The Curious Case of the Mayo Librarian

by Pat Walsh

The office of Mayo County Librarian was hardly a crucial post. It was little more than a routine appointment, yet it escalated into a conflict that had national consequences. It set Church against State, County Council against Government Department and even members of the same political party against each other.In July 1930 Miss Letitia Dunbar Harrison, a graduate of Trinity College, was appointed to the post of Mayo County Librarian. Her appointment set in motion a chain of events that resulted in a full scale political crisis. Mayo priests and politicians attempted to have her removed, and organized an effective boycott of the Library Service.'The Mayo library row' as it was commonly known became news far outside the confines of the county. Not only had it made headlines in Ireland, it had caught the attention of newspapers in places as far away as Boston and London. Why would such a seemingly unassuming appointment drive a government to the brink and clash church and state against each other so heavily? Letitia was a Protestant.Looking at the background to the dispute uncovers many of the fault-lines of the newly formed Free State.
Examining the anatomy of the crisis lays bare the tensions of society in 1930s Ireland as it moved away from colonial rule.

• ISBN10: 1856356159
• ISBN13: 9781856356152
• Publish Date: January 2009
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: IE
• Imprint: The Mercier Press Ltd
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 256
• Language: English

Reviews

[wyvernfriend]

In the early 1930's Ireland was still working it's way through it's issues. The people in charge were still working out how the new state was going to shape itself and bloody-minded Civil War politics were still shaping some of the ideologies and motivations of the main players.
Some of the County Councils had serious problems with staffing and the fact that Ireland has a tradition of cronism and parish politics. There was a board appointed to appoint more senior staff. This board was central and would interview staff for positions. In 1930 they had 4 Librarian spaces, jobs that were going to be a challenge to anyone, the concept of Libraries was really only new in the country as a whole and many of these people would be instrumental in creating the future of these libraries.
The four jobs were in Carlow, Cavan, Kilkenny and Mayo, candidates were interviewed and 4 people chosen. The person who came top of the interviews was given first choice of the posts, leaving Letitia Dunbar Harrison with the last choice, as she came last in the rankings, and she was left with Mayo.
She was not a popular choice, her gender really had no influence on her disfavour, it was her religion and education. Letitia was Protestant, going to a County with a vast Catholic majority, without good Irish as well, she became a hotbed of contraversy and a bone of contention that was well-chewed over.

Pat Walsh is a Librarian, speaking of a librarian and of a history that is now quite alien to most Irish people. But it could still happen in this country. Just change the religion. It could happen in any country! He doesn't really go into much other than the facts. One of the very interesting facts is that Letitia almost became, after her marriage and widowhood, the first Methodist Woman Minister.