Irish Collection

Arrangement and Description

Irish Collection

Scope and Content

   The Irish Collection is composed of correspondence, materials from conferences sponsored by Tom Tracy, newsletters and brochures from non-profit organizations, publications promoting law and order, as well as business opportunities. Other materials include articles and clippings on the evolving political situation in Ireland and travel information about the geography and history of Ireland.

   Although the materials begin in the 1970s, the bulk of the correspondence, clippings, and publications are between the years of 1992 and 1998.


Series Listing and Description 

Series 1 – Correspondence – Box 1

This series contains letters sent to Tom Tracy concerning Irish issues of interest to him. These include efforts by non-profit organizations to ensure the peace process and to help victims of political violence, promotions by educators and politicians in the United State to present the Irish Cause in this country, and proposals for business development in Northern Ireland, mainly in Ulster.

Series 2 – Conferences – Box 1

This series contains transcripts of speeches given at two conferences. The first conference discussed the political stability between the two Irelands. The second focused on Irish and American women’s contributions to the infrastructure of a stable Ireland.

Series 3 – Organizations – Box 1

This series is composed of materials on non-profit organizations working for the betterment of Northern Ireland. Some files contain correspondence between their representatives and Tom Tracy, while others files contain annuals reports, in-house newsletters, and press releases.

Series 4 – Serials and Publications – Boxes 1, 2

This series contains various formats concerning life in Northern Ireland. Included are article clippings from magazines, whole magazines, newsletters, and one-time publications on specific areas of Irish life, such as the police in Northern Ireland. There are also files on travel information, books and magazines on geography, points of interest, and the history of Ireland as a whole.

Series 5 – Clippings – Box 3

This series is composed of clippings that document the question of whether Northern Ireland should remain under English rule or unite with the Republic of Ireland. The clippings date from 1978-1998, with the majority of the clippings dating to the 1990s. The clippings follow the peace process, hindered by IRA terrorism and the non-cooperation of various political parties.

Special focus is given to: U.S. involvement, discrimination against Catholics, IRA violence, arms decommission of the IRA, party funding of the Sinn Fein, the Northern Ireland election of 1996, the parades of the Orange Order, controversy surrounding Mary McAleese (President of the Republic), and the Good Friday Peace Accord.