Begun in September of 1999, the Irish American Archives is a collecting initiative of the Archives-Library of the Western Reserve Historical Society.

Mission: To collect, preserve and make available for research the papers, documents, photographs, and memorabilia of the Irish, and the records of Irish organizations and institutions in the greater Cleveland area.

Scope: The Archives will document the histories of all persons of Irish ancestry, Northern and Southern, who immigrated to or were native to northeastern Ohio. Materials relating to politics, religion, culture, business, labor, education, fraternal organizations, and charities, and individual life experiences are sought.

The Irish American Archives Society was establshed in 1994 for the purpose of establishing and maintaining an Archives to collect, preserve and make available for research the papers, documents, photographs and memorabilia of Irish individuals and families and the records of Irish organizations and institutions that have influenced the growth and development of the Irish American community in northeast Ohio. In addition, the Archives Society plans to assist in the development of exhibitions, publications, films and other means through which the information collected in the Archives will be publicly disseminated.

For information on the Irish American Archives Society, contact Peggy Cooney, (440) 835-1959, or contact them by mail:

The Irish American Archives Society is a non-profit 501©3 organization; all donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

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Although solicitations are underway, there are a number of manuscripts available for research, such as:

• The William Sullivan Papers 1851-1864, 1890-1891 Ms. 3073
• The William Andrew Manning Papers, 1867-1873 Ms. 3936
• The Tom Ireland Papers, 1918-1969 Ms. 4312
• The Gaelic Athletic Club Records (Cleveland, Ohio) Microfilm
• The James Dowler Diary, 1954, Ms. V.f.D
• Manus McCaffery papers, Ms. V.f.M .

The Irish American Archives seeks to collect diaries, letters, documents and photographs of Irish immigrants and their descendants relative to the greater Cleveland area. It also strives to collect the history of Irish organizations and businesses and their records. If you have any of the above mentioned documents or know of someone who may be able to help add to our Irish American history, please call Michael McCormick at 216-721-5722, ext. 231, or e-mail at mike@wrhs.org.

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We're located in Cleveland's University Circle, 5 miles east of downtown. Our address is 10825 East Boulevard. Take I-90 to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. exit. Follow MLK for approximately 2 miles until you reach E. 105th St. In front of you is a traffic circle - enter at the bottom of the circle, and exit bearing to the left, at the top. Now you are on East Blvd. Follow East Blvd. for one block, and we are on the left. Turn left at the light, then turn left at the STOP sign. Parking is the second driveway on the right.

Hours: The Library is open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Extended hours are available Wednesday evenings until 9 p.m.

Admission: Admission is $7.50 for adults, $6.50 for seniors, and $5.00 for students. Members of the WRHS and children 5 years and younger are admitted free. The admission fee includes entry to the History Museum, Library and Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum. The fee to park in the museum lot is 90 cents per 1/2 hour to a maximum of $7.

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To contact the Irish American Archives of the Western Reserve Historical Society write to 10825 East Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio 44106 or call (216) 721-5722. You may also email your questions to reference@wrhs.org