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| IRISH STUDIES PROGRAM |
| http://www.bc.edu/irish |
| Burns Library |
Irish Collections at the John J. Burns library of Rare Books and Special Collections Dedicated in 1986 in the memory of Judge John J. Burns '21, this library houses the
university's rare books and special collections as well as the university
archives, and frequently exhibits some of these materials for members and
friends of the Boston College community.
One of the most acclaimed features of the Burns Library is its Irish and Irish-American Authors Collection, containing original manuscripts, correspondence and other memorabilia of some of Ireland's greatest writers. The library has received several major acquisitions, including materials relating to Nobel laureates William Butler Yeats and Samuel Beckett. The Yeats materials, formally presented by the Yeats family in October 1993, have made the library's Yeats collection the most comprehensive outside Ireland. In late 1994, the library acquired its third major collection of Beckett materials, making it among the top five in the world. The acquisition consisted of correspondence between Beckett and Alan Schneider, who directed every Beckett play premiere in America from 1955-84. The Beckett-Schneider letters came on the heels of a 1993 acquisition which included correspondence between Beckett and his friend and literary agent Barney Rosset as well as other rare artifacts. The John J. Burns Library's Irish Collection has
expanded in the past few years to include landmark donations of manuscripts,
letters and other writings by Sean O'Casey, Flann O'Brien and Nuala Ní
Dhomhaill. The O'Casey papers were donated by Robert G. Lowery, editor
of the Irish Literary Supplement, in the fall of 1996. Irish language poet
Nuala Ní Dhomhaill was the visiting Burns Scholar in the 1998-1999
academic year.
Irish Music ArchivesBurns Library is also the location of the university's traditional Irish music archives, supported by the Irish Studies Program and Music Department in conjunction with the library. Since it was established in 1990, the archive has received over one thousand items from twenty-two private collections. Among its holdings are early seventy-eight rpm recordings of Irish and Scottish music, out of print LPs and nineteenth century sheet music from the United States and Ireland. Through ballads, Seas-Nos songs, ceili band recordings and solo instrumental performances, the archive offers a rich learning experience for musicians, scholars, and Irish music enthusiasts. The archive is under the direction of Elizabeth Sweeney and is located in the Bapst Library, located next to the Burns.Burns Library Visiting Scholar in Irish StudiesEach academic year, Burns Library welcomes a distinguished scholar, writer or artist who has made significant contributions to Irish cultural and intellectual life. The Burns Library Visiting Scholar in Irish Studies uses the library's Irish collection for his or her own research, and teaches one Irish Studies course and delivers two public lectures per semester. The presence of a Burns scholar at Boston College over the past five years has enhanced the intellectual life of the university and proved a tremendous asset to the Irish Studies.Burns Scholars 1991-2000 with select publicationsAlf Mac Lochlainn (1991-92)Film and literary critic, bibliographer, cultural historian and novelist who served as director of the National Library of Ireland
Timothy O'Neill (Spring 1995)
(ed. with D. Dickson & D. Keogh, Lilliput Press, 1993)
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| This page last updated on September 27, 2001 |
| Questions or comments concerning the web page: |
| Contact the Irish Studies Program |
| Home Page:http://www.bc.edu/irish |
| Copyright 2000 - The Trustees of Boston College |
