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Research files and collected materials, 1797-2014, bulk: 1916-1982

 Series

Scope and Contents

Series includes extensive research files related to Maire Comerford's life as an Irish republican and nationalist. Materials primarily contain newspaper clippings, as well as artifacts, correspondence, notes, photographs, and printed material and other ephemera. Notable topics include the Irish War of Independence, the Irish Civil War, nationalism, the Northern Ireland conflict, and the fight for political prisoners' rights. Also important to Comerford were women's rights, Irish agriculture, and education.

Republican correspondents include Molly Childers, Joe Clarke, Éamon De Valera, Dorothy Macardle, Maude Gonne MacBride, and more. There is also correspondence from prisoners in Kilmainham Jail, Long Kesh Detention Centre, Mountjoy Prison, and Portlaoise Prison. Many of these letters were redacted and are missing portions of the pages. Printed materials and ephemera include broadsides and posters produced by organizations such as Sinn Féin and Cumann na mBan, as well as records of activist groups like Prisoners Aid Committee and the Irish Anti-Partition Association. Artifacts include an early tricolor flag, artwork from Long Kesh prisoners, and a political rally posterboard and pin-back button.

Dates

  • Creation: 1797-2014
  • Creation: Majority of material found within 1916-1982

Creator

Language of Materials

From the Collection:

Materials predominantly in English with some Irish.

Access Note

Collection is open for research.

Full Extent

25.52 Linear Feet (21 containers)

Arrangement

Because the series contains many secondary sources, the chronological arrangement includes some inconsistencies. In many cases, materials have been organized according to the dates of the events they document rather than the dates on which they were created.

Processing Information

Maire Comerford's original research file titles were maintained when possible. As a result, there are some inconsistencies in description, including the interchangeable use of Mountjoy Jail and Mountjoy Prison, as well as variations between Irish and anglicized forms of individuals' names.

Repository Details

Part of the John J. Burns Library Repository

Contact:
John J. Burns Library
Boston College
140 Commonwealth Avenue
Chestnut Hill MA 02467 USA
617-552-4861