Descriptive List For The Papers of Seosamh Mac Grianna

	1 Seosamh MacGrianna's notebooks
	Scope and Content:These are personal manuscript notebooks of typically varied contents. They comprise diary-style entries (partly retrospective) on life in Dublin, and travels in Wales; sketches of personal agendas and resolutions; drafts/sketches for literary work (much fantastic/disjointed); and copies and/or translations of classical, historical, literary texts, from Latin (Caesar), Italian (Anton Barrili), in Old Irish (e.g."Cáin Phádraig").
	Date:1933-[1948]	Extent:7 items

G42/1 See Also G42/ 10	Scope and Content:Foolscap exercise-book (numbered "5") with handwritten notes by [Seosamh Mac Grianna]; literary and historical notes from the "Cáin Phádraig", "CáinAigillne", "An Aicill" and other Brehon laws; fragment translation of [Anton G. Barrili The eleventh commandment (1881)] marked pp 19-23; translation exercises from an Italian prose text about Ruy Gomez. [partly in Old Irish,Italian]
	Date:[ ]	Extent:c.45 pp

G42/2	Scope and Content:Foolscap notebook (numbered "8") with handwritten notes by [Seosamh Mac Grianna]. Outlining 19-20 chapters of collection of tales entitled "The return from the isle", drafting seven of these; first chapter "Bonfire Eve", seventh "The capture of the staff". No unifying narrative except last two; indeterminate 'archaic' time setting; set in 'Malinore' or offshore 'Inishdine'. One unrelated page with list of farming activities.
	Date:[ ]	Extent:29 pp

G42/3	Scope and Content:Foolscap notebook (numbered "7") with handwritten notes by [Seosamh Mac Grianna]; containing notes from his travels in Wales. Beginning "Rhydfelen. Milestone at far end of town, 10m Cardiff", ending with list of towns passed through, last one Caerphilly. (Only dated sporadically by day of the month, and weekday.)
	Date:[early 1934]	Extent:29 pp

G42/4	Scope and Content:Foolscap notebook (numbered "2") with handwritten notes by [Seosamh Mac Grianna]. First part a diary with above dates, beginning "Na Faoighilligh 1, 1934 The lights of Dublin: pas même academicien"; recording ideas [for writing], events, agenda (plans for a 'strongman's hike'; satirical plans for 'Publicity tricks'). Last part (32 pp), notes with ideas for writing, lists of books, accounts; including an elegiac verse piece entitled "Maolchraobhach" (13 pp). with bookmarks by [Mac an Bheatha]) [c.16 pp in Irish]
	Date:1 [January]1934- 22 October 1935	Extent:160 pp

G42/5	Scope and Content:Foolscap notebook (numbered "1") with handwritten notes by [Seosamh Mac Grianna], partly a diary but not kept in chronological order, c.7 front pp missing. Beginning "I see mists rising, phantoms dark [,] decline." Ending "4th Nov.1936 came from Rann na Feirste to 36 Blessington St." Mixture of diary, agenda, ideas (e.g. foretelling the 'Gaelic problem' would be ripe in 1980 thanks to increase of population), notes from reading (e.g. from Healy History of Meath), from dreams, notes from Irish Independent entries on captures of irregulars 1922. Much informed with biblical images; some calculations based on biblical chronologies; Irish pages contain poem/song connected with Tara and Slienamon; personalised lists concerning observance of Catholic teachings. Last pages dated March 1933 to November 1936 with retrospect notes on journey to Wales 1933, return to Ireland and writing work (e.g. end of October 1933 reference to writing The miracle at Cashelmore; 30 November 1934 reference to Grá agus gruaim). (Including bookmarks by [Mac an Bheatha]) [9 pp in Irish]
	Date:[2 March 1[1933- 6 November 1936]	Extent:70 pp

