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UCC Library now Re-opened.

Both Boole and Brookfield BHSL Libraries have re-opened with the safety of Library users and staff as our chief guiding principle.

Please see our policies and important changes regarding re-opening here

Update from our Director of Library Services, Colette McKenna regarding Library Services During COVID Level 5 - Here

Special Collections & Archives' Outreach & Engagement: Digitised Henebry / O'Neill Wax Cylinders

How Special Collections & Archives interacts with the world.

Henebry O'Neill Wax Cylinder Collection

UCC's Wax Cylinder Collection consists of two series of cylinders:

  • One series are American in origin, recorded by Captain Francis O’Neill in Chicago prior to 1905. They consist of recordings of some of the best known Chicago-Irish musicians of the day, including the pipers Patsy Touhey and James Early. and the fiddle player James McFadden. These were sent to Professor Henebry as a birthday present in 1907.
  • The second series Henebry recorded as part of a scheme funded in 1911. Almost all of this collection was made in the Déise region of Waterford, and as such comprises the earliest field recordings of Irish traditional music and singing.

Samples of Tunes

"The Steam Packet & Jenny Picking Cockles" was collected by Rev. Dr. Richard Henebry. It is an example of a reel and was performed by Tomás Ó Huigín. A PDF Transcription of the music may be downloaded here. 

"Green's Hornpipe" was collected by Francis O'Neill. It is an example of a hornpipe and was performed by John McFadden. A PDF Transcription of the music may be downloaded here. 

Media

Further Information

Opening Hours

As per Irish Government direction from midnight 21 October 2020 for 6 weeks all counties are placed on Level 5 under the Plan for Living with COVID-19. The advice is: Stay at home with certain exceptions. Please note this time frame may be extended. 

Previous appointment services in Special Collections and Archives are suspended during Level 5.

We are offering the following as alternate means of access to Special Collections & Archives:

  • Scan & Deliver for Special Collections' material including items in the Reference Reading Room, Microform and items that show Special Collections by Request / Special Collections by Appointment on the library catalogue.
  • Reprographic requests for manuscripts & archival material via specialcollectionsarchives@ucc.ie

Every effort will be made to fulfil scan & deliver / reprographic types of requests, but this may not always be possible due to availability, copyright restrictions, size and condition of materials.

If you have any collection queries or other queries please email: specialcollectionsarchives@ucc.ie. 

In order to facilitate research queries, a virtual appointment service for Special Collections and Archives will shortly be established and details will be forthcoming.