Archiving The AIHS
As the summer months close in, the Interns of the American Irish Historical Society have been hard at work cataloguing, cleaning and rehousing items in the two floors that make up our extensive archival collections.
The work can at times be long and difficult - under the direction of archivists Aishling Connaughton Edwards and Marcus Lindenburg, a team of dedicated students spend their days filing information into spreadsheets, mopping the floors of the dust-covered basement, and attempting to beat the heat on the less than adequately air-conditioned fifth floor. However, some of the treasures we have discovered along the way have made this perilous journey all the more worthwhile.
The Bedell Bible
One of the most interesting items that we house in our collection is a first edition of the Bedell Bible, the first bible ever published in the Irish language.
This Bible was published in London in 1685, and translated into Irish by Dr. William Bedell, the Lord Bishop of Kilmore. Although Bedell was a Protestant clergyman, he insisted on giving sermons in the Irish language.
Signed Letter From Parnell
Charles Stewart Parnell was the founder of the Irish Parliamentary Party in the 1880s, which advocated for Irish Home Rule. Although Parnell fell from grace in 1890 following the discovery of his long-term adulterous affair, Parnell is remembered in Ireland as a political hero. His funeral in Dublin on 11 October, 1891 was attended by over 200,000 people, and there are Parnell streets in towns and cities worldwide.
As well as this signed letter, the AIHS has a bust of Parnell and a list of signatories from the Parliamentary Party, both of which are on public display and can be viewed on one of our tours.
1944 Society Dinner Address
This address was given at the Annual AIHS Society Dinner in 1944 by James A. Farley, Chairman of the New York State Democratic Committee and American Irish Historical Society member. It outlines the importance of preserving Irish American history, which remains the Society’s mission to this day.
These are just a small sample of some of the wonderful treasures the Society has to offer - as our tireless efforts to clean and catalogue continue, we hope that we will be able to bring our history into the public eye, and document our discoveries here!
In the meantime, the Society is open for tours to the public, and we hope to see some new and familiar faces when our packed schedule of events resumes in the fall.
Archivist Aishling Connaughton Edwards, clearing boxes in our Fourth Floor office, c. 2025.
The Bedell Bible, c. 1685.
Signed Letter from Charles Stewart Parnell, c. 1878.
Annual AIHS Dinner Address, c. 1944.
AIHS Intern Jack Briody conducting research in the Fifth Floor office, c. 2025.