G42/6	Scope and Content:Foolscap notebook (numbered "4") with handwritten notes by [Seosamh Mac Grianna]; bulk (c. 15 pp) containing notes from "De Bello Gallico" [his own translations from the Latin with passages from chapters 6.1, 6.29, 7.1., and 7.86 and calling Caesar 'Gaelgeoir' and 'Welsh genie']. Note on fly-leaf on Mr. and Mrs. Mac Grianna renting a flat in 5 Fitzwilliam Square from Mrs.Mary Clifford from 21 October 1941; otherwise child-like 'doodles', figures.
	Date:1941- [ ]	Extent:c. 30pp

G42/7	Scope and Content:Foolscap notebook (numbered "6") with handwritten notes by [Seosamh Mac Grianna]. Containing notes from "The War of the Welsh Marches" ["De Bello Gallico"] - possibly his own translations from Latin with most of chapters 1.2, 1.5 to 1.12., most of chapters 2.1- mid-2.19.; substituting 'Cumbrians' for Helvetii, 'Wales', 'Irish Province' or indeed 'Yorkshire' for Gaul, 'genie' for Caesar, 'Wales' for Hither Gaul, 'Welsh' for Romans; interrupting chapter 1.6 with an interjection 'The Gospel of course is the Book of Commons' (p.36f.); changing numbers substantially; brief note on the end of "De Bello Gallico" (p.147). Diary entry dated 27 July 1948 "Raheny- this day was even more brilliant... On O'Conn's Isle it was a Jehosaphat of sunshine, grand and thunderously eclatant with great fog rising from the sea...' (p.148).
	Date:1948	Extent:c.105pp

	2 Other notes and drafts
	Scope and Content:These are loose-leaf papers similar in content to the notebooks, containing diary entries; three short prose pieces ("Aisling Aibéil Uí íre", "Dá mbeadh ruball ar éan" and "D[ark] Waters" of 1941); drafts, sketches, ideas for literary work (much fantastical/disjointed); copies or translations of literary texts from Italian (Barrili) and in Spanish (Hugo "Notre Dame")
	Date:1949 and [ ]	Extent:14 items

G42/8	Scope and Content:Handwritten notes taken by [Seosamh Mac Grianna] from poetry and [history], alluding to 'the savages of Gaul', to [Marie Henri] d'Arbois de Jubainville, to a march on Rheims [in French].
	Date:[ ]	Extent:1 p

G42/9	Scope and Content:Handwritten notes taken by [Seosamh Mac Grianna] entitled "Marco Visconte", in a selective transcription from a translation (if not his own translation) of [Tommaso Grossi's novel of 1847], marking chapters, ending just short of the last pages of the original; marginal notes referring to page numbers in original copy.
	Date:[ ]	Extent:29 pp

G42/10 See Also G42/1	Scope and Content:Foolscap exercise book (30 pp) and loose pages (63 pp) of handwritten notes G42/ 1entitled "The eleventh commandment" by Seosamh Mac Grianna; being a partial transcription or original translation of [Anton Giulio Barrili's "L'undicesimo Commandamento"], referring to page numbers in original copy (missing first five pages and end). Exercise book also containing list of MacGrianna's published works, by 'original' and 'translations', up to "Mo bhealach féin".
	Date:[ ]	Extent:2 items

G42/11	Scope and Content:[Fragment] handwritten draft prose piece by [Seosamh Mac Grianna] entitled "The difficulties of Eugenius", sketching a Gaelic hero of Byronic cast named Eoghan Mór Bhuaidh an Chapaill; beginning "there were few characters in history as charming as ...".
	Date:undated	Extent:4 pp

G42/12	Scope and Content:Handwritten paginated draft of poem and essays entitled "The Iliad" by [Seosamh Mac Grianna]. Poem (6 pp) consisting of nine stanzas of six lines and varying metre where the setting is Gaelic Ireland, beginning "some remnant [clans of Gaels] , through wistful song..."; six essays with headings such as "The Iliad and the Catholic idea", "The faults of the Iliad as a training", "Morality of the Iliad" - disjointed thoughts connecting Greek and Gaelic/ Catholic worlds; one page in Irish has ' [Eoghan Mór] Bhuaidh a'Chapaill' (see G42/ 11 above) reappear, and connects "Inis Dhún Rámha" with the Argonauts [last page in Irish].
	Date:[ ]	Extent:14 pp

