by Róisín Berry, Archivist
Introduction
Each November archive professionals across Ireland and the United Kingdom find exciting new ways to promote their collections. ‘Explore Your Archive’ is an annual campaign organised by the Archives and Records Association (ARA), that highlights the best of archives and archive services. Its aim is to open archival collections to the public that are held in both private and public organisations through a range of activities. These activities are as varied as the repositories themselves, and can include tours, lectures, seminars, exhibitions, to name but a few. This year, the campaign runs from Saturday 25th November to Sunday 3rd December, offering a tantalising glimpse of some of the treasures held in our repositories nationwide.
Special Collections & Archives at Maynooth University (MU) Library
In addition to our extensive rare books collection, Special Collections and Archives at MU Library is home to the archives of academics, writers, politicians, and activists. Archives can be defined as unique records or documents selected for permanent preservation because of their historical and evidential value. We are a collecting repository that acquires and administers archival collections of private origin, and this important material can be consulted in our reading room facilities. We actively collect documents relating to a range of different subjects, including local history, theology, literary figures, military history, and the archives of religious and teaching bodies. Our collections include the papers of Niamh Bhreathnach, James Cheasty, Teresa Deevy, Desmond Forristal, Pearse Hutchinson, Sir Edward Littlehales, Seán Ó Faoláin, and Ken Saro-Wiwa.
‘Five Women, Five Moments’ Exhibition
This year MU Library will celebrate ‘Explore Your Archive’ with a Sway exhibition entitled ‘Five Women, Five Moments: an exhibition celebrating women in the archives at Maynooth University Library.’ The exhibition highlights archival material relating to five notable women drawn from our collections in Special Collections and Archives, including Margaret Grubb, Caitlín Hutchinson, Teresa Deevy, Sister Majella McCarron, and Niamh Bhreathnach. The women selected are vastly different, but each has contributed to the history and culture of this island. The exhibition focuses on a key moment in each of the women’s lives, its impact, and the fascinating documents that help tell their story.
We start with Margaret Grubb née Shackleton (1751-1829). Margaret was a Quaker of high standing in her community, travelling and preaching with other members of her family. She was a prolific writer of letters, many of which make up the Quaker Archive in MU Library today. Consisting of approximately 500 documents, the correspondence is mostly between Margaret and her sister Mary Leadbeater née Shackleton (1758-1826). They address the day-to-day lives of the women in their community, current affairs, and meetings of the Society of Friends. The collection offers a captivating view of life for Quaker women in eighteenth and nineteenth century Ireland.
Next, we have Caitlín Hutchinson (1888-1968). Born Kathleen Sarah McElhinney, Caitlín was a resolute republican and member of Sinn Féin in Glasgow, hosting many Irish republicans when they visited from Ireland on fund raising tours. One such tour included Constance Markievicz and the two women became correspondents and friends, with Markievicz painting Caitlín’s portrait. Caitlín also collaborated with many other leading figures in the movement including Margaret Pearse and Éamonn DeValera. She married Henry Warren Hutchinson in 1916 and documents relating to both Caitlín and her husband can be found in the archive of their son, Irish multilingual poet Pearse Hutchinson (1927-2012) in MU Library.
Following on from Caitlín we have Irish dramatist Teresa Deevy (1894-1963). Born in County Waterford, Teresa is known principally for her work with the Abbey Theatre in Dublin during the 1930s, one of the few Irish women playwrights blazing a trail at this time. The Teresa Deevy Archive at MU Library comprises a selection of documents relating to the Waterford writer’s work. It includes correspondence, theatre programmes, scripts, short stories, essays, articles, and lectures, providing researchers with a rare glimpse into Deevy’s creative output over many years.
MU Library is also committed to collecting the papers of political figures, including the archive of former Labour party member and Minister for Education, Niamh Bhreathnach (1945-2023). The archive consists of speeches, press statements and newspaper cuttings, and provides an overview of Niamh’s distinguished career in the world of both education and politics. Many of her achievements are reflected in the collection, including publishing the first White Paper on Education, abolishing third level tuition fees, and upgrading Regional Technical Colleges to Institutes of Technology.
Finally, we have educator and activist, Sister Majella McCarron (b. 1939). Irish nun Sister Majella moved to Nigeria in the 1960s and began lecturing at the University of Lagos. It was her work on behalf of the AEFJN (Africa-Europe Faith and Justice Network) that led her to discover the plight of the Ogoni people and to meet with Nigerian writer and activist Ken Saro-Wiwa (1941-1995). The Ken Saro-Wiwa Archive at MU Library contains letters between Sister Majella and Ken during his detention by the Nigerian government and prior to his execution. These moving documents highlight the importance of Sister Majella as both a friend and a voice within the international community during this last chapter in Ken’s life.
For more information on these important women and their stories, the Sway exhibition ‘Five Women, Five Moments’ will run from Saturday 25th November to Sunday 3rd December. For further details please contact: library.specialcollections@mu.ie
Update: The Sway exhibition is now available to visit here.
MU Library Treasures 