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Bonar Law Collection acquired by National Library of Ireland
T谩naiste and Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media welcome purchase of unique collection of maps, topographical prints and political cartoons for the State
An T谩naiste, Miche谩l Martin TD, and Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD, have today announced the acquisition by the State of the Bonar Law Collection, the most complete visual record of Ireland, in map and print form, ever assembled by an expert private collector. In extent, the Bonar Law Collection comprises close to 10,000 maps and approximately 9,000 prints, which include caricature prints and ballad sheets, many of which are unique to this collection.
Following discussions between the National Library of Ireland (NLI) and the Library of 深夜亚洲福利久久 College Cork (UCC), agreement has been reached and the NLI has entered into a loan-arrangement with UCC that allows the collection to be placed in UCC. The collection will be housed in the UCC Library and will be open to researchers and the general public.
Speaking in UCC, An T谩naiste, Miche谩l Martin, said:
鈥淭his remarkable and vast array of maps, sea charts and prints of Ireland represents the best collection of its kind anywhere in the world. It is unrivalled in the holdings of any public institution, including the British Library and the Library of Congress.
鈥淚 am delighted that we have been able to preserve this valuable asset. It offers a fascinating insight not only into Irish geographical history, but also into the changing political landscape of the last two hundred years, for the benefit of the State and for the people of Ireland.鈥�
Minister Catherine Martin, said:
鈥�The collection represents a life鈥檚 work of study and expert knowledge of maps, especially maps of or relating to Ireland, and topographical prints. It is a testament to Andrew Bonar Law and his family, that such a unique historical record exists, and that it can now be preserved for the public good and will remain in Ireland.
"I鈥檓 glad that my Department was able to fund this acquisition which will hopefully be available to view in its physical format following conservation assessment after 2025, with digital content available to view as early as this year. I wish UCC and the NLI teams the very best with this exciting work.鈥�
Dr Audrey Whitty, Director of the National Library of Ireland, said:
鈥淲e are grateful to Minister Martin and her Department for the opportunity to make this acquisition, and we are glad to be collaborating with UCC, given their unrivalled scholarship and excellence in historical geography.
鈥淚t is a major priority for us is to grow and to further strengthen our connections across all of Ireland and we are delighted to enter into a loan-arrangement with UCC that allows the collection to be placed in Cork.
鈥淭he excellent condition of the material in the Bonar Law Collection means that it will be an essential part of the NLI collection of printed maps and topographical prints, and a foundation collection for future digitisation projects, programmes and exhibitions.鈥�
Professor John O鈥橦alloran, President of UCC said:
鈥淭hrough digital technology and innovative cartographic techniques, UCC research staff will activate the potential of the Bonar Law Collection to better understand how Ireland has changed, not just physically but socially, politically and ideologically through the ages. Through our award-winning Cork 深夜亚洲福利久久 Press Atlas Series and related documentaries, UCC has a strong track record in ensuring public engagement with Irish history and culture."
The collection will be housed in the Boole Library at UCC and can be accessed by researchers and members of the public by contacting UCC Library Special Collections and Archives team.
Faigheann Leabharlann N谩isi煤nta na h脡ireann Bali煤ch谩n Bonar Law
Cuireann an T谩naiste agus an tAire Turas贸ireachta, Cult煤ir, Eala铆on, Gaeltachta, Sp贸irt agus Me谩n f谩ilte roimh cheannach bhaili煤ch谩n uath煤il l茅arsc谩ileanna, prionta铆 topagrafacha agus cart煤in pholaiti煤la don St谩t
Inniu d鈥檉h贸gair an T谩naiste, Miche谩l Martin TD, agus an tAire Turas贸ireachta, Cult煤ir, Eala铆on, Gaeltachta, Sp贸irt agus Me谩n, Catherine Martin TD, gur cheannaigh an St谩t Baili煤ch谩n Bonar Law, an taifead amhairc is ioml谩ine d鈥櫭塱rinn, i bhfoirm l茅arsc谩ile agus chl贸ite, a chuir bailitheoir pr铆obh谩ideach saineolach le ch茅ile. T谩 beagnach 10,000 l茅arsc谩il agus thart ar 9,000 prionta i mBaili煤ch谩n Bonar Law, lena n-谩ir铆tear prionta铆 caracat煤ir agus bileoga bail茅id, nach bhfuil go leor acu ach sa bhaili煤ch谩n seo amh谩in.
Tar 茅is comhr谩ite idir Leabharlann N谩isi煤nta na h脡ireann (LN脡) agus Leabharlann Chol谩iste na hOllscoile, Corcaigh (COC), th谩ngthas ar chomhaont煤 agus rinne LN脡 socr煤 iasachta le COC a cheada铆onn an baili煤ch谩n a choinne谩il i gCOC. Coime谩dfar an baili煤ch谩n i Leabharlann COC agus beidh s茅 oscailte do thaighdeoir铆 agus don phobal i gcoitinne.
