Politicians and Political Activities

SERIES 1: Photographs of politicians and political activities in Northern Ireland, 1970s-2007. Notable subjects include Gerry Adams, John Carson, Mairead Corrigan, David Ervine, Lord Gerry Fitt, Dr. Maurice Hayes, John Hume, Tomas Mac Giolla, Mary McAleese, Martin McGuinness, Martin Meehan, James Molyneaux, Ruairi O'Bradaigh, Rev. Ian Paisley, Lord David Trimble, and Sammy Wilson.

Religious Leaders and Activities

SERIES 2: Photographs of religious leaders and activities in Northern Ireland, 1970s-2008. Of note are images of Cardinal Cahal Daly (then-Bishop), Archbishop Robin Eames, Cardinal Tomás Ó Fiaich (including coverage of his funeral), and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Bombs and violence

SERIES 3: This series contains 1,473 photographic negatives and positives documenting bombings, acts of violence and people involved, throughout the North of Ireland from the 1970s to the 1990s.  It also contains two images published in Hanvey’s book Merely Players (1999) and one award-winning photograph from the scene of a bus-bomb explosion in Ballygawley, Co. Tyrone.

Writers, Poets, Journalists and Artists

SERIES 4: This series contains 2,118 frames of photographic negatives and positives of writers, poets, journalists and other artists in Northern Ireland taken by Bobbie Hanvey from the 1970s to 2007. Portraits include those of author John McGahern, poet Michael Longley, and artists Rita Duffy and Neil Shawcross as well as several images which appeared in Hanvey’s book Merely Players (1999).

Singers and Other Entertainers

SERIES 5: Photographs documenting singers, musicians, and entertainers, 1970s-2007. Of note are images of Margaret Barry, Philomena Begley, Johnny Cash, Clancy Family, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ciaran Mac Mathuna, Tommy Makem, Paddy Noonan, the Sands Family, as well as the funeral of Tony McAuley.

Ordinary Life During the Troubles

SERIES 6: Photographs recording ordinary life in Northern Ireland during the "Troubles," 1970s-2005. Notable images include two award winning photographs (one "Best People Picture" and one "Best Picture" at the Northern Bank Press Awards).

The Travelling People

SERIES 7: This series includes 546 frames of photographic negatives and transparencies taken by Bobbie Hanvey chronicling the “Travelling People” (nomadic people) in Northern Ireland between the 1970s and 1990s.  Notable images include two published in Merely Players (1999) and two award-winning photographs (one for Best People Picture in the Northern Bank Press Awards).

Paramilitary Organizations

SERIES 8: Photographs documenting paramilitary organizations, their members, and activities in Northern Ireland, 1970s-2001. Of note are two award-wining images.

The Security Forces, 1970s-1990s

SERIES 9: Photographs documenting the persons and activities of the Security Forces in Northern Ireland between the 1970s and 2007.  Included are two frames of images appearing in Merely Players (1999).

Seamus Heaney

SERIES 10: This series contains 1,066 photographic negatives and positives of Seamus Heaney alone and with his wife and family taken by Bobbie Hanvey from 1979-2007.  Of note are negatives of images appearing in Merely Players (1999), including the cover image, one appearing in The Irish Century (Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1998), shots of poets John Montague, Maeve McGuckian and James Simmons and one image of Seamus Heaney with Paul Brady, Arty McGlynn, Terence Flanagan and Tommy Sands.  Unless otherwise noted, Seamus Heaney appears in each set of negatives.

Éamon de Valera

SERIES 11: Éamon de Valera was born in New York, but lived most of his life in Ireland. De Valera was a leader in the Easter Rebellion of 1916, was a key figure during Ireland’s War of Independence, 1919-1921, and then in the Irish Civil War, 1922-1923. He served in various capacities in the Irish Government throughout most of his life, including as Prime Minister (Taoiseach) three times and then President of the Irish Republic until 1973.

Gusty Spence

SERIES 12: Photographs of Gusty Spence, former member of the Ulster Volunteer Force and a leading loyalist politician, 1985-1995, including those taken shortly after his release from prison and with Buck Alec Robinson. Also, copy images of Spence's personal photograph collection. Among these are copies of photographs taken by Gusty Spence and others. Copyright of photos taken by anyone other than Hanvey or Spence has not been transferred to Boston College.

Royal Ulster Constabulary/Police Service of Northern Ireland 2008

SERIES 13: Photographs documenting the changeover from the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), 2001-2002.