Files relating to the production of "Making History", written by Brian Friel and produced by Ouroboros Theatre Company, staged at the Samuel Beckett Theatre, Trinity College Dublin.

Files relating to production of Brian Friel's "Making History" by Ouroboros Theatre Company at the MacGill Summer School in Co. Donegal, and also a European tour of the production.

File 1 includes programmes from Ouroboros production of Brian Friel's "Making History". Includes programme from production as part of the 2008 Magill Summer School, Co. Donegal. Programme carries the title of "A Feast of Friel". Programme includes an article about the play by Elaine Sisson, cast and crew biographies and details of past productions by Ouroboros as well as past tours and productions of "Making History". Also includes Letter to Denis Conway of Ouroboros from Joe Mulholland, Director of the MacGill Summer School, Glenties, Co. Donegal, thanking Conway for the productions of "Making History" and "Translations" as part of the summer school. (9 Aug 2008).

File 2 also includes a programme for the 2008 MacGill Summer school, as well as a schedule document for the 2008 Making History European tour, to venues each significant in the story of Hugh O'Neill, including productions at Basel, Switzerland, Strasbourg, France, Geneva, Switzerland, Bern, Switzerland, Altorf, Switzerland, and Rome, Italy.

Copy of report issued by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission entitled "A Summary - Making a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland. A Consultation by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission". Document includes a background to the consultation and an outline of each specific rights which are proposed under the Bill of Rights, the text of the speech delivered by Prof. Brice Dickson, Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Commission for Human Rights, at the launch of the consultation document; TS press statement and further summary documents regarding the consultation document.

Copy of report "Making a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland - A Consultation by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission". Enclosed in the document is a TS letter to Prof. Kevin Boyle, at the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights, from Paddy Sloan, Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, thanking Boyle for his contribution at the launch of said document at the Waterfront Hall, Belfast, and emphasising the input of Sheelagh Murnagh to the document - "Not everyone realizes it's not the product just of the Good Friday Agreement." A TS transcript of speech delivered by Kevin Boyle at the launch of the document is also enclosed.

À printed handbook, presumably for a young/school audience, of information on making a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland.

Material relating to action brought by two Dublin women, Máirín de Búrca (MdeB), Joint Secretary Sinn Féin, and Mary Anderson (MA), journalist, challenging validity under the constitution of the Juries Act 1927. They claimed Act, where women were eligible but not compellable, discriminated against women being called to serve on juries, and against women appearing before circuit criminal court, as most likely to be tried by all-male jury. Case went to Supreme Court. Judgement issued in favour of their appeal 12/12/1975.

This followed on from case where they were charged with disrupting the police in course of their duty, outside Leinster House August 1971 while protesting housing conditions. Brought before District Court, they pleaded not guilty, elected to have charges tried with a jury and trial was due to take place at Circuit Criminal Court 02/06/1972. MdeB and MA objected to being tried by selected panel because there were no women, and all were property holders (juries selected based on property qualifications - a man could be eligible for duty by virtue of property his wife owned, but she was not eligible by virtue of property he owned.) This case was put on hold while they challenged Juries Act.

Material includes handwritten notes, photocopies of conviction orders from the District Court (13/03/1973); photocopies of statistics compiled by the Department of Justice in relation to applications from women to have their names inserted on jurors list 1963 onwards; newspaper cuttings; transcripts of evidence given in High Court; photocopies of judgement given 12/12/1975 (Supreme Court); correspondence including between Mary Robinson (MR) and solicitor Dudley Potter, and between MR and MdeB; research material.

[Archivist’s note: Máirín de Búrca referred to as Maureen Burke in places.]

Material relating to two cases involving Máirín de Búrca: action brought by two Dublin women, Máirín de Búrca, Joint Secretary Sinn Féin, and Mary Anderson, journalist, challenging validity under the constitution of the Juries Act 1927 (143/1/2/2/1), and case involving interference with course of justice (P143/1/2/2/2).

Material in this file relates to case involving Máirín de Búrca (MdeB), General Secretary of Prisoners' Rights Organisation (as well as Sinn Féin Citizens' Advice Bureau) and charge that she and 5 others interfered with course of justice. They had picketed a jury and handed out flyers ahead of trial involving Karl Crowley, who was deemed "mentally retarded", had already been in prison and had attempted suicide 17 times. Crowley was handed 12-month sentence which it seems Mary Robinson (MR) got overturned. Includes letter of thanks (11/10/197?)

File also includes letter of complaint to Daily Telegraph relating to forged letter sent to Trade Unionist in England, purporting to be from MdeB and Tony Heffernan, about IRA bombing campaign, but was suspected to be forged and sent by extreme Protestant group, and which Telegraph published allegedly knowing it was false.

Includes handwritten notes, research material, photocopies of district court proceedings (18/07/1975), photocopies of Prisoners' Rights Organisation press release which was handed out at picket 08/07/1975; statements including photocopies; newspaper cuttings and correspondence from MdeB to MR.

