’ correspondence relating to arrangements for the sale. The collection includes legal material connected with the tender for sale and representations made to the Capuchins from various individuals for the preservation of Father Mathew Hall as a cultural and community amenity. This section also includes correspondence from Dublin Corporation regarding provisions for the protection of certain architectural features of the Hall’s interior.
The sub-series contains a collection of printed books, church plate, relics and ephemera associated with Fr. Theobald Mathew OSFC. Some of these objects were used for exhibition purposes by the Capuchin friars at commemorative events marking anniversaries associated with the temperance campaign.
This section contains mainly legal documents including various types of deeds of title including leases, mortgages, wills, property abstracts, searches and financial documents. The section also includes correspondence from solicitors engaged in legal work connected with the conveyance of property. The material is divided into various sections relating to the location of the plots of ground to which the document refers.
