Collection View
Autograph and typewritten notebooks and manuscripts for poetry, as well as manuscripts and research material used for books and other literary contributions. Much of this material is in the Irish language. Includes annotated copies of autograph manuscript, also partially typed, and correspondence relating to Mhac an tSaoi's autobiography, The Same Age as the State, published in 2003.
Kennys Bookshop compiled and arranged the materials. Materials remain in the order in which Princeton received them from Kennys Bookshop.
Exercise Copy Book, 1920s-1930s
Spiral bound note book, 1980s
Four notebooks: one hardbound, two spiral bound, one leather bound, with loose ephemera, 1993-2008
Black A5 notebook, 1980s
Notebook, handmade paper, 1990s
Sonas San Aithbhlian Ort!, undated
The Brave Earl of Cork, undated
Lament, 1992
Brown Girl of the Valley, undated
Untitled two-verse poem, undated
Untitled one-verse poem, undated
Deirdre Speaks, undated
Cérbh í Meg Russell?, 1994-2007
The Irish language, 1976
This series includes letters sent by Máire to her husband Conor Cruise O'Brien, and to her parents during her time living in France and Spain and later with O'Brien in Ghana and in the United States. There are approximately 100 letters received from others including fellow writers and poets. Also includes correspondence from Seamus Heaney, who agreed to launch her autobiography in 2003. The Dr. Letitia Fairfield letters demonstrate the close relationship between the MacEntee family and Dr. Fairfield. She met Margaret MacEntee during a visit to Dublin in the early 1920s and following a return visit in 1928 the relationship between her and the family became closer. The correspondence between Dr. Fairfield and Seán MacEntee include discussions on international politics and offer insight into the realities of the effects of World War II on her life in London, and, from MacEntee's point of view, when Ireland had remained neutral. Also includes two songs sung in Irish, adaptations of a poem by Máire Mhac an tSaoi "Oíche Nollag" [Christmas Eve], singers unidentified, circa 1995.
Correspondence has been sorted into specific categories where it relates to a specific subject. Where this is not so, it has been given a general arrangement. Where a letter related to a particular subject and was kept in a different folder, this arrangement has been maintained.
Letters from Máire Mhac an tSaoi to her parents, Seán MacEntee and Margaret (née Browne), 1945-1960s
Letter to Kitty, 1945
Dr. Letitia Fairfield CBE, 1930s-1970s
Desmond O'Grady, undated
General correspondence and notes, 1940s-2008
Oíche Nollag Dhá Leagan, 1995
Greeting cards, 1960s-2000s
This series mostly contains documents created by other persons.
Kennys Bookshop compiled and arranged the materials. Materials remain in the order in which Princeton received them from Kennys Bookshop.
Many of the photographs were used in Máire Mhac an tSaoi's memoir, The Same Age as the State (O'Brien Press, Dublin, 2003). Also includes an album of photographs of Mhac an tSaoi as a young child, with her parents, siblings and maternal family (circa 1922-1930s). There are also several photographs of Mhac an tSaoi during her time in Paris, directly after World War II, and of her first diplomatic posting at the Irish Embassy in Madrid, several of which show her being presented to General Franco. Others feature her husband Conor Cruise O'Brien.
Kennys Bookshop compiled and arranged the materials. Materials remain in the order in which Princeton received them from Kennys Bookshop.
Photographs, others, 1960s
Photographs, assorted, 1960s-2008
Photograph album, 1920s-1930s
- Content Description
A literary archive containing original manuscripts, working drafts, notebooks, corrected proofs, personal and professional correspondence, and photographs of Máire Mhac an tSaoi (1922-2021). The manuscripts cover work by Mhac an tSaoi as a poet, academic, biographer and writer. Also includes correspondence with her immediate and extended family, friends, and colleagues. Also included are papers of persons other than Mhac an tSaoi, mostly her parents, Seán and Margaret MacEntee, along with other family members.
Languages include English, Irish, some French, Spanish, Italian, Greek, and Latin.
- Arrangement
Kennys Bookshop compiled and arranged the materials. Materials remain in the order in which Princeton received them from Kennys Bookshop.
The two digital files are in the order in which they were received (via compact disc).
- Collection Creator Biography:
O'Brien
Máire Mhac an tSaoi was a writer and scholar who is known for her Modernist poetry in the Corca Dhuibhne dialect of Munster Irish. She published her first poetry collection, Margadh na Saoire, in 1956. In addition to her Irish-lanugage poetry, Mhac an tSaoi published original and translated works in English. Other works by Mhac an tSaoi include novella A Bhean Óg Ón (2001), memoir The Same Age as the State (2003), and scholarly work Cérbh í Meg Russell? (2008). Born Máire MacEntee to parents Seán MacEntee and Margaret MacEntee (née Browne) in 1922. After studying modern languages and Celtic studies at University College Dublin, Mhac an tSaoi worked in diplomatic service from 1947 until 1962 — the year she married diplomat Conor Cruise O'Brien (1917-2008) in New York City. The couple adopted two children, and Mhac an tSaoi became stepmother to O'Brien's children from his previous marriage. Around 1969, they returned to Ireland from New York City. Mhac an tSaoi died in 2021 in Dublin.
- Acquisition:
Purchased from Kennys Bookshop in January 2023 (AM 2024-018).
- Custodial History
The material was purchased at auction in several miscellaneous lots by Kennys Bookshop (Ireland), having been sent to auction by members of the family of the late Máire Mhac an tSaoi.
- Appraisal
The Oíche Nollag Dhá Leagan CD was removed from the collection after the audio files were extracted in October 2024. No other materials were removed from the collection during 2024 processing.
- Processing Information
This collection was processed by Lauren C. Williams in July-October 2024. Finding aid derived from inventory and description provided by Kennys Bookshop.
The born-digital materials in this collection have been processed according to Princeton University Library's Born-Digital Processing Workflows. For more information on the workflow, please read our full Born-Digital Processing Information Note.
- Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research.
- Conditions Governing Use
Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.
- Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.
This collection contains digital files, which may require specific software or hardware for access. Refer to our Tips on Accessing Born-Digital Content for information on how to render these file formats.
- Credit this material:
Máire Mhac an tSaoi Family Papers; Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library
- Permanent URL:
- http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/dcvx021t35r
- Location:
-
Firestone LibraryOne Washington RoadPrinceton, NJ 08544, USA
- Storage Note:
- ReCAP (scarcpxm): Box 1-3
