Item, folder title, box no., Donagh McDonagh papers, Oakland University Archives and Special Collections
Donagh MacDonagh (1912-1968) was an Irish poet and playwright. He was called to the bar in 1935 and later became a district judge. McDonagh published three volumes of poetry and several plays, among which Happy as Larry. He also wrote for the radio and was active in the Irish literary circles of his time, maintaining relationships with many leading authors, including T.S. Eliot, Thomas Kinsella, and Padraid Colum. Much of his work shows a deep interest in the events of the 1916 Easter Rising, in which his father (also a poet and Irish nationalist) lost his life.
The Donagh McDonagh papers consist of correspondence and manuscripts covering the years 1936-1963.
The Correspondence series contains letters McDonagh received from fellow writers and friends, including 15 letters from T.S. Eliot.
The Writings series includes corrected typescripts of 2 of MacDonagh’s plays; corrected proofs of a volume of poetry; and a typescript of an English translation of Max Brod’s theater adaptation of Franz Kafka’s novel, the Castle. Also of interest is MacDonagh thesis on “TS Eliot as Poet” (1939). The thesis has marginal notes by Eliot.
The collection also held McDonagh’s personal library of some 150 books, which contains many first editions (including 3 inscribed first editions of T.S. Eliot’s works and a presentation copy of Thomas Kinsella’s Moralities) and imprints of the Cuala Press and Dolmen Press. The books have been cataloged in integrated into the library’s Rare Book Collection. MacDonagh’s books were often not in good condition but many ephemeral materials such as reviews and letters (some from well-known authors) were inserted in them.
Oakland University Archives and Special Collections
Kresge LibraryThe Donagh McDonagh papers are open for research.
Copyright has not been transferred to Oakland University. Researchers are responsible for seeking copyright permissions before publishing items from the collection.
This collection was purchased by Oakland University's Kresge Library in 1968.
Processed by Dominique Daniel, February 2020.
Correspondence |
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T.S. Eliot 1936-1951 |
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Louis MacNeice n.d. |
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W. R. Rodgers 1944 |
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Other correspondence 1941-1959 |
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Tributes to Louis MacNeice n.d. |
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Writings |
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Veterans and Other Poems (corrected proofs) 1941 |
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God's Gentry (script) 1951 |
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Down by the Liffeyside (corrected script) |
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Eliot as a Poet (thesis) |
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James Clark's Typescript of the Castle by Max Brod 1963 |
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