Archives: Articles

At the end of 2020, our beloved colleague, archivist, Gregory O’Connor, sadly passed away. In tribute to our greatly missed and highly esteemed colleague, the National Archives hosted a small reception in honour of Gregory which took place on his birthday, 28 April, to rename the Seminar Room the ‘Gregory O’Connor Seminar Room’. It was a small gathering with members of the O’Connor family and colleagues, past and present, in attendance. Brian Donnelly, Senior Archivist, shared some memories he had of Gregory and Orlaith McBride, Director, recited the words of a researcher from Australia who spoke extremely highly of Gregory and their experiences they had with him when they came to visit the National Archives.

In the reading room, Gregory was generous in sharing his knowledge and helped generations of researchers – academics, genealogists, family historians and local historians. He was renowned for his lectures and talks on a variety of subjects so it is very fitting that the Seminar Room is now called ‘The Gregory O’Connor Seminar Room’.

Secrets of the British Cabinet: nearly 50 years on

In 1967, documents of the British secret service from the period 1916-1922 were released. The release of these archives by the British government led to renewed media interest in the Treaty and allowed Irish journalists to look again at the signing of the Treaty and the relationships between the major figures during this tumultuous period. In particular, it focused on what the British government, and more specifically David Lloyd George, thought of their Irish counterparts. In 1968, The Irish Press produced a series of articles drawing on these secret documents with titles such as ‘What Lloyd George thought of Eamonn de Valera’ and ‘The Breaking of Irish Unity’.

Why are they important?

These articles show the value of archives in engaging the public interest. Making government records public to all provides an insight into how much any nation building activity is about the personalities and the relationships that framed their political interactions. They also highlight the value of safeguarding documents for future public scrutiny; an activity that can only be done with the hindsight of time. Finally, they demonstrate how significant it is that both sides of opposing governments release their documents so that each presents their stories to the world. The introduction of the 20 year rule for Anglo-Irish records in Ireland for 2022 demonstrates perfectly this interdependence. To only have one side of the Anglo-Irish story would be diminishing for all.

Antoinette Doran, Archivist

Last year, the National Archives’ Commemoration Programme marked significant events of 1921, culminating in the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty. A major exhibition, The Treaty, 1921: Records from the Archives, previewed in the British Academy in London on 11 October and opened in Dublin Castle on 6 December. https://www.nationalarchives.ie/2021commemorationprogramme/the-treaty-1921-records-from-the-archives/

The exhibition is on display in Dublin until 27 March after which it will tour to 7 counties across the country between April and June 2022. A comprehensive exhibition catalogue, featuring over 100 document images and 30 photographs relating to the period will be published in partnership with the Royal Irish Academy in March 2022. A high quality educational resource will be distributed to secondary schools nationwide to accompany the exhibition tour. A virtual tour of the Treaty exhibition is accessible here.

In preparing for the exhibition, the National Archives curatorial team reviewed a lot of archival material both from the National Archives and in collections held by other institutions. The team was delighted to partner with National Library of Ireland, the Military Archives and UCD Archives when it came to the final selection of documents. It was, however impossible to include everything. Here,  archivist Rosemary King highlights material from one our lending partners,  Br Allen Collection courtesy of the Military Archives, which demonstrates how even the smallest item of ephemera can enrich our appreciation of events surrounding the delegation in London in 1921.

Hottest ticket in town! 

On the evening of Wednesday 26 October 1921, the Royal Albert Hall was the place to be for the London Irish!  The event was a ‘Reception of Irish delegates’ organised by the Irish Self-Determination League, the Gaelic League of London, the GAA and the Roger Casement Sinn Féin Club.

The Irish Self Determination League of Great Britain [ISDL] was established in March 1919 ‘to band together the Irish residents in Great Britain in order that they shall as a body support their compatriots in Ireland, and use every means in their power to secure the application of the principle of self-determination for Ireland.’  

A letter from Art O’Brien, Vice President of the ISDL responds to a request for a ticket to the event, but also extends the offer if more are required. It was reported that 5,000 people attended the evening. 

A souvenir programme was produced for the event and it details an evening of speeches, traditional Irish dancing from school children, music and songs.  Gathering the autographs of the delegates and others in attendance, appears to have been the ultimate keep-sake of the evening. One signed souvenir programme proved to be very useful on the afternoon of 6 December when in his absence delegate Éamon Duggan’s signature was cut out and pasted to the British copy of the Agreement.  

These documents highlight the importance of the Irish diaspora in London and the role Art O’Brien (Vice President of ISDL; appointed London envoy of first Dáil Éireann in early 1919) played behind the scenes during the negotiations.