G42/13	Scope and Content:Handwritten paginated draft of prose piece by [Seosamh Mac Grianna] entitled "Passages from the Life of St.Patrick"; in 21 points, beginning "1.It was the closing years of Tighernagh's life." Mostly putting Cormac MacAirt at centre stage, in disjointed/ surreal setting of monarchy, democracy, elements of orangeism; likening Patrick to 'Aodh Dubh Mhic an Fhiachú'; later veering between ancient Memphis, France, Niniveh (pp 16, 17 missing).
	Date:[ ]	Extent:22 pp

G42/14	Scope and Content:Handwritten paginated copy by [Seosamh Mac Grianna] entitled "Nuestra Dama de Paris"; excerpt from beginning of Victor Hugo's "Notre Dame de Paris" (1831) [in Spanish].
	Date:[ ]	Extent:29 pp

G42/15	Scope and Content:Handwritten notes by [Seosamh Mac Grianna], mostly in figures, partly concerned with bodily exercise.
	Date:[ ]	Extent:2 pp

G42/16	Scope and Content:Handwritten page by [Seosamh Mac Grianna] sketching out his day; beginning at 8am, ending at 10pm "capsule + bed".
	Date:[ ]	Extent:1 p

G42/17	Scope and Content:Handwritten drafts for piece(s) of prose, one page beginning "I was one of those boys whom life met with its great and romantic happenings..." (not clear whether all part of the same piece; same note paper).
	Date:[ ]	Extent:3 pp

G42/18	Scope and Content:Typescript essay with few handwritten corrections entitled "Dá mbeadh ruball ar an éan" by [Seosamh Mac Grianna], beginning "Ag éirí dom féin ar maidin...". (Paginated 98 to 100.) [In Irish] (Published by Proinsias Mac an Bheatha in "An tUltach" December 1988, 17.)
	Date:[ ]	Extent:3 pp

G42/19	Scope and Content:Typescript essay with few handwritten corrections entitled "Aisling Áibéil Uí Íre/ Aisling mo chéasta" by [Seosamh Mac Grianna], beginning "Rud iontach an bhrionglóideach...". (Paginated 101 to 104.) [in Irish] (Published by Ciarán Ó Nualláin in "Inniu", 7 July 1972, see G42/ 43 below.)
	Date:[ ]	Extent:4 pp

G42/20	Scope and Content:Typescript draft [short story] with handwritten corrections and superscript "Issue July 10, 1941", entitled "D[ark] Waters" by [Seosamh Mac Grianna]. Beginning "He slouched along the wet pavement, hands deep in pockets..."; naturalistic narrative with supernatural turn and religious overtones. Marked at end "Next week: 'Only a house' by Una Lawlor" (Paginated 1 to 7 with two pages missing.)
	Date:10 July 1941	Extent:5 pp

G42/21	Scope and Content:Handwritten piece of prose piece by [Seosamh Mac Grianna] beginning "It was the second year after the fall of O'Conn"; disjointed and lyrical depiction of a scholar studying Caesar in idyllic setting, ending "May-day, delightful time!"
	Date:14 July 1949	Extent:1 p

	3 Other collected material
	Scope and Content:Arbitrarily surviving items from MacGrianna's accounts, his correspondence, and items he collected. Among the accounts, a hospital bill from 1938 attests to MacGrianna's son Fionn to have been ill, and others show MacGrianna's changing addresses in Dublin. The correspondence (10 items) contains calling-cards, fragmented items including a photograph, mostly sent to MacGrianna but including an envelope sent by him to Miss M.Carroll, Sutton (1940). Press cuttings (4 items) contain published items by MacGrianna and reviews of his work by [Aodh de Blacam] and Ciarán ó Nualláin. Some printed material (6 items) contains a touring map of Wales with MacGrianna's journey marked in ink.
	Date:1929-1972	Extent:22 items

