President Michael D. Higgins Presidential Archive and Book Collection
As well as his archive collection, the President is in the process of transferring his book collection to the University. Special Collections Librarian, Marie Boran, notes that this book collection includes titles acquired by the President for his own personal research, including heavily annotated volumes which informed his thinking during his time as a lecturer at the University through to his Presidency. It also includes many presented to him from a wide range of sources while undertaking local, national and international engagements. Many of the volumes are personally inscribed by the author or donor, with some of them marking historic events attended by the President.
We are very fortunate to have two other notable Presidential archives in the University Library, papers of former President, Mary Robinson, as well as several collections relating to Dubhghlas de Híde, the first President of Ireland, including the remarkable Irish manuscript collection, Lámhscríbhinní de hÍde, which he bequeathed to the Library on his death in 1949.
Once catalogued, both the archive and book collection will be accessible for research by members of the public in the Library’s Archives and Special Collections Reading Room. The archive being transferred to the University of Galway represent the personal papers of the President during his time in office, as is the case with the Presidential Series in the University’s Mary Robinson Collection. The official records of President Higgins’ terms of office will remain with the State and be transferred to the National Archives.
Today marks a truly special occasion for our Library and University and we are very grateful to President Michael D. Higgins for entrusting his Archive and Book collection to us.
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