Ag labhairt i gCOC, d煤irt an T谩naiste Miche谩l Martin:
鈥淚s 茅 an cnuasach seo de l茅arsc谩ileanna uath煤la agus speisialta, cairteacha farraige, prionta铆 topagrafacha, agus go leor eile, an baili煤ch谩n is fearr de l茅arsc谩ileanna agus de phrionta铆 d鈥櫭塱rinn 谩it ar bith ar domhan, agus s谩ra铆onn s茅 baili煤ch谩in aon fhorais phoibl铆, lena n-谩ir铆tear Leabharlann na Breataine agus Leabharlann na Comhdh谩la.
鈥淭谩 r铆m茅id orm gur 茅irigh linn an 谩is luachmhar seo a chaomhn煤, ina dtugtar l茅argas n铆 hamh谩in ar stair th铆reola铆och na h脡ireann, ach ar na hathruithe polaiti煤la le dh谩 ch茅ad bliain n贸 n铆os faide siar, ar mhaithe leis an St谩t agus le muintir na h脡ireann.鈥�
D煤irt an tAire Catherine Martin:
鈥淟茅ir铆tear sa bhaili煤ch谩n saothar staid茅ir saoil agus saineolas ar l茅arsc谩ileanna, go h谩irithe l茅arsc谩ileanna d鈥櫭塱rinn n贸 a bhaineann le h脡irinn, agus prionta铆 topagrafacha. L茅iri煤 ar Andrew Bonar Law agus a theaghlach is ea an taifead stairi煤il uath煤il seo, agus is iontach an rud 茅 gur f茅idir 茅 a chaomhn煤 anois agus go bhfanfaidh s茅 in 脡irinn ar mhaithe le leas an phobail.
T谩 谩thas orm go raibh mo Roinn in ann an ceannach谩n seo a mhaoini煤 agus t谩thar ag s煤il go mbeidh s茅 ar f谩il lena fheice谩il ina bhform谩id fhisici煤il i ndiaidh meas煤n煤 caomhnaithe tar 茅is 2025, agus go gcuirfear 谩bhar digiteach ar f谩il i mbliana. Gu铆m gach rath ar COC agus ar fhoirne LN脡 leis an obair iontach seo.鈥�
D煤irt an Dr Audrey Whitty, Sti煤rth贸ir Leabharlann N谩isi煤nta na h脡ireann:
鈥淭谩imid bu铆och den Aire Martin agus d谩 Roinn as an deis seo a chur ar f谩il, agus t谩 谩thas orainn a bheith ag comhoibri煤 le COC, i bhfianaise a scol谩ireachta den ch茅ad scoth agus a bhfeabhais sa t铆reola铆ocht stairi煤il.
鈥淭ugaimid tosa铆ocht d谩r gceangal a fh谩s agus a neart煤 tuilleadh ar fud na h脡ireann agus t谩 l煤ch谩ir orainn socr煤 iasachta a dh茅anamh le COC a cheada铆onn an baili煤ch谩n a 濒辞苍苍煤 i gCorcaigh.
鈥淐ialla铆onn riocht s谩rmhaith an 谩bhair i mBaili煤ch谩n Bonar Law go mbeidh s茅 ina chuid riachtanach de bhaili煤ch谩n l茅arsc谩ileanna cl贸ite agus prionta铆 topagrafacha LN脡, agus ina bhunchloch le haghaidh tionscadail dhigitithe, do chl谩ir agus do thaispe谩ntais amach anseo.鈥�
D煤irt an tOllamh John O鈥橦alloran, Uachtar谩n COC:
鈥淭r铆 theicneola铆ocht dhigiteach agus teicn铆ochta铆 cartagrafacha nu谩la铆ocha, gn铆omh贸idh foireann taighde COC acmhainneacht Bhaili煤ch谩n Bonar Law chun tuiscint n铆os fearr a fh谩il ar an gcaoi ar athraigh 脡ire, n铆 hamh谩in go fisici煤il ach go s贸isialta, go polaiti煤il agus 贸 thaobh na hid茅-eola铆ochta de le himeacht na mblianta. Tr铆 Shraith Atlas Preasa Ollscoil Chorca铆 a bhuaigh go leor duaiseanna agus cl谩ir faisn茅ise a bhaineann l茅i, t谩 dea-theist ar COC maidir le rannph谩irt铆ocht an phobail a chinnti煤 i stair agus cult煤r na h脡ireann.鈥�
Beidh an baili煤ch谩n lonnaithe i Leabharlann Boole i COC agus is f茅idir le taighdeoir铆 agus le baill den phobal rochtain a fh谩il air tr铆 theagmh谩il a dh茅anamh le foireann Bhaili煤ch谩in Speisialta agus Chartlainne COC.