Padraic Colum Collection
Collection Dates: [c1900-c1970]
Extent: 131 items
Born in Longford in 1881, Colum grew up in Dublin attending Glasthule national school before becoming a clerk for the Irish Railway Clearing House at 17.
After joining the Gaelic League, he became friends with influential figures such as William Butler Yeats, Arthur Griffith and James Joyce. Through his novels, plays, short stories, and poetry, Colum is viewed as an influential figure in twentieth century Irish literature.
This collection contains 131 items, principally works by Colum for adults and children.
It includes texts such as A Boy in Eirinn (c1916), illustrated by Jack B. Yeats, and The Children of Odin (1920).
It also includes some rarer children's books by Colum, such as The Big Tree of Bunlahy: Stories of My Own Countryside (1933). The most recently published book for children in the collection is The Six Who Were Left in a Shoe (c1968), illustrated by Joseph Schindelman.
It also contains his final collection of poetry, Images of Departure (1969), where some beautiful lyrics recall memories of Mary Colum (née Maguire), his wife.
To coincide with the release of the book ‘The Writings of Padraic Colum’, edited by Pádraic Whyte (TCD) and Keith O’Sullivan (DCU) in 2024, an exhibition of some of the works from the collection was mounted in the O’Reilly library.
Exhibition Poster
The Journal of Irish Literature (A Padraic Colum number Vol. II, number 1, Jan., 1973.)
Padraic Colum exhibit, 2024
A Boy in Eirinn (London: J. M. Dent, [1916] Illustrated by Jack B. Yates)
The Big Tree of Bunlahy: Stories of my own Countryside (New York: Macmillan, 1933 Illustrated by Jack Yates)
Plays, Poems, Biography |
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The Land, a play in three acts Dublin: The Abbey Theatre, 1905 |
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The Fiddler’s House, a play in three acts Dublin : Maunsel & Company, Ltd. 1909 |
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Creatures New York: The Macmillan Company, 1927 Black and white drawings by Boris Artzybashe. |
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Balloon: A comedy in four acts New York: The Macmillan Company, 1929 First edition, inscribed by the author. Cover art by Boris Artzybasheff |
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The Road Round Ireland New York: The Macmillan Company, 1926 |
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Our Friend James Joyce By Mary and Padraic Colum New York: Doubleday & Company, 1958 |
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Ourselves Alone! Arthur Griffith and the origins of the Irish Free State. New York: Crown Publishers, 1959 |
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Images of Departure Dublin: Dolmen Press, 1969 |
Children’s Books |
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A Boy in Eirinn London: J. M. Dent, [1916] Illustrated by Jack B. Yates |
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The King of Ireland’s Son London: George G. Harrap, 1920 Illustrated by Willy Pogány |
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The Six who were left in a Shoe New York: McGraw-Hill, 1968 Illustrated by Joseph Schindelman |
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The Big Tree of Bunlahy : Stories of my own Countryside New York: Macmillan, 1933 Illustrated by Jack Yates |
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The Adventures of Odysseus and the Tale of Troy New York: Macmillan Company, 1918 Illustrated by Willy Pogány |
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The Girl who sat by the Ashes New York: Macmillan Company, 1920 Illustrated by Dugald Stewart Walker |
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The Peep-show Man York: Macmillan, 1927 Illustrated by Lois Lenski |
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