Trade Union Card of John McGahern for the Amalgamated Union of Building Trade Workers, Whitechapel Branch, London.

An extensive card catalogue compiled by Tim Robinson throughout the 1980s and 1990s, drawn from his field notes. The series has been arranged by Robinson into civil parishes, and further divided into townlands. For most of the townlands, there are several record cards that give a detailed description of the local landscape. These describe historical, ecclesiastical, geological, and archaeological features. Anecdotes and local lore also feature in these. Robinson adds the names of people who helped him compile his information, usually local people, and often correspondents who sent him information helping him identify the origins of placenames, or certain landmarks and artefacts.

The cards also credit several secondary sources, including the OS maps and corresponding Field Name Books, Hardiman's History of Galway, Alexander Nimmo's map of the bogs in the West of Ireland, and many more.

In all cases in this series, the placename Tim Robinson used as his title appears as the title here. Many are in Irish, and some are in English. The corresponding translation is provided in the description.

Fiftieth anniversary number of the "Times Literary Supplement".

Tim and Máiréad Robinson's archive primarily documents the research, mapping and writing work they carried out in the Galway Bay region over a 40 year span. Their focus was self-described as "the ABC of earth-wonders", referring to the Aran Islands, the Burren, and Connemara.

Tim Robinson produced his first map of the Aran Islands in 1975, soon after followed by a map of the Burren uplands in 1977. His survey work is methodically documented in field note-books, tracings with annotations of historical maps of the area, annotated secondary readings, and correspondence with a network of local and subject experts with whom he discussed an expansive range of topics. Having amassed a wealth of information, Robinson went on to speak and write prolifically about these regions. His first major literary work, 'Stones of Aran: Pilgrimage' was published in 1985, with a follow up, 'Stones of Aran: Labyrinth' published in 1996. The archive includes the drafts and research work that went in to crafting these two books.

While working on the 'Stones of Aran' books, Tim and Máiréad moved to Roundstone, and began work on surveying Connemara. In Connemara, literary output pre-dated the production of a map, beginning with the short pamphlet, 'Setting Foot on the Shores of Connemara', which was published in 1981. This was followed by a series of articles in the Connacht Tribune with information on the placenames, folklore, local history and archaeology of South Connemara. These articles appeared from 1983 to 1987, and were later published in the bilingual anthology, 'Camchuairt Chonamara Theas' / 'A Twisty Journey: Mapping South Connemara'. In 1990, the Connemara one-inch map, with accompanying gazetteer was published, the product of an exhaustive survey of the region, which is thoroughly documented in the archive. Tim Robinson was meticulous in the organisation of this information, distilling much of his field research into an index of its townlands.

He later published the Connemara trilogy of books, 'Listening to the Wind' (2006), 'The Last Pool of Darkness' (2008), and 'A Little Gaelic Kingdom' (2011).

Beyond their cartographic and literary output, Tim and Máiréad Robinson also became immersed in the development of their local community, with much of the archive detailing events and exhibitions taking place in Aran and Connemara, and various infrastructure developments taking place in the area from the 1970s - 2000's. They were frequently a lively part of the debate and advocacy work surrounding these events, from proposals for a wind farm on Inis Meáin, to the campaign to save Mullach Mór, and the save Roundstone Bog campaign.

Three letters between W R Rice and Peter Freyer

Literary drafts, of his finished novel and eighteen plays, including adaptations of plays beginning with Chekhov's Seagull. Theatre production files, mostly programmes, promotional material, press reviews, few photographs. Radio and television work, with both adaptations of his plays and original play. Unfinished literary and media work, including novels 'Angela', 'Quirke', television plays; other projects. Administrative records, concerning production and publication of his works, his involvement with The Abbey, and The Field Day Companies. Private correspondence, with fellow playwrights including Tom MacIntyre, Frank McGuinness, and with fellow writers including John McGahern, Seamus Heaney, Seamus Deane. Drama, poetry and prose by other writers. Critical writing about Thomas Kilroy - essays and reviews. Lecture and conference notes. Collected printed material. Photographs, not production-specific.

Typescript of part of later draft of play with a few handwritten amendments entitled "The Power of Darkness" by John McGahern. Also, typescript copy of "The Power of Darkness" by John McGahern, Abbey Theatre Dublin copyright, with a few handwritten amendments.

Given the 1923 fire, it is surprising that anything has survived to this time. The collection consists of 23 items, and there is little continuity. The legal material consists of a scattering of deeds from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, mainly deeds of conveyance to the Kirwans, and marriage settlements, and could in no way be seen as a comprehensive record of the family.

The estate management material dates from the 1850s to the 1890s, and consists of the account of the land agent with Denis Kirwan, later his wife and then their daughter. There are also rentals which would have been used by the land agent to record rents received. This material gives a comprehensive picture of the monies they received out of their estate in the later nineteenth century.

The final section of this collection consists of a number of disparate maps and surveys of lands from county Galway over the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Some refer to Athenry and the estate of the Birmingham family there, as well as a 1781 map of the property of Francis French on the shore and islands of Lough Corrib. Again there is no sense of original order, and the material does not form a coherent series of records, so they have been listed chronologically.

This collection consists of written, printed and photographic archives pertaining to the academic career, and wider historical interests, of Gerard Anthony Hayes-McCoy (1911-1975), historian, and professor of History at University College Galway from 1958

Private correspondence (1971-1978, 1987-1994 and 2002-2007) from John and Madeline McGahern, for Niall and Phil Walsh. Literary work at draft, proof, and publication stages by John McGahern. Press cuttings reviews of John McGahern's work, usually enclosed in correspondence from McGahern [but see P102/ 49].