Folder on John Millington Synge, enclosing another folder on Synge and rural Irish writers. These folders con Synge and rural Irish writers. These folders contain notes for lectures given by G Freyer, at Oslo on 22 Apr 1971 on 'The Uniqueness of JM Synge' (centenary lecture) and at St Gallen in Nov 1976 on JM Synge. Also notes for a lecture given at Carlow College in Apr 1979 entitled 'Change in Rural Ireland' and at Lille in Dec 1980, entitled 'Rural Ireland: Irish Writers', covering Synge, Yeats, Liam O'Flaherty, Peadar O'Donnell, Patrick Kavanagh and Richard Murphy. Includes copy of the "Bulletin of the Department of Foreign Affairs, dated 15 APr 1971, on JM Synge (1871-1909). Photocopy of article from "Politics and Letters" written by G Freyer entitled 'The Little World of JM Synge' [late 1940s]. Typescript of a poem, "The Glens" by John Hewitt.
Folder on Sean O'Casey containing notes on lectures given by G Freyer at an Easter course on 20 Mar 1975 and at Vienna on 21 Nov 1977.
Folder containing notes for lectures given by G Freyer on 'Irish Novelists' [after James Joyce] and 'Landmarks in Irish Fiction' to students at Coimbra in 1967; Wesley College, Dublin and Castlebar in 1968, Lisbon and Boston. Includes a note from Francis Stuart (1972) and notes on Freyer's interview with him; copy of a printed article entitled 'Retrospect on Ó Faoláin' by G Freyer and published in "The New Republic" [an American publication]; newspaper cuttings relating to Mary Lavin, Edna O'Brien, Samuel Beckett and Irish writers of the 1960s; cutting of an article 'How Catholic in the Catholic Novel?' by Peter Hebblethwaite from "The Times Literary Supplement" of 27 July 1967; a review by Benedict Kiely of "The Third Policeman" by Flann O'Brien in "The New York Times Book Review" (12 Nov 1967). Also four letters from Seán Ó Faoláin, Knockaderry, Killiney, Co Dublin to G Freyer, Terrybaun, Bofeenaun, Ballina, Co. Mayo, discussing the meaning of "The Catholic Novel"; Ó Faoláin writes on 13 Sept 1966 'In sum I now do not believe the Catholic novel is a category in which a good novelist would be happily free from the taint of sectarianism, or professionalism, or parochialism', He concludes 'The plain fact is that no religion ever answers any particular question satisfactorily. It colours life. It is a form of poetry. It is precious therefore. It holds crude materialism at bay. Man will always seek it. But when he comes down to case he finds ... only himself'. Freyer must have questioned him on this in reply as Ó Faoláin expands the theme further in another letter dated 23 Sept 1944 and in which he refers to "Bird Alone".
Folder containing notes for a lecture entitled 'Irish fiction after Joyce' given in Dublin on 4 Aug 1971, in Lisbon and in Mainz on 3 Nov 1975. ALso notes on lectures entitled 'Themes in Modern Irish Fiction' given at St. Paul on 17 Nov 1968 and 'Irish Novelists' given in Dublin on 12 Aug 1970. Includes a newspaper cutting of an article by Anthony Cronin on Flann O'Brien, dated 12 Dec 1975. Also details of a course entitled 'Irish Life in Irish Fiction' to be run at the University of Mainz for the season 1975-1976.
Folder containing notes for a lecture entitled 'Literature and Violence in Twentieth Century Ireland' with reference to Yeats, Sean Ó Faoláin, Frank O'Connor, Peadar O'Donnell, Sean O'Casey, Brian Friel, Patrick Galvin, Thomas Kinsella, Brendan Behan and
Folder entitled "Miscellaneous", containing notes on lectures given by G Freyer on 'De Valera and the Irish Nation' on 10 Nov 1982, on O'Casey in the USA in 1980, on Peadar O'Donnell in Mainz on 23 Oct 1979, on JM Synge at Oakland, [Michigan] in July 1979, on Machiavelli at Cochise [Arizona] in Mar 1983, on Dylan Thomas, George Orwell and modern Irish writers. Some of these notes are written on the back of schedules for Freyer's lecture tours in USA 1982-1983. There is some information from the American Committee for Irish Studies and from Ken Neilsen about the growth of interest in the Irish language in the USA (1983). Includes postcard from the Bogside Inn 1972 [see A6/10]; printed pages about the progress of Londonderry and higher education in north-west Ulster; newspaper cutting from "The Irish Times" of Olivia O'Leary's interview with Bill Craig, former Stormont Minister of Home Affairs (10 Dec 1980); pages from "The Economist" of 28 June-4 July 1980 on 'The North'; newspaper cuttings from "The Irish Times" in 1980 relating to the situation in the North of Ireland. One of these cuttings is a letter from Danny Morrison, editor of "An Poblacht" to the editor of "The Irish Times" entitled 'H-Blocks' (3 Apr 1980). Attached to this cutting is a copy of a letter G Freyer wrote to Danny Morrison. Freyer writes that although he is a critic of 'both policy and tactics of the IRA' he has 'no illusions about the Englishman's sense of fair play', having 'been savagely bullied as an "Irish pig" in an English school'. He asks Morrison if he would consider explaining the Nationalist situation to some of his overseas students and if Morrison would be willing to give him 'a guided tour of the Falls Road' (20 Apr 1980). Another undated copy letter from G Freyer to the editor of "The Irish Times" gives his views on power sharing and an independent Ulster.
