Haughey's book collection donated to Mayo museum

THE HAUGHEY family has donated the entire private book collection of the late former taoiseach to the National Museum of Country Life, which is based at Turlough, outside Castlebar, Co Mayo.

The decision to donate the collection was taken after discussions with the director of the National Museum, a spokesman for Minister of State Seán Haughey said yesterday.

The gesture has been welcomed locally and is seen as confirmation of Haughey’s special links with Mayo. The late taoiseach was born in Castlebar in 1925 when his father was a captain in the National Army stationed in the town.

Haughey’s Mayo roots had a political impact after he became taoiseach in December 1989, when he was persuaded by the late Msgr James Horan to provide State funding for building Knock airport.

There was a great deal of political controversy at national level over the decision to provide funding for the airport at a time when there was enormous pressure on exchequer funds, but Haughey stuck by his decision and the airport went ahead.

The collection of books and some other material will be accommodated in the large ground-floor library at Turlough Park House.

The National Museum of Ireland – Country Life opened in the grounds of Turlough Park in September 2001. It was established following co-operation between the National Museum of Ireland, the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, the Office of Public Works and Mayo County Council.

The Country Life complex includes exhibition galleries, storage facilities for the reserve collection, education rooms, and a conservation laboratory.

The exhibition galleries are housed in a purpose-built stone-clad building designed by the architectural services of the Office of Public Works.

Turlough Park House was the home of a family called Fitzgerald. The original drawing room and library of the “Big House” are open to the public and furnished as they would have looked in 1900.

Haughey’s papers have already gone to Dublin City University. There was some surprise that they went to DCU rather than his alma mater, UCD, but he decided before his death that they should go to the northside university.