These papers document the musical career of twentieth-century Irish soprano and harpist Mary O'Hara, as well as, to a lesser degree, her personal life. Materials include artifacts, awards, business files, correspondence, discographies, manuscripts, memorabilia, notebooks, photographs, press releases, print publicity, recorded talks and performances, scripts, set lists, and sheet music. The collection highlights O’Hara’s early musical success in the 1950s through her entrance to Stanbrook Abbey in 1962, as well her second music career in 1974 until her retirement in 1994, and her final return to lecturing and playing her “Travels with My Harp” series from 2007 until about 2012.

The bulk of O’Hara’s papers are represented by her correspondence - both personal and professional - and materials documenting her public presentations. Personal correspondence includes friends, family, and her first husband, American poet Richard Selig. Business correspondence covers her performances, published musical recordings, and books, and contains contract and royalty information, which is complemented by a later set of business files covering contracts and financial arrangements. Her correspondence also includes fan mail, and email from her years living in Kenya and Tanzania with her second husband, Irishman Padraig O’Toole. O’Hara’s performing and presenting materials span scripts, sheet music, slide shows, recordings of interviews and musical performances, as well as her dress, shawl, and first professional harp.

O’Hara’s papers also contain awards; memorabilia with family items and keepsakes from her time at Stanbrook Abbey; and notebooks on musical and religious topics. Her photographs consist mostly of portraits with her harp and events, but some candids with friends and family are also present. Her publicity materials include press releases, clippings, concert and tour schedules, ephemera, fan club newsletters, journal articles, posters, programs, fliers, and unpublished articles about her. Subject files comprise published articles, photographs, and notes on subjects of interest to O'Hara. And her writings are principally made up by drafts of her autobiographies, The Scent of the Roses, 1980, and Travels with My Harp (also the name of her last talk and performance series), 2012. Also included are drafts of O’Toole’s autobiography, Aran to Africa: An Irishman's Unique Odyssey.