[Archivist’s note: includes sensitive language relating to mental disability]

File of assorted mail-outs of circulars, newsletters, appeals and notices for various events, meetings etc. of Charter 88.

Material relating to case of [Liam] Maguire v AG [Attorney General], Ireland and Michael Neary. Case related to discrimination against disabled people being allowed to undertake jury duty. Maguire was initially requested to attend but when he asked about access and stated he was paraplegic, he was made exempt. Maguire did not wish to be exempt and some of correspondence relates to the procedure to add someone back on to a panel of potential jurors after they have been removed. Includes material from the Irish Wheelchair Association and the Liam Maguire Trust of which Mary Robinson (MR) becomes patron. Maguire was Chairman of the Irish Wheelchair Association when he took the AG to court.

Material in this file consists of correspondence, research material, circulars, reports, brochures and newspaper cuttings and includes photocopies of correspondence between County Registrar, Circuit Court Office and John Liam Maguire, relating to the initial jury summons and exemption 01-12/02/1979; correspondence between Maguire as Chairman of the Irish Wheelchair Association and MR, including pamphlet "A Fair Deal for the Handicapped" 02-16/11/1979, which includes a letter from John O'Leary, Minister for State to each City/County Manager, 30/11/1978; newsletter from SPOD [Resource Group for the Sexual Problems of the Disabled], 11/1979; research material including photocopies of extract from book on Public Law, relating to the Vocational Rehabilitation Act, 1973 and booklet ""Aids for the Physically Disabled" with cover letter to MR from James [T?]ully, Minister for Local Government, 27/02/1974; handwritten case notes; circular from Tom Gallagher, Chairperson, Disabled Persons Action Group, inviting MR to 2-day public education programme on wheelchair access in Dublin City 01/05/1980; letter from Maria Walsh, Secretary, Walkinstown Association for Handicapped, inviting MR to press conference in Mansion House, Dublin, to announce their upcoming Sports Day, 15/07/1980; booklet "A Room With A View" produced by the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland for the Year of the Disabled 1981; circular from Dunraven, President, Irish Wheelchair Association to All Public Representatives, in relation to 1981 being Year of the Disabled 13/03/1981; correspondence between Joan O'Connell, Assistant Education and Training Officer, Irish Congress of Trade Unions to MR as Senator in relation to invite to conference on Rights of Disabled People, 24-26/03/1981; Irish Wheelchair Association policy documents on Education, Training and Employment, and Housing, 1981; correspondence between MR, Ercus Stewart [Junior Counsel] and Pat McCartan, Michael D. White & Co. Solicitors 09/04/1981-18/05/1982 which includes copies of correspondence between Liam Maguire and the County Registrar (12/2/1979-20/12/1980), drafts and photocopies of legal papers such as Plenary Summons and Statement of Claim, with notations and replies from Maguire to questions from McCartan (16/11/1981), photocopy of letter from Dr Patrick C. Murray, Consultant, Rehabilitation Medicine, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Dun Laoghaire (24/11/1981) stating nature of Maguire's injuries following accident and his mental and physical health and capabilities following rehabilitation, and letter from McCartan to MR giving information on how Jury panels were normally drawn up (18/05/1982); faded photocopies of correspondence between Pat McCartan and Louis J. Dockery, Chief State Solicitor 05/10/1981; A4 booklet "Access for the disabled - minimum design criteria", produced by the National rehabilitation Board, 11/1979; copy of letter from MR to Ercus Stewart which she sent him along with her file on case, to allow him to take care of case while she was in San Francisco [lecturing] (03/06/1982); correspondence from Pat McCartan to MR requesting she give drafting of replies attention, as there had been no response from Inge Clissman, B.L. who had taken over as Junior Counsel from Ercus Stewart, 28/02/1983-21/04/1983; letter to MR from John Mc Adam, Chairman of Trustees, the Liam Maguire Trust, 07/08/1984, thanking her for agreeing to become a patron, and including invite and programme for first Liam Maguire Lecture, "Independent Living for the Disabled", taking place in the National Concert Hall on 18/09/1984, with Judith E. Heumann, Associate Director, World Institute on Disability, Berkeley, California as Speaker; single page with handwritten address and phone number for Peter Moore [unsure of relevance]; cuttings (20/08/1979-06/10/1983). Also includes letter to MR from Peter Moore, who was writing biography of Liam Maguire on behalf of the Irish Wheelchair Association, 11/01/1985, flyer for "The Politics of Disability - The Finnish Experience", Kalle Könkkölä, Liam Maguire Lecture, National Concert Hall, 30/09/1986 and letter of invite to Liam Maguire Lecture, National Concert Hall, from John McAdam, at which Ted Kennedy Junior was speaking, and ticket stub, 29/09/1987.

[Archivist's Note 1: MR was Senior Counsel on this case, but temporarily handed over that role to Ercus Stewart, her Junior Counsel, while she was on lecturing trip to San Francisco, United States of America.

Note 2: Mary Robinson subsequently becomes patron of the Liam Maguire Trust].