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Annual reports and statements of accounts of Father Mathew Hall, Church Street. The booklets provide reports on annual general meetings, activities, speeches and events held in the Hall and provide annual accounts of receipts and expenditure. The 1901 report (pp 20-3) gives an account of a speech by Pádraig Pearse in the Hall on 2 March 1902 commending the giving of classes ‘for the study of our native language, and forms of self-culture amongst our members.’ He added ‘There is a certain bad old tradition that one cannot be a good Irishman unless he “takes a dhrop”. Now, I think you will all allow if there is one body in Ireland which is concerned more than another for the maintenance of genuine Irish traditions, that body is the Gaelic League … [and] in the ranks of no body in Ireland will you find proportionally so many total abstainers as in those of the Gaelic League’. Pearse suggested that there should be more cooperation between the Gaelic League and the temperance movement. In 1906, it was reported (p. 20) that ‘owing to several exceptional expenses, rendered necessary by the increase of membership and the extension of temperance work, we have not been able to reduce our indebtedness to the Bank’. The statement of accounts noted that £1,405 6s 5d was owed to the National Bank by December 1906. The front covers of the booklets have ink drawings of the Hall fronting onto Church Street.

Expenditure and receipt book for Father Mathew Hall, Church Street. The inside cover is annotated with a ‘History of Fr. Mathew Hall – copied from the other ledger (1881-1926)’. The history reads: ‘1891: Hall in Church St. formally opened up by Archbishop Walsh. Fr. Columbus Maher OSFC (President)’. The history chronicles extensions, leases and other financial matters concerning the Hall property. The remainder of the volume is made up of expenditure and receipt accounts from Sept. 1934-Sept. 1937. Expenditure is listed under the headings of details, cash and cheques. Receipts are listed under details, cash, total and lodgements. The entries include figures for rents (to the Merchant Tailors), rates (to Dublin Corporation) and the sales of tickets for pantomimes and for various badges, medals, certificates and other paraphernalia.

The volume contains information in respect of ticket sales and cash derived from various lectures and concert performances at Father Mathew Hall, Church Street. The Hall was regularly frequented by those interested in promoting cultural revivalist activities such as storytelling and festivals of native song and dance. The volume records that Pádraig Pearse gave a lecture in the Hall entitled ‘Education in Ancient Ireland’ on 20 Nov. 1905. On 29 Jan. 1906, the Chevalier Sheeran gave a talk on subject of the ‘alleged atrocities in the Congo Free State’. Each entry is signed by a secretary or officer of the Hall Committee. The signatories include J.W. Whitmore and J. Scanlan.

Souvenir programme for St. Brigid’s Aonach held in Father Mathew Hall, Church Street, from 31 January to 5 February 1910. The object of the Fete was ‘to liquidate the heavy debt incurred by the recent extension of the Hall’. The debt of the Hall stood at £3,000. The Aonach consisted of various stands promoting goods of Irish manufacture.

Letter from Antoinette Reilly, Bord Fáilte, to Fr. Christopher Twomey OFM Cap. enclosing £200 in payment for permission to reproduce photographs of the plaster-work in Father Mathew Hall. With a copy of 'Ireland of the Welcomes', 49 (Mar.-Apr. 2000), which includes a feature on ‘Father Mathew Hall: A Celtic Revival Treasure’ by Nicola Gordon Bow (pp 14-21).

Souvenir programme for the opening of an extension to Father Mathew Hall, Church Street. The programme provides an itinerary and guide to the first Father Mathew Feis, the Irish Trade Mark Exhibition and the Father Mathew Museum. The literary adjudicators for the Feis were Eoin MacNeill, Brian O’Higgins, George O’Moonan and Sinéad Ní Fhlannagáin. The new extension included a stage, dressing rooms, storage rooms, a new gallery, a ‘lantern and cinematograph operating chamber’ and a refreshment room.

Newspaper cuttings book compiled and annotated by Fr. Stanislaus Kavanagh OFM Cap. Printed stamp on inside front cover reads: ‘Franciscan Capuchin Library, Church Street, Dublin’. The pages have been numbered by Fr. Stanislaus. The cuttings book includes:
Report of temperance bazaar and fete at Father Mathew Hall. 'Freeman’s Journal', 29 May 1907.
Photographic print of performers in the pantomime Cinderella at the Father Mathew Hall, Cork. 'Cork Weekly Examiner', 7 Mar. 1914.
Report on the Grand Temperance Fete and Exhibition of Irish Industries held in Father Mathew Hall. 'Freeman’s Journal', 30 May 1907.

‘Irish National Insurance Co. Ltd. 1949 “Every hour diary”’ containing newspaper clippings mostly relating to performances, recitals, and musical events at the Father Mathew Hall. Includes notices of winners in various Feis competitions. Most of the clippings contain annotations identifying the paper and date (mostly take from the 'Irish Press', 'Dublin Evening Mail', and 'Irish Independent'). Includes photographic prints of many of the Capuchin friars involved with the Feis (Fr. Henry Anglin OFM Cap. and Fr. Gerald McCann OFM Cap.).

Hall-marked silver and bronze Father Mathew Feis medals of uniform Celtic Cross design. Some of the medals have an orange ribbon fastener. The medals are engraved on the reverse with:
• ‘1st prize Drawing & Designing (Class B). 1924’.
• ‘Club Swinging Seniors. 1929’.
• ‘Physical Culture – 1928-29-30. Maggie Hamilton’ (digital image above).
• ‘Swedish Drill. Maggie Hamilton. 1930’.
• ‘2nd Prize / Domestic Science / Crochet / 1925’.
• ‘2nd Prize / Domestic Science/ Overall / 1925’.
• ‘2nd Prize / Sewing / Class D / 1926’.
• ‘Senior Club Swinging / 1930’.
• ‘Senior Club Swinging / 1931’.
• ‘Physical Culture / 1931’.
• ‘Senior English Elocution / 1931 / Second’.
Three of the Celtic Cross Feis Maitiú medals have no engraving on the reverse. The file also includes the metal die used to strike the Feis medal.

Thread-bound volume containing photographic prints of plays and pantomime performances at Father Mathew Hall, Church Street, Dublin. Only the first two of the prints are annotated: ‘The Heiress. Presented by St. Philomena’s D. Group, Drogheda, at National Drama Festival, F.M. Hall, Thursday, 8th May 1952’; ‘The Heiress. As presented by The Father Mathew Players. National Drama Festival, Thursday, 14th May 1953’. The remainder are photographs of dramatic performances (mainly pantomimes) and the audience in the Hall (predominately school children). A small number of the prints are press photographs from the 'Irish Press' and the 'Irish Times'.