Folder containing notes for a lecture entitled 'Éamon de Valera and the Irish Nation' given by G Freyer in Feb 1975 as the 'Willamette course lecture' and in June 1980 to the Oakland Institute [Rochester, Michigan]. Includes newspaper cuttings from "The I
Folder entitled 'Irish History' containing notes on Ireland's history from the time of the Anglo-Norman invasions, the basis for lectures entitled 'Outline of Irish History for Literature Studies' and 'Introduction to Irish Politics' given by G Freyer on 31 July 1967, in Dublin on 19 Aug 1968 and in Louisburgh on 18 Sep 1972. Also notes relating to a lecture entitled 'Ireland's Problems' concerning the political and social situation in the North and seeking to explain it to a North American audience. This lecture was given at Danforth in 1971. Includes newspaper cuttings relating to the death of Frank O'Connor in Mar 1966 and a visit to Ireland by Thomas Kinsella. Also a map of Ireland.
Lecture notes and associated papers, enclosed in a standard school jotter, relating to the 'Anatomy of Irish History', an 11-week tutorial course on Modern Irish History and Politics. This course was run at The Irish Humanities Centre, 22 Westland Row, Dublin 2, from Jan to Apr 1977 and was directed by G Freyer and Adele Macavock and included a week spent in the West from 5-11 March. Many of Freyer's notes are written on the back of printed pages relating to courses at the Centre. Also not for a lecture given as an introduction to the anatomy of Irish History, in which Freyer drew attention to Ireland's troubled history in the twentieth century being paralleled by a rich flowering in the literary field. Another lecture entitled 'The IRA and its Extraordinary Parliamentary Tradition in Ireland' was given at [Dublin] on 7 Apr 1975 and one at NUU on Machiavelli on 3 Mar 1977. Includes three newspaper cuttings from "The Irish Times", the first relating to the death of Frank McDermot, founder and leader of the National Centre Party in the Dail (25 June 1975). The other cuttings re entitled 'Eradicating the Tragic Heroic Mode' by Dr. Conor Cruise O'Brien (22 Aug 1975) and '[Bill] Craig in position of maverick' by David McKittrick (19 Feb 1977).
Folder entitled 'Political Situation in Ireland' containing notes considering the situation in the Republic and in the North and the possibilities for the future. These were the basis for a lecture given by G Freyer to (USAE) Academy on 2 Nov 1982. The notes are interspersed with many newspaper cuttings dated 1972-5 and 1982, relating to events in Northern Ireland and containing political comment. Includes a review of 'The Coach with the Six Insides' a comedy adapted from James Joyce's "Finnegan's Wake" published in "The Nation" on 16 Feb 1963 [see A6/20 and A6/21]; a typed copy of a statement made by An Taoiseach, Charles J. Haughey to the Dail on the Falklands Crisis (11 May 1982); pages from the "Bulletin of the Department of Foreign Affairs" relating to the General Election of 1982; pages from "The Word" of Dec 1971; photocopies of a cutting from "The Irish Times" relating to the Joyce summer school at the Institute of Irish Studies in Dublin at which G Freyer gave the opening lecture (1 Aug 1972); one page of notes is written on the back of a letter from Betty Jennings, Aquinas College Study Centre, Tully Cross, Renvyle PO, Co Galway, to G Freyer, concerning arrangement for a lecture he was to give on Northern Ireland on 18 March (9 Mar 1981).