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:
O'Casey, Sean, > 1880-1964 > Correspondence
Joyce, James, > 1882-1941
Swift, Jonathan, > 1667-1745
O'Connor, Frank, > 1903-1966
Johnston, Denis, > 1901-1984
Dickens, Charles, > 1812-1870
James, Henry, > 1843-1916
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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Autograph letter, signed, from Sean O'Casey to Mai McCarthy,

1956 July 22.
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Bibliographic Details
In Collection: Letters of Sean O'Casey to Mai McCarthy
Description:O'Casey, quoting Shaw and Goethe, laments the little time there is in life: 'God deals out time with a sparing hand'. He mentions a 'Convocation of Honors' which McCarthy attended and he says that, although he is no scholar, he has always been a 'student in the university of life'. He discusses the wonder of the human body, the mystery that is the body's relation to the soul and the questions of what are Truth and Beauty. He again advises Mai not to overdo it, and suggests she 'go aside into the desert and rest awhile'. He thanks her for praying for him, recollects Thomas Ashe with kind words and tells McCarthy that he gets tired quickly and has to rest.
Main Creator: O'Casey, Sean, 1880-1964
Language:English
Extent:2 items (2 page letter + envelope)
Format:Manuscript
Call Number: MS 49,744/14 (Manuscripts Reading Room)
Rights:Reproduction rights owned by the National Library of Ireland.