Letters of Sean O'Casey to Mai McCarthy,

1954-1964.

In his letters to Miss McCarthy, O'Casey wrote about life, religion, his writing, the works of other writers, as well as personal matters such as his family, his health, Miss McCarthy's health and work, and her tendency to overdo it, which he mentions often. A warm friendship clearly existed between them. Amongst the writers O'Casey mentions are Joyce, Frank O'Connor, Denis Johnston, Swift, Dickens and Henry James.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Creator: O'Casey, Sean, 1880-1964
Contributors: McCarthy, Mai
Format: Manuscript
Language:English
Subjects:
Notes:Manuscript letters from Sean O'Casey to Mai McCarthy, an Irish woman who lived in New York. There is also one letter from Miss McCarthy to O'Casey and one letter from Eileen O'Casey to Mai McCarthy. Many of O'Casey's letters are single-sheet air letters; several have separate envelopes included.

Physical description: 30 items.

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Arrangement:Fonds
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Typescript letter, signed, from Sean O'Casey to Mai McCarthy,

1961 May 4.
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Bibliographic Details
In Collection: Letters of Sean O'Casey to Mai McCarthy
Description:O'Casey begins by briefly admonishing McCarthy, as in most of his letters, for doing too much.Then he talks about the usual disagreements over who can be considered properly 'Irish' and strongly takes issue with the view, expressed in Daniel Corkery's book, 'Hidden Ireland', that Swift, Yeats, Tone and many others were not truly 'Irish' but were rather 'Anglo-Irish'. He lists all the prominent people in Ireland's history who did not fit into a narrow definition of Irishness: 'Birth in place or time or parentage is a mere accident ...we are Irish who love her [Ireland], who serve her, who bring her honor, security and wisdom'.
Main Creator: O'Casey, Sean, 1880-1964
Language:English
Extent:1 item (2 sheets).
Format:Manuscript
Call Number: MS 49,744/28 (Manuscripts Reading Room)
Rights:Reproduction rights owned by the National Library of Ireland.