March is Irish Heritage Month. With this observance in mind and at hand, there are an abundance of resources to share with you.
We are delighted to announce the successful conclusion of our Irish history project at the archives which was generously funded by the New Jersey Historical Commission, Irish Immigrant Solidarity in New Jersey, 1870-Present. This project hired an advanced graduate student in Library Science, Quinn Christie, to process the papers of several Irish fraternal organizations. The cornerstone of the project was processing the papers of the historian of the Ancient Order of the Hibernians, John Concannon. This enormous collection of 120 linear feet (120 banker’s boxes of materials) had to be rehoused in archival boxes and folders, organized in a logical way and described so that researchers could find what they were looking for by a simple keyword search. In addition, a collection of 63 fragile registers which recorded the membership records of the Knights of Columbus, had to be preserved, which entailed building custom size boxes for each one from archival materials.
Our project archivist was so efficient that she completed this work ahead of schedule, allowing time for her and her colleague Sean Cureton to digitize substantial portions of the collections, build digital exhibits, and create a display window just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. In the end, over 1,200 files were digitized, comprising almost 29 GB of data. The digitized materials can be found by exploring the finding aids here:
The Papers of John Concannon and the Ancient Order of the Hibernians
https://archivesspace-library.shu.edu/repositories/2/resources/500
James MacFarland Collection
https://archivesspace-library.shu.edu/repositories/2/resources/505
Ancient Order of the Hibernians – New Jersey Collection
https://archivesspace-library.shu.edu/repositories/2/resources/506
Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Daughters of America – New Jersey Chapter
https://archivesspace-library.shu.edu/repositories/2/resources/507
James Comerford Papers
https://archivesspace-library.shu.edu/repositories/2/resources/508
Gloria Schneider Papers
https://archivesspace-library.shu.edu/repositories/2/resources/510
Please visit our digital exhibits:
Irish-American Organizations: The Power of Connection by Quinn Christie
James Comerford: Irish American History and Culture by Sean Cureton
And stop by the first floor of Walsh Library to see our window exhibit!
In addition, a vast selection of information resources can be found related to Ireland “Éire” within the Seton Hall University Libraries.
Publications related to the Irish experience cover a wide range of specific topics including culture, history, literature, and religion to name just a few of the interesting themes that await discovery.
You are welcome to access our Library Guide as a starting point for specific Ireland and American Irish-centered content . . .
Ireland & American Irish Studies
We also feature a specialized research site dedicated to Irish Literature created and maintained by Professor Gerry Shea . . .
Irish Literature: Celtic Revival to Present
The Irish have been a popular subject for study on our campus for decades and we have featured specific aspects of our collections within past news stories published over the years. Please feel free to explore more specific highlights found within our archived blog entries . . .
Irish Featured Research Blog Posts – University Libraries
Irish Featured Research Blog Posts – Archives & Special Collections Center
“Happy Reading” or “Sásta Taighde!”
Need more help? Book a research appointment here: Research Appointment Site
