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Sean Prendiville Papers

Call Number

AIA.005

Dates

1818-1997, inclusive
; 1920-1997, bulk

Creator

Prendiville, Sean

Extent

4.75 Linear Feet in 2 manuscript boxes, 3 record cartons, and 1 oversized flat box.

Language of Materials

Materials are in English.

Abstract

Sean Prendiville is a first-generation Irish American, born and raised in San Francisco, California. Members of the Prendiville family living in Ireland were active Republicans during the Irish War of Independence (1919-1921) and the Irish Civil War (1922-1923). Prendiville joined Irish support groups established in San Francisco during confict in Northern Ireland in the late 1960s. This collection contains material concerning the Irish American experience with specific focus on Northern California. Materials include personal correspondence and other documentation regarding numerous Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests made by Prendiville to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) concerning several Irish American individuals and organizations suspected of Irish Republican activity from approximately 1920 to 1979. Also included are original letters written by a Fenian prisoner in Western Australia in 1870, as well as newspaper accounts from the same time period. The collection also includes ephemera and physical objects, including flyers, newspapers, broadsides, bumper stickers, and a singificant button collection supprting Irish prisoners and the Republican movement.

Biographical Note

Sean Prendiville is a first generation Irish American, born and raised in San Francisco, California. His father emigrated from County Kerry, his mother from County Roscommon. In Ireland, members of the Prendiville family were active Republicans during the country's fight for independence from Great Britain (1919-1921) and subsequent civil war (1922-1923). Two of Sean Prendiville's grand-uncles were in the Irish Republican Army (IRA): one was killed in a raid on a Royal Irish Constabulary (police) station in Castleisland, County Kerry; the other continued to fight with the IRA until he was wounded and captured during the civil war. Their nephew in San Francisco regularly took young Sean Prendiville to buy the Sinn Fein newspaper The United Irishman at the Golden Gate News Agency on Third Street.

When conflict broke out in Northern Ireland in 1968, following attacks on Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association marches, Sean Prendiville joined some of the Irish support groups that were established in San Francisco. Later, after the Republican movement split, he joined the Irish Republican Clubs, supporters of the Official Irish Republican movement, because their politics seemed more in line with the anti-Vietnam war movement that he was also participating in at the time. While a member of the Irish Republican Clubs, Prendiville met some older activists who had participated in the Irish Republican Congress Clubs of the 1930s, especially Vernon Healey in San Francisco and Gerald O'Reilly in New York. He became aware of a current in Irish-American and Irish Republican history that had been passed over - the links between left-wing Irish organizations and American progressives – sparking a research interest that eventually led to the assembly of this collection between 1986 and 1994

Arrangement

Collection is arranged into five series. Series are arranged alphabetically, then chronologically.

Missing Title

  1. Series I. Correspondence, 1902-1997
  2. Series II. Subject Files, 1864-1988
  3. Series III. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Requests and Correspondence, 1920-1979
  4. Series IV. Printed Ephemera, 1818-1924
  5. Series V. Nonprint, 1980-1995

Scope and Content Note

This collection documents Sean Prendiville's involvement in and research on the activities of Irish and Irish American organizations in the 20th century, with a specific focus on Irish Republicanism. Materials include flyers, pamphlets, broadsides, buttons, bumper stickers, correspondence, newspapers, government forms, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, and Federal Bureau of Investigation documents. The majority of the collection consists of Prendiville's FOIA requests and the documents he received in response. These materials focused on Irish organizations in Ireland and the United States under surveillance for alleged Irish Republican activities.

Access Restrictions

Materials are open for research without restrictions.

Use Restrictions

Any rights (including copyright and related rights to publicity and privacy) held by Sean Prendiville, the creator of this collection, were transferred to New York University in 1997. Permission to publish or reproduce materials in this collection must be secured from the Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archive. Please contact tamiment.wagner@nyu.edu.

Preferred Citation

Identification of item, date; Sean Prendiville Papers; AIA 005; box number; folder number; Tamiment Library & Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University.

Location of Materials

Materials stored offsite and advance notice is required for use. Please contact special.collections@nyu.edu at least two business days prior to research visit.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Sean Prendiville donated the documents to the Archives of Irish America at the Tamiment Library, NYU in June 1997, July 1998, August 1998, August 2004, and 2011. The series of personal correspondence came to the Archives along with the Patrick Daughton Papers (AIA 055) in 2009. The accession numbers associated with this collection are 1997.059 and 2011.005.

An additional accretion was donated in 2018. The accession number associated with this gift is 2018.102.

Separated Materials

The 19th century publication The Phoenix was separated from this collection and integrated into the Archives of Irish America Newspapers and Periodicals Collection (AIA 004) as Box 185.

Related Material at the Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives

Related Materials

  1. George Harrison Papers AIA 009
  2. Irish Republicanism Collection AIA 022
  3. Patrick Daugton Collection AIA 055

Collection processed by

Alice Naughton and Rebecca Altermatt

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-20 16:27:25 -0400.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: Description is in English.

Processing Information

Material from the 2018 accretion was housed in archival folders and boxes. In the fall of 2022, materials from accession 2018-102 were processed and described by an archivist.

Revisions to this Guide

July 2018: Updated by Megan O'Shea to incorporate materials from 2018 accretion
October 2022: Updated by Aki Snyder to include descriptions of materials from 2018 accretion

Repository

Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives

Series I. Correspondence, 1902-1997, inclusive

Scope and Content Note

This series consists of personal correspondence between Prendiville and numerous individuals. Of note are two folders of letters between Prendiville and Gerald O'Reily, a prominent member of the New York City Transit Workers Union (TWU) and a contemporary of TWU President Mike Quill. Materials in the correspondence concern Irish Republicans Frank Ryan and Father Michael O' Flanagan.

Conway, Neil J., 1992

Box: 7, Folder: 3 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Cork Workers Club, 1978, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 1 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Curtis, Liz (author), 1992-1996, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 2 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

General; mostly Celtic Network I, 1989-1990, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 3 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

General; mostly Celtic Network II, 1989-1990, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 3A (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Irish American Voice (Entertprise, AL), 1985, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 4 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

O'Reilly, Gerald (Local 100, TWU, NYC) I, 1902-1990, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 5 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

O'Reilly, Gerald (Local 100, TWU, NYC) II, 1902-1990, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 6 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Queen's University of Belfast Conference Invitation, 1985

Box: 7, Folder: 11 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Research and Correspondence (includes two unidentified photographs), 1985-1997, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 7 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Irish American Unity Conference: Membership papers, 1984, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 8 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Series II. Subject Files, 1864-1988, inclusive

Scope and Content Note

This series consists of original letters, newspaper clippings, periodicals, and form letters collected by Prendiville on Irish republican politics and the escape and rescue of Fenian prisoners held in Western Australia by the American whaling ship the Catalpa in the late 19th century. The series includes publications produced by The Workers Party (Ireland), including a manifesto, newsletters, pamphlets, and issues of the Student Workers Party Bulletin. Periodical titles include The Irish Felon, The Felon, The Harp, Voice of Freedom, and Irish Republican Newsletter. The form letters were sent by the National Association for Irish Justice and the National Association for Irish Freedom.

Catalpa: article in The Western Austrlian Times, Apr 21, 1876, inclusive

Box: 5, Folder: 1 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Catalpa: correspondence, newspaper accounts (very rare) Note: Most of the Catalpa-related material appears to be correspondence written to or from John B. Walsh, a Fenian who was transported to Australia after the Fenian Rising was broken up. Walsh was released after one of the round of amnesties, either 1869 or 1871, and settled in San Francisco. Transcriptions are included for some of the letters., 1864-1895, inclusive

Box: 4, Folder: 8 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Irish republican periodicals and documents, 1909-1984, inclusive

Box: Shared Tamiment 030, Folder: 1-5 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Box: Shared Tamiment 031, Folder: 1 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Irish Republican Prisoners and Dependents Fund: Biographies of speakers and others, circa 1920

Box: 4, Folder: 9 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

The Workers Party (Belfast): Manifesto, Newsletters, Pamphlets, Students Workers Party Bulletin, 1987-1988, inclusive

Box: 4, Folder: 10 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Series III: Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Requests and Correspondence, 1920-1992, inclusive

Language of Materials

English.

Scope and Content Note

This series consists of administrative papers, government forms, and other documents related to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and appeals made by Prendiville from 1986 to 1994. The files contains photocopies of memoranda, letters, and reports generated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the course of their surveillance of Irish Republican activities in the United States between 1930 and 1979. Also included are newspaper and magazine articles, brochures, and other literature distributed by Irish American organizations under investigation. Many files contain collections of clippings from Irish publications, especially newspapers produced by support groups, that no longer exist and for which there may be no surviving copies. Organizations present in this series include the Irish Republican Clubs, Clan na Gael, James Connolly Clubs, the Irish American Labor League, the Irish Republican Army (IRA), Irish Republican Clubs (IRC), National Association for Irish Freedom (NAIF), the National Association for Irish Justice (NAIJ), and The Citizens for Irish Justice (CIJ). Specific individuals such as James Gralton and James Larkin also appear. Much of the material is heavily redacted.

Arrangement

Files in this series are arranged according to the FBI's original identification and sequence numbers. The FBI assigned each organization a sequence number. For example, the Irish Republican Clubs are identified by the number 97-5329. Each specific document relating to that organization was then numbered sequentially; for example, 97-5329-25 identifies the twenty-fifth document in approximately chronological order. The FBI files also contain records that were filed under more than one organization; when cross-referenced like this, the documents do not have a sequence number. The order in which documents were supplied by the FBI has been maintained except when unknown; then they are filed chronologically.

Correspondence re: FOIA requests, 1986-1994, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 9 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Government Materials - non-FBI, 1972, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 10 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Clan na Gael c. 97-4883-1-97-4883-17, Mar 1964-Oct 1964

Box: 1, Folder: 11 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Clan na Gael c. 97-4883-18-97-4883-40, Oct 1964-Sep 1965

Box: 1, Folder: 12 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Gralton, James 65-35485-1;65-35485-5, Jun 1943-Oct 1944

Box: 1, Folder: 13 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Irish American Labor League c. 61-179-1-61-179-32, Oct 1921-Feb 1922

Box: 1, Folder: 14 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Irish American Labor League : Case 75, 75A, Doc. C. 127-152pages c. 14160-14213 (reports of agents, summary memos), Apr 1921-May 1921

Box: 1, Folder: 15 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Irish American Labor League: Case 75, 75A, Doc. C. 153-201pages c. 14215 - 14295, May 1921-Jun 1921

Box: 1, Folder: 16 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Irish American Labor League: Reports, memos related to Case 75pages c. 14298-14333 (illegible), Mar 1921 , 1922, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 17 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Irish Radio Shows, 1970, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 18 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Irish Republican Army c. 61-7606-1-61-7606-50, Sep 1939-Jul 1940

Box: 1, Folder: 19 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Irish Republican Army c. 61-7606-51-61-7606-83, Jul 1940-Feb 1942 (bulk 1920-1997)

Box: 1, Folder: 20 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Irish Republican Army c. 61-7606-84-61-7606-144, Jan 1942-Jan 1943

Box: 1, Folder: 21 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Irish Republican Army c. 61-7606-145-61-7606-209, Feb 1943-May 1943

Box: 1, Folder: 22 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Irish Republican Army c. 61-7606-210-61-7606-260 I, May 1943-Oct 1943, inclusive

Box: 2, Folder: 1 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Irish Republican Army c. 61-7606-145-61-7606-260 II, May 1943-Oct 1943, inclusive

Box: 2, Folder: 2 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Irish Republican Army c. 61-7606-261-61-7606-342 I, Sep 1943-Dec 1944

Box: 2, Folder: 3 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Irish Republican Army c. 61-7606-261-61-7606-342 II, Sep 1943-Dec 1943, inclusive

Box: 2, Folder: 4 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Irish Republican Army c. 61-7606-343-61-7606-393, Feb 1945-May 1950, inclusive

Box: 2, Folder: 5 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Irish Republican Army c. 61-7606-394-61-7606-451, Sep 1951-Oct 1957

Box: 2, Folder: 6 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Irish Republican Army c. 61-7606-452-61-7606-501, Oct 1957-Nov 1963

Box: 2, Folder: 7 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Irish Republican Army c. 61-7606-502-61-7606- c. 520s(some documents not numbered, cross-referenced), Nov 1963-Nov 1969

Box: 2, Folder: 8 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Irish Republican Army c. 61-7606-?-61-7606-575(Some documents not completely numbered), Dec 1969-Oct 1972

Box: 2, Folder: 9 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Irish Republican Army c. 61-7606-576-61-7606-653, Oct 1972-Feb 1974

Box: 2, Folder: 10 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Irish Republican Army c. 61-7606-654-61-7606-721, Feb 1974-Feb 1975

Box: 2, Folder: 11 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Irish Republican Army c. 61-7606-722-61-7606-831 I, Feb 1975-May 1977

Box: 2, Folder: 12 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Irish Republican Army c. 61-7606-722-61-7606-831 II, Feb 1975-May 1979

Box: 2, Folder: 13 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Irish Republican Army c. 61-7606-A: news clippings, wire services - U.S , Ireland, U.K. events, 1939-1975, inclusive

Box: 3, Folder: 1 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Irish Republican Brotherhood Veterans Association (FOIA #270, 640), 1992, inclusive

Box: 3, Folder: 2 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Irish Republican Clubs c. 97-5329-1-97-5329-16, Mar 1971-Sep 1971

Box: 3, Folder: 3 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Irish Republican Clubs c. 97-5329-17-97-5329-31, Sep 1971-Jun 1972

Box: 3, Folder: 4 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Irish Republican Clubs c. 97-5329-32-97-5329-52, Feb 1972-Nov 1972

Box: 3, Folder: 5 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Irish Republican Clubs c. 97-5329-53-97-5329-81 I, Nov 1972-Jun 1975

Box: 3, Folder: 6 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Irish Republican Clubs c. 97-5329-53-97-5329-81 II, Nov 1972-Jun 1975

Box: 3, Folder: 7 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Irish Republican Clubs c. 97-5329-82-97-5329-112, Jul 1975-Aug 1979

Box: 3, Folder: 8 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Irish Workers Clubs, 1940-1955, inclusive

Box: 3, Folder: 9 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

James Connolly Clubs 62-17493-0, 1920-1924 , 1943, inclusive

Box: 3, Folder: 10 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

James Gralton Defense Committee 9 FOIA #270, 234), 1986, inclusive

Box: 3, Folder: 11 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

James Larkin Defense Committee ( FOIA #270, 233), 1986, inclusive

Box: 3, Folder: 12 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

National Association for Irish Freedom (NAIF) c. 105-212344-1 (Numbers not visible), Apr 1971

Box: 3, Folder: 13 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

National Association for Irish Freedom (NAIF) c. 105-212344-2-1053212344-19 I, Jun 1971-Nov 1971

Box: 3, Folder: 14 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

National Association for Irish Freedom (NAIF) c. 105-212344-2-1053212344-19 II, Jun 1971-Nov 1971

Box: 3, Folder: 15 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

National Association for Irish Freedom (NAIF) c. 105-212344-21-105-212344-46 ( 20, 28 missing) I, Nov 1971-Jan 1973

Box: 3, Folder: 16 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

National Association for Irish Freedom (NAIF) c. 105-212344-21-105-212344-46 ( 20, 28 missing) II, Nov 1971-Jan 1973, inclusive

Box: 3, Folder: 17 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

National Association for Irish Freedom (NAIF) c. 105-212344-47-105-212344-64 ( missing # 52 encl.), Jan 1973-Apr 1979

Box: 3, Folder: 18 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

National Association for Irish Justice (NAIJ) c. 97-5275 -xl- 97-5275-9, Aug 1969-Dec 1969

Box: 3, Folder: 19 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

National Association for Irish Justice (NAIJ) c. 97-5275-10-97-5275-25, Dec 1969-Mar 1970

Box: 3, Folder: 20 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

National Association for Irish Justice (NAIJ) c. 97-5275-28-97-5275-35, Mar 1970-Jun 1970

Box: 3, Folder: 21 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

National Association for Irish Justice (NAIJ) c. 97-5275-36-97-5275-59 I, Jul 1970-Nov 1970

Box: 4, Folder: 1 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

National Association for Irish Justice (NAIJ) c. 97-5275-36-97-5275-59 II, Jul 197-Nov 1970, inclusive

Box: 4, Folder: 2 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

National Association for Irish Justice (NAIJ) c. 97-5275-60-97-5275-88, Nov 1970-Apr 1972

Box: 4, Folder: 3 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

United Irish Republicans (FOIA #297, 643), 1992, inclusive

Box: 4, Folder: 4 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Women's Irish Educational League (FOAI #297, 646; Appeal #89-1-11), 1989, inclusive

Box: 4, Folder: 5 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Reference: Index to organization of material (SP), 1986-1994, inclusive

Box: 4, Folder: 6 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Series IV. Printed Ephemera, 1818-1924

Scope and Content Note

This series consists of flyers, pamphlets, broadsides, and other materials demonstrating support for various 20th century Irish Republican and Irish American support groups.

Bond Certificates - Republic of Ireland - flier and postcard, 1918-1919, inclusive

Box: 4, Folder: 7 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Book - Love Orange Love Green Whitcor Publications Inscribed, circa 1973

Box: 7, Folder: 4 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Cunningham, Michael, Monaghan County of Intrigue, 1979

Box: 7, Folder: 8 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Eddie Rabbit, 1975-1986, inclusive

Box: 7, Folder: 14 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Fliers and Broadsides: includes: "The truth about the Clan na Gael;" "The Irish World's Indictment of James G. Blaine;" "Brother Jonathan to the A.P.A.", 1818-1920, undated

Box: 5, Folder: 2 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Notes for an article by Gerry Foley, undated

Box: 7, Folder: 12 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Pamphlet - "Christmas in Northern Ireland..." National Assoc. for Irish Freedom, 1973

Box: 7, Folder: 2 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Pamphlet - Class Against Class Marxist-Leninist Org. of Britain, 1974

Box: 7, Folder: 13 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Pamphlet - Lemane, Cornelius "The Irish Republic", 1916

Box: 7, Folder: 1 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Pamphlet - Lysaght, O'Connor, The Limerick Soviet, 1981

Box: 7, Folder: 10 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Pamphlet - O'Connell