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

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]

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 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.]

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

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.

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.

File of invoices for costs incurred during the production of "Making History" (2005), with invoices relating to costume hire and rehearsal space hire.