This International Women’s Day we tell the story of Lucy Clark, a bold young woman who in 1900 sought control of her future and a more exciting career.

Our Chief Secretaries Office collection constitutes one of the most valuable collections of original source material for research into Ireland in the nineteenth and early twentieth century, from the most seismic events of the day to the comparatively small desires of an ordinary woman. Within this collection is a very telling file (ref. CBS/1900/21340/5) which sums up the status of women in the early part of the 20^th century.

This file in focus contains a letter from Lucy Clark, a modestly educated woman who works as a nurse at Kiltarrif Hall, County Down. On 27^th February 1900 she writes to the Under-Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Sir David Harrel, seeking a post as a female detective. She explains that she is ‘a girl who has only received the education of a national school’ and now works as a nurse ‘but in such a situation can never either be happy or content’. It is a brief letter which expresses so much; a young woman who is unhappy in her job, a position which a girl with her level of education is expected to accept and appreciate. She has clearly thought about a role that may suit her character better, one that she might imagine to be more exciting and varied, away from the repetitive domestic sphere. She has clearly enquired as to who might be best person to approach seeking such a position but unfortunately, as we can see from the reply, Sir David Harrel is not receptive to her offer.

The curt draft reply that is also contained in this file reads ‘…the form of employment you suggest is not resorted to by the Irish Government’.  One can only imagine Lucy’s feelings when receiving this response from Sir David Harrel, by saying that the government wouldn’t resort to employing a woman in such a role comes across as a pointed barb ‘this is not a job for you girl’. One can only hope that Lucy got over this rejection and kept her resolve to pursue a more personally satisfying career, one which made use of her intelligence and daring spirit. Without knowing more of her story we can only imagine the turn she may have taken, perhaps, after all, she might have pursued this field of work as a successful amateur sleuth a la Miss Marple!

You can view the full file, including a draft of the negative reply, here.

Last year, the National Archives’ Commemoration Programme marked significant events of 1921, culminating in the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty. A major exhibition, The Treaty, 1921: Records from the Archives, previewed in the British Academy in London on 11 October and opened in Dublin Castle on 6 December. https://www.nationalarchives.ie/2021commemorationprogramme/the-treaty-1921-records-from-the-archives/

The exhibition is on display in Dublin until 27 March after which it will tour to 7 counties across the country between April and June 2022. A comprehensive exhibition catalogue, featuring over 100 document images and 30 photographs relating to the period will be published in partnership with the Royal Irish Academy in March 2022. A high quality educational resource will be distributed to secondary schools nationwide to accompany the exhibition tour. A virtual tour of the Treaty exhibition is accessible here.

In preparing for the exhibition, the National Archives curatorial team reviewed a lot of archival material both from the National Archives and in collections held by other institutions. The team was delighted to partner with National Library of Ireland, the Military Archives and UCD Archives when it came to the final selection of documents. It was, however impossible to include everything. Here, archivist Suzanne Bedell looks at a document which helped shape our understanding of the importance of appearances  for the delegation.

Travelling in Style

The Irish delegation was in the spotlight from the very second they started their journey to London on 8th October 1921 for the Treaty negotiations which began on 11th October 1921. The press were attentively covering the discussions and crowds from the Irish community in London gathered outside 10 Downing Street to show their support. The plenipotentiaries were representing Ireland on a global stage with countries such as America following what was happening. The delegates all knew the importance of the occasion and therefore they had to look the part.

A memorandum by Robert Brennan, Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, dated 20 October 1921 highlights the importance of dressing accordingly during this momentous period in Irish history. The delegates were given a grant to purchase “an outfit in accordance with the dignity of the office they are about to fill.”

Brennan outlines in the memorandum the minimum amount of clothes that was required of the Irish Delegate:

“1-Dress Suit 1-Morning Suit 2-Lounge Suits 1-Dress Hat, other Hats, Footwear, Underclothes, etc. 1-Good Suit Case 1-[Good] Dressing Case.”

He estimates the cost of the outfits to be around £100. The equivalent in today’s currency is £2,905.77/€3407.72.

This document is important as it gives insight into how the delegates presented themselves. The recommended dress reveals the fashion of our politicians during that time, the type of events the Irish plenipotentiaries attended and the cost of such items from that period. It is interesting how Robert Brennan insisted that the delegates who travelled to London were reimbursed for the clothes that they wore. Brennan claims they were being put to great expense in buying clothes that might be deemed unnecessary at home. From looking at the converted price of £100 to what it is today, one can understand why.