Voices of the Region: Highlights from the TUS Archive
22 August, 10:15am - 12:30pm
- TUS Library: Midlands
- Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest, University Road, Athlone, Co. Westmeath, Ireland
- N37 HD68
- Co. Westmeath
Discover the rich cultural and civic legacy preserved in the TUS Archive & Special Collections through Exploring Our Foundations, a curated exhibition highlighting key collections from 1953 to 2006.
The Brendan O’Brien Archive captures the history of the All-Ireland Drama Festival (1953–1982), featuring correspondence from Beatrice Behan, Teresa Deevy, Hilton Edwards, and Maureen Delaney, alongside signed letters from Eamon de Valera, Liam Cosgrave, Harold Wilson, and Presidents Patrick Hillary and Mary Robinson. Festival programmes, large-format posters, adjudicator reports, and press clippings offer unique insight into Ireland’s dramatic arts heritage.
Complementing this is the Drama League of Ireland Programme Collection, donated by Fiona Brennan. This collection celebrates the life and legacy of drama educator Pat Burke and reflects decades of amateur theatre across Ireland.
The Shannon Estuary Project Archive explores environmental monitoring in the west of Ireland, with habitat studies, water quality reports, and strategic planning documents revealing a growing focus on conservation and marine ecology.
A newly curated section showcases Irish planning documents from 1982 to 2006, illustrating how areas like Clonmel and the counties of Westmeath, Limerick, and Clare responded to economic pressures, rural decline, housing needs, and environmental regulation.
Together, these collections reveal how creativity, community, and planning have shaped Ireland’s regions—and how archives preserve the stories that define our cultural identity.