Gerard Fanning papers

Collection

Identifier: MS-2020-045

Scope and Contents

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Papers of late-twentieth-century Irish poet Gerard Fanning, composed of correspondence, journals, poetry, and photographs. Personal and professional correspondence includes letters from contemporary poets Gerald Dawe, John Deane, Frank Ormsby, Colm Tóibín, among others. Fanning's personal papers feature journals and family photographs, particularly from the 1970s. Papers documenting his career as a poet encompass materials from the two literary periodicals he edited in the 1970s for University College Dublin, Broadsheet (a single-sheet publication of the Poetry Workshop) and St. Stephen's (a student literary publication). Fanning's own poetry is represented through working notebooks, containing dated, iterative drafts of his work throughout his entire career, as well as typed versions of his poems that he submitted for publication, individually or in collections. A small number of works by others, primarily poetry sent to Fanning for his review and comments, is also present.

Dates

Creation: 1944-2017
Creation: Majority of material found within 1975-2006

Creator

Fanning, Gerard, 1952-2017 (Person)

Access Note

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

These materials are made available for use in research, teaching and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source. The original authors may retain copyright to the materials.

Biographical note: Gerard Fanning

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Gerard Fanning was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1952. He had five siblings, Miriam, John, Dermot, David, and Peter. He studied at Blackrock College and University College Dublin, where he was editor of both St. Stephen's, a literary magazine, and Broadsheet, a single-page publication of the Poetry Workshop. Following his graduation from University College Dublin, Fanning worked for a short time in Barcelona teaching English.

On his return to Ireland, he joined the Irish Civil Service, where he spent the remainder of his career. He wrote poetry in his free time or between work tasks, and published four collections, Easter Snow (1992), Working for the Government (1999), Water & Power (2004) and Hombre: New and Selected Poems (2011). Collected Poems (2024) was published posthumously, edited by his wife, Bríd Ní Chuilinn, and Conor O’Callaghan. The collection includes the four books he published during his lifetime as well as Slip Road, a collection he completed shortly before his death.

Fanning was awarded the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature and the Brendan Behan Award for poetry in 1993. Two of his poems were adapted by the composer Ian Wilson for his Harbouring Suite (2008). Fanning died on October 18, 2017, following an illness.

Sources:

"Collected Poems, Gerard Fanning," Wake Forest University Press, accessed August 4, 2025. https://wfupress.wfu.edu/books/collected-poems-gerard-fanning

Falvey, Dierdre, "Poet and Rooney Prize winner Gerard Fanning dies," The Irish Times, October 19, 2017. https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/poet-and-rooney-prize-winner-gerard-fanning-dies-1.3261917

"Fanning, Gerard: Death," The Irish Times, October 20, 2017. https://notices.irishtimes.com/death/fanning-gerard/51377127

"Gerard Fanning," Dedalus Press, accessed August 4, 2025. https://www.dedaluspress.com/authors/fanning-gerard/

Full Extent

9 Linear Feet (9 containers)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Papers of late-twentieth-century Irish poet Gerard Fanning, including correspondence, journals, poetry, and photographs. Notable are Fanning's poetry notebooks, which contain dated iterative drafts of his work throughout his career.

Arrangement

Arranged in three series: I. Correspondence; II. Personal; and III. Poetry.

Series II. Personal is arranged in three subseries: A. Journals; B. Personal records; and C. Photographs.

Series III. Poetry is arranged in three subseries: A. Edited works; B. Works by Fanning; and C. Works by others.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Purchased from Kennys Bookshop & Art Galleries, who brokered the sale for Fanning's spouse, Brid Ní Chuilinn, in 2020 and 2023.

Related Materials

Boston College collection of Dolmen Press, MS.2003.002, John J. Burns Library, Boston College.

Boston College collection of Thomas Kinsella, BC.2022.049, John J. Burns Library, Boston College.

Gerald Dawe papers, MS.2000.016, John J. Burns Library, Boston College.

Emmet J. Larkin papers, MS.2012.008, John J. Burns Library, Boston College.

Flann O'Brien papers, MS.1997.027, John J. Burns Library, Boston College.

John F. Deane papers, MS.2002.009, John J. Burns Library, Boston College.

Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill papers, MS.1997.012, John J. Burns Library, Boston College.

Separated Materials

Published works associated with this collection have been transferred within the Burns Library and can be found in the Boston College Library catalog.