	3.1 Accounts
	Date:1929- [ ]	Extent:2 items

G42/22	Scope and Content:File of Post Office receipts for registered parcels [sent by Mac Grianna] to five recipients, four of which are connected with government publishers An Gúm [in Irish]
	Date:21 November 1929- 25 January 1936	Extent:7 items

G42/23	Scope and Content:Personal accounts: File of receipts, bank lodgement slips, watch warranty and cheque pertaining to personal expenditure and income of Seosamh Mac Grianna, Dublin and Ranafast, county Donegal. Mostly receipts for guesthouses, Dublin and Dundalk; lodgements on his National City Bank account; also including receipt from House of Recovery and Fever Hospital, Dublin, for treatment of Fionn MacGrianna in autumn 1938 (one receipt has handwritten notes on reverse concerning bodily health).
	Date:25 May 1933- 21 October 1940 (and undated)	Extent:22 items

	3.2 Correspondence
	Date:1940-1957	Extent:10 items

G42/24	Scope and Content:Printed card with image of St. John Bosco and relic, with handwritten dedication 'From Reg to Dearest Joe'.
	Date:[ ]	Extent:2 pp

G42/25	Scope and Content:Printed calling-card from Mrs.K. Ashtaputre, Dhulia, India.
	Date:[ ]	Extent:1 p

G42/26	Scope and Content:Printed calling-card from Anwar Iqbal Qureshi, economist (addresses in Columbia, Missouri, and Sandymount, crossed out).
	Date:[ ]	Extent:1 p

G42/27	Scope and Content:Printed calling-card from Rev. Thomas Burke-Kennedy, Freshford, county Kilkenny.
	Date:[ ]	Extent:1 p

G42/28	Scope and Content:Printed calling-card from Mr. Monaghan, 'Dublin Courier'.
	Date:[ ]	Extent:1 p

G42/29	Scope and Content:Photogaph of [male] pilot in open plane, smiling, with signature [R.M.F.] Graham and handwritten 'remember me' on reverse.
	Date:[ ]	Extent:8.6x6cm

G42/30	Scope and Content:Empty, torn envelope with typescript address to Aindrias Ó Muimhneacháin, 234 Ascal Ó Coileáin, Dublin (postage stamp, no date).
	Date:[ ]	Extent:1 p

G42/31	Scope and Content:Empty, torn envelope, addressed by hand [by Seosamh Mac Grianna] to Miss M.Carroll, Raheen, Sutton, Dublin (postage stamps endorsed in Cashel). Handwritten on reverse 'S.W.L. xxx'.
	Date:6 November 1940	Extent:2 pp

G42/32	Scope and Content:Printed and handwritten Christmas card from Róisín Walsh, Templeogue, county Dublin, to 'Fionn and his Mother'.
	Date:December 1945	Extent:1 p

G42/33	Scope and Content:Typescript letter from (secretary) D.and G. Keating Ltd., Dublin, to Seosamh Mac Grianna, Lilyvale, Raheny, Dublin, calling in a debt connected with a [share-holder's account]. Some figures on the envelope.
	Date:8 February 1957	Extent:2 items

	3.3 Press cuttings
	Date:1930-1972	Extent:4 items

G42/34	Scope and Content:Fragment press cutting from [The] Stand[ard], no title, by A[odh] de B[lácam], with brief positive review of Seosamh Mac Grianna's 'tales'.
	Date:19 July 1930	Extent:1 p

G42/35	Scope and Content:Press cutting from "The Irish Press" entitled "Ceoltóirí na Cathrach" by Seosamh Mac Grianna, with handwritten corrections for titles - renaming article "Ag siubhal na Sráideann 2" (Pasted onto page from Outlook.) [in Irish].
	Date:19 January 1932	Extent:1 p

G42/36	Scope and Content:Press cutting from "The Irish Press" entitled "Bhfuil scríobhnóir mór n-ár measc?" by Ciarán Ó Nualláin; citing a sentence from MacGrianna to prove that the Irish language had figurative images (using 'dlaoidheog mhullaigh', 'finishing touches', for illustration) [in Irish].
	Date:9 October 1939	Extent:1 p

G42/37	Scope and Content:Press cutting from Inniu with essay entitled "An aisling" by Seosamh Mac Grianna, edited with brief note by C.[iarán] Ó N[ualláin] [in Irish].
	Date:7 July 1972	Extent:1 p

	3.4 Other printed material
	Date:[ ]	Extent:6 items

G42/38	Scope and Content:Worn reproduction photograph of [Pádraig Ó Conaire], standing behind donkey that has two baskets placed on its back, smiling at camera (cut out and previously attached to black paper surface).
	Date:[ ]	Extent:11 x 6.5 cm

G42/39	Scope and Content:Photograph of [Dublin] terraced house, Edwardian, two storeys, with steps leading up to front door and 'area' to left of them, situated beside a dental surgery.
	Date:[ ]	Extent:8.8x6.4 cm

G42/40	Scope and Content:Worn postcard with art reproduction of "Arnolfini and his wife" by Jan van Eyck.
	Date:[ ]	Extent:14x8.8cm

G42/41	Scope and Content:Printed "Road Map of Great Britain" at 16 miles/ inch (no place, publisher, date). Ink markings for two various routes each leading from Bala (Merioneth) via Builth (Radnor) to Cardiff.
	Date:[ ]	Extent:102.5 x 63.5 cm

G42/42	Scope and Content:Fragment printed map of Ireland of the Irish Tourist Association at 12 miles/ inch, with some touristic information on reverse.
	Date:[ ]	Extent:43x23 cm

G42/43	Scope and Content:Printed scholar's primer for Virgil's "Aeneid" (first 14 pp missing), with original text interspersed with English translation [mostly Latin].
	Date:[ ]	Extent:150 pp

	4 Appendix 1: consignment letter from Dónal Mac an Bheatha
	Date:1993	Extent:1 item

G42/44	Scope and Content:Holograph letter from Dónall Mac an Bheatha, 110 Vernon Avenue, Clontarf, Dublin, to 'cara' [Pól Ó Muirí], covering letter for the books and notes of Seosamh Mac Grianna that his father had [Proinsias Mac an Bheatha]; asking to return them when finished [in Irish]. (Items G42/ 8-14 were not included in the consignment.)
	Date:8 May 1993	Extent:1 p

	5 Appendix 2- transcripts of notebooks and Proinsias Mac an Bheatha's diary
	Date:1933-1954	Extent:1 item

G42/0 See Also G42/4 and 5	Scope and Content:Copy typescript transcriptions [by Eibhlín Ní Chionnaith] entitled "Seosamh Mac Grianna's diaries", also containing (last 5 pp) "Seosamh Mac Grianna. Proinsias Mac an Bheatha's diary". Transcripts of two handwritten items, as above, with some omissions. Mac an Bheatha's diary (mid-July to 4 September 1954) seemingly transcribed selectively, besides diary entries containing also a section entitled "Mac an Bheatha's own words about MacGrianna" [partly in Irish]
	Date:2 March 1933-6 November 1936 (1954)	Extent:50 pp

G42/0	Scope and Content:Copy typescript transcription [by Éibhlín Ní Chionnaith] entitled "Seosamh Mac Grianna's diaries", also containing (last 5 pp) "Seosamh Mac Grianna...Proinsias Mac an Bheatha's diary". Transcripts of two handwritten items, as above, with some omissions. Mac an Bheatha's diary (mid-July to 4 September 1954) seemingly transcribed selectively, besides diary entries containing also a section entitled "Mac an Bheatha's own words about Mac Grianna" [partly in Irish]
	Date:2 March 1933-6 November 1936 (1954)	Extent:50 pp