Maynooth University Department of History

Lecture starts 5pm

Synopsis
Frank Duff (1889-1980) founded the Legion of Mary, an organisation for lay Catholics, in 1921. The archive of his papers has been gathered together for the purpose of progressing his Cause for Canonisation. The archive contains over 33,000 letters from Frank Duff to correspondents across the globe, as well as a large body of other material including unpublished writings, photographs and audiotapes. The collection documents the growth and spread of one of Ireland’s most international movements, while also offering insights into contemporary social and religious culture. This paper explores the process and challenges involved in assessing an archive of this nature and the research possibilities it affords.