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Kenny Family Collection
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Personal mementoes

Personal items and mementoes relating to significant events or causes in Kevin J Kenny’s life.

Petition to King George V from the Protestant British-Israel League regarding 'the British mission to the Pope'

Stencil copy petition to King George V from the Protestant British-Israel League regarding Sir Henry Howard's role as the first formal British envoy to the Vatican in over 300 years. Petition warns of a conspiracy to overthrow the Protestant succession and restore a 'Roman Catholic Dynasty' in England. Also warns that the placing the Home Rule Bill on the Statute Book will make Ireland 'a base for Jesuit wirepullers and plotters in the cause of subverting Your Majesty's Throne and Authority'. Lists examples of 'manifestations of Divine displeasure' when past concessions to Rome have been made by the British government, such as the sinking of the RMS Empress of Ireland (29 May 1914) following the passing of the Home Rule Bill, and that the 'Royal assent to the Bill was followed by the sinking of the three Cruisers “Hogue, Cressy and Aboukir.”’ The petitioners are listed as Agusta Cook, President; Heywood Smith MA, MD, Vice President, and CW Burge, Honorary Treasurer.

The petition is undated, but references in the text to the '[Air] Raid' on [Great] Yarmouth and King’s Lynn, [Norfolk, UK] (19 January 1915), and Sir Henry Howard's mission to the Vatican, dates it to between 19 January 1915 and August 1916 (when Howard retired).

Photographs of Grace and John Watt, and 1 Herbert Terrace, Bray.

Consists of a colour photograph of Grace and John (Jack) Watt sitting on an armchair in a living room, and a colour photograph of 1 and 2 Herbert Terrace, Herbert Road, Bray, County Wicklow. A handwritten annotation on the reverse of the photograph of Herbert Terrace identifies number 1 as the house with the red door. These photographs were originally included with letters from Grace Watt to Colum Kenny [see items C2/3/3/1 (2) and C2/3/3/1 (6)].

Professional Life

Series mainly relates to the early part of Kevin J Kenny's career as managing director of Kenny's Advertising Agency, with numerous letters from clients relating to advertisements in various newspapers and publications. Several of these clients were leading figures of nationalist movements of the day, such as Patrick Pearse, Francis Sheehy-Skeffington, Arthur Griffith, and James Creed Meredith, and later, representatives of the Second Dáil. The series (and its constituent sub-series) reflect the dramatic changes that were taking place in the Irish political landscape, with various parties from across the political and social spectrum seeking Kenny’s services in his capacity as a commercial manager. Thus, the series includes letters and notices from the aforementioned leading nationalists among others, but also British establishment figures and offices of government, such as the Admiralty, War Office and Press Committee in London.

Pro-Home Rule postcard featuring images of John Redmond and other notable Irish and British political figures.

Two copies of postcard featuring a photograph of John Redmond surrounded by a garland and two shamrocks on a green background. Above the image is printed 'Éire Saor' [Free Ireland] and below the images is written 'home rule', and also two verses in Irish entitled 'Curaí'. A tab enables one to raise the image of Redmond off the card allowing a folded strip of six photographs to drop down. The strip includes photographs of following: William E Gladstone, Charles Stewart Parnell, HH Asquith, the 'Old Irish Parliament' [Parliament Building, College Green], Joseph Devlin and John Dillon. Beneath the portraits are three verses of ‘A Nation Once Again’. Postcard printed by Valentine & Sons Limited, Dundee.

Promotional photographs, postcards and flyer featuring Cyril Cusack

Promotional photographs and postcards of Cyril Cusack acting in various theatre and television productions in the 1970s and 1980s. These items were enclosed with a letter from Cusack to Grave Watt [see item C2/3/3/3 (8)]. Most of the photographs and postcards include handwritten captions by Cusack on the reverse of the item.

File includes: photographs of Cusack in ‘You Never can Tell’ [Abbey Theatre production from 1978]; ‘Cry of the Innocent’ [television film from 1980]; ‘Merchant of Venice’ [?Abbey Theatre production from 1984]; ‘Carousel’ [Tivoli Theatre, Dublin from 1991]; two photographs of Cusack in unidentified productions (one appears to be a theatre production). Postcards depict Cusack in the title role of the Abbey Theatre production of ‘Hadrian VII’ in 1970 (includes caption by Cusack: ‘This speaks for itself – my papal blessing’) and as Frederick Dorrit in the film ‘Little Dorrit’ [1987].

File also includes a promotional flyer for a National Theatre production of ‘The Plough & the Stars’ featuring an image of Cusack in the role of Fluther Good [?in 1977].

Also included is an envelope [in which the items were originally contained] with handwritten annotations by Grace Watt and Colum Kenny. Watt notes: ‘My favourite – “Cry for the Innocent”. I have kept a couple – he sent me two of himself as the Pope. This was his sense of humour. He knew I was an atheist.’

Published material and memorabilia

Newspapers, magazines, postcards, flyers and other published documents mainly relating to Irish nationalism. It is possible that Kevin J Kenny worked as a commercial manager or advertising agent for some of the publications, and/or that his company, Kenny’s Press, published some of them. It is also very likely that Kevin simply collected the material in this series due to its historical significance.

Colum Kenny purchased and added some items to this series, such as item C2/1/3/13.

RTÉ [Raidió Teilifís Éireann] television Irish Hospitals’ Sweepstake television documentary.

Series relates to three RTÉ television documentaries that Colum Kenny worked on as a researcher and producer. One of the sub-series relates to a documentary titled ‘The Tailor and Ansty’, broadcast in October 1978, and includes numerous letters from Seán Ó Faoláin, Eric Cross, and Nancy McCarthy-Allitt.

The other two sub-series relate to a documentary on the Irish Hospitals’ Sweepstake and a Frontline television programme on the sale of old national schools in the Beara Peninsula respectively. The sub-series on the Irish Hospitals’ Sweepstake is currently closed for access, while part of the sub-series on the Frontline programme is currently closed.

RTÉ television documentaries and current affairs programmes

Series relates to three RTÉ television documentaries that Colum Kenny worked on as a researcher and producer. One of the sub-series relates to a documentary titled ‘The Tailor and Ansty’, broadcast in October 1978, and includes numerous letters from Seán Ó Faoláin, Eric Cross, and Nancy McCarthy-Allitt.

The other two sub-series relate to a documentary on the Irish Hospitals’ Sweepstake and a Frontline television programme on the sale of old national schools in the Beara Peninsula respectively. The sub-series on the Irish Hospitals’ Sweepstake is currently closed for access, while part of the sub-series on the Frontline programme is currently closed.

The Irish Nation, volume 1, numbers 17 and 48.

Includes issues published on 14 October 1916 (volume 1, number 17) and 19 May 1917 (volume 1, number 48). Issue number 17 features an article about the lack of rebuilding taking place in Dublin city centre following the 1916 Easter Rising, and includes a sardonic reference to the rebuilding of the Kenny's Advertising Agency building, suggesting this is related to 'big cheques' from the 'profitable business' of 'Recruitment in Ireland'. See sub-series 'Recruitment Controversy for further context about this topic. Issue number 48 includes the banner: 'Organ of the Repeal League and Independence Association'. Price: one penny.

The Tailor and Ansty: correspondence

Mainly consists of correspondence between Kenny and a number of individuals involved in a documentary researched and presented by Colum Kenny for RTÉ television about 'The Tailor and Ansty’ (husband and wife Timothy [‘the Tailor’] and Anastasia ['Ansty'] Buckley). The Tailor and Ansty were the subjects of a book by Eric Cross about their storytelling and home in Gougane Barra, County Cork, which became a hub for notable figures of the Cork arts scene in the 1930s and 1940s such as writers Frank O'Connor and Seán Ó Faoláin, sculptor Seamus Murphy, students of the Irish language, and folklorists. The book was published in 1942 and banned soon after. The RTÉ documentary included interviews with Cross, Ó Faoláin, and the Tailor and Ansty's close friend Nancy McCarthy-Allitt, and recounted the aftermath of the banning; including an episode when the Tailor was forced by three priests to burn a copy of the Eric Cross book in his fireplace. The documentary also included dramatised accounts of debates which took place in Seanad Éireann in December 1942 following the banning of the book. The RTÉ documentary was broadcast on 31 October 1978.

To-morrow, volume 1, numbers 1 and 2.

Two issues of the literary magazine edited by Henry Francis Montgomery Stuart and Cecil Salkeld featuring contributions from Irish poets, writers and artists including WB Yeats, Lennox Robinson and Liam O’Flaherty. Volume 1, number 1 from August 1924 includes: ‘The Madonna of Slieve Dun’ by Lennox Robinson; ‘A Red Petticoat’ by Liam O’Flaherty; ‘Leda and the Swan’ by WB Yeats; ‘The Japanese Pine’ and ‘Just Now’ by Charlotte Arthur; ‘Be a Trembling Petal’ by Henry Francis Montgomery Stuart; ‘“As I was Among the Captives”’ by Joseph Campbell; ‘The Principles of Painting’ (with illustration) by Cecil Salkeld; an editorial by Henry Francis Montgomery Stuart and Cecil Salkeld; ‘Sonnet’ by OF Fleck; ‘Why we Live’ by ‘“Sachka”’; ‘A Primitive’ by LK Emery; Colour by Margaret Barrington, and ‘Alba’ by RND Wilson.

Volume 1, number 2 from September 1924 includes: ‘Honore Dumier’ by Arthur Symons; ‘The Garden’ by ‘Sachka’; ‘Marriage Song’ and an untitled poem by Blanaid Salkeld; ‘Wet Loveliness’ and ‘The Horse-Breaker’ by FR Higgins; ‘Two Poems’ [‘An Etching’ and ‘Gifts’] by Charlotte Arthur; ‘An P’ [in the German language] by OJ Fleck; ‘The Sea’ by RND Wilson; ‘In the Hour before Dawn’ by Henry Francis Montgomery Stuart; ‘The Popular Road’ by Iseult Stuart; ‘The Principles of Painting’ [continued from volume 1, number 1] (and illustration) by Cecil Salkeld, and ‘The Tendencies of the Younger Irish Poetry’ by LK Emery.

The address of the journal publisher is given as 13 Fleet Street, Dublin in volume 1, number 1 and is given as Roebuck House, Clonskeagh, Dublin in volume 1, number 2. Price of the journal is six pence.

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