FUN FACTS ABOUT THE PATRICK J. DOWLING LIBRARY

 

 

 

 

 

 

·         The Patrick J. Dowling Library, which opened April 5, 1975, is the first all-Irish library in the United States

·         The library has inspired other Irish cultural centers in the U.S. to create their own all-Irish library

·         Most of the collection has been donated

·         The oldest book in the library is Fingal, An Ancient Epic Poem by James MacPherson, published in 1763

·         Nearly 1,000 people visited the library in 2009

·         There are  approximately 5,000 books in the library

·         885 new books were added to the library shelves in 2009

·         758 books were donated to the library in 2009

·         The library also has newspapers, journals, magazines, books in the Irish language, books for children (in Irish and English), genealogy resources, sheet music, comedy and music cassettes, videos, and records

·         The library archives the history of the United Irish Cultural Center as well as the library

·         Distinguished visitors include Gerry Adams, Member of Parliament and President of Sinn Fein; the late Senator Edward Kennedy;  the late Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill; Albert Reynolds, Prime Minister of Ireland; Mary Robinson, President of Ireland; and filmmaker Maurice Fitzpatrick, scriptwriter and co-producer of the documentary Boys of St. Columb’s

 

AUTHORS AND SCHOLARS WHO USED THE LIBRARY

 

·         Daniel Cassidy, author of How the Irish Invented Slang: The Secret Language of the Crossroads

·         Professor John Walsh, Irish Language Lecturer at the University of Galway , gathered information on the Irish language spoken and taught in San Francisco from the library’s microfilm of the Monitor and Leader newspapers.

·         John Borgonovo, editor of Florence and Josephine O’Donoghue’s War of Independence.

·         Gerry Mullins, who wrote the text to Dorothea Lange’s Ireland, the Oakland Museum ’s exhibition catalog

·         Rose Murphy, author of Ella Young, Irish Mystic and Rebel: From Literary Dublin to the American West

 

RARE AND SIGNED BOOKS

 

·         Borstal Boy, signed by author Brendan Behan

·         Collected Poems of Padraic Colum, signed by the author

·         The Aran Islands by J.M. Synge, drawings by Jack Yeats

·         Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland edited and translated by John O’Donovan, published 1848-1851

·         Eamon de Valera, by the Earl of Longford and Thomas P. O’Neil. Signed by de Valera.

·         Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland by Thomas Crofton Croker

·         Days of Fear by Frank Gallagher. First edition signed by author

·         Deirdre signed by author James Stephens

·         Sinn Fein Rebellion Handbook Easter, 1916                               

 

MORE RARE AND SIGNED BOOKS

 

·         Servant of the Queen: Reminiscences by Maud Gonne McBride, signed by author   

·         My Kilkenny I.RA .Days 1916-1922 by James J. Comerford. Only three other U.S. libraries have this book.

·         Eamon de Valera’s 1920 speech to the U.S. government requesting recognition of Ireland as an independent state

·         Rebel Cork’s Fighting Story from 1916 to the Truce with Britain

·         Kiskeam Versus the Empire by J.J. O Riordain. The Library of Congress in Washington D.C. is the closest library that has this book.

·         Bound copies of the Nation newspaper, published in New York , 1848-1849 and the Irish Miscellany newspaper, published in Boston , 1858

·         Irish Folk Music, compiled by Captain Francis O’Neill. First edition and signed by O’Neill.

·         Big Tree of Bunlahy: Stories of My Countryside by Padraic Colum and illustrated by Jack Yeats

·         The Year of the Irish Hunger Strike, published by the Irish Northern Aid Committee

·         Ireland’s Fight for Freedom, signed by author George Creel

 

VISITOR PROFILES THIS PAST YEAR

 

·         Patrons seeking information about President Obama’s Irish roots

·         UC Berkeley Haas fellow researching Irish prisoners in English jails 1916-1946 was elated finding a document relating to this subject, the very same document not available to him during his summer visit to an Irish library. According to him, the Dowling library has more books on Ireland than the entire UC library system.

·         Patron researching Irish myth and folklore for Ulster Cycle Conference presentation held in Coleraine in Summer 2009 said the library’s resources were “invaluable”.

·         City College student researching the women’s suffrage movement in Ireland

·         City College student researching Father Peter Yorke and the labor movement in San Francisco

·         St. Ignatius student researching the pros and cons of Eamon de Valera

·         Walsh scholarship applicants gathering information for their essays submissions. They won.

·         Middle school student needing photos/illustrations of coffin ships for Irish immigration project

·         Patron photocopied map of his family’s ancestral town for his second grader grandson’s school project

·         Patrons interested in information on the origin of their family surnames and their Irish roots in San Francisco

·         Fiddler listening to cassette of Irish fiddle master Michael Coleman

·         Parents reading Irish fairy tales with their children

·         Caterer looking for information on the history of Irish cooking

·         Patrons interested in these subjects: knitting, military history, Scots Irish immigration, literature, music, travel, language, pirate queen Grace O’Malley, the Celts, Brian Boru, the KRB, Ireland during World War II, the Kennedy family, recipes and how the harp became the national symbol of Ireland

·         Emails from other states and abroad from people seeking genealogy assistance