Minister for Defence Launches Unique Tourism & Travel Collection at UL

published on Feb 25th, 2009

Minister for Defence Mr Willie O’ Dea TD was at the University of Limerick recently to formally launch the Mc Anally Collection at the Glucksman Library.

The collection is a library of Irish travel, topography and heritage literature spanning 400 years of publications and represents more than 50 years of dedicated work by the late solicitor and book collector Mr Ciarán Mc Anally.  The collection ranges from 17th century material to present day guides and contains many original manuscripts and accounts of travel in Ireland.  The Mc Anally Collection will add to existing UL Library holdings, including the Norton Collection, to form the most important resource on the history and development of tourism and travel within Ireland. 

Speaking at the launch Professor Jim Deegan, Director of the National Centre for Tourism Policy Studies at UL said “This collection is a priceless acquisition for the University and, moreover, for Ireland as we can now be confident that a significant part of our heritage will be preserved in perpetuity. It will undoubtedly provide a vital research resource for our students and will provide the basis for significant scholarly works in the future”.

The acquisition of this unique archive was made possible by a generous philanthropic donation by Dr Dermot Smurfit who is a Director of the University of Limerick Foundation. Minister Willie O’ Dea congratulated the University of Limerick Foundation for its role in sourcing the philanthropic gift and he also thanked the Mc Anally family for their contribution to the acquisition of this collection of very valuable books and manuscripts.

Ciarán Mc Anally was noted as one of Ireland’s most erudite bibliophiles and bibliographers. He built up an outstanding private collection on Irish travel and tourism. A major feature of this collection is its definitiveness: in very many works all the editions are present, thus allowing unrivalled opportunity for many areas of scholarship. The Glucksman Library is indebted to Ciarán’s family and in particular to his daughters Barbara, Mairín, Eimear and his sister Imelda whose tireless efforts ensured the acquisition of this collection by the University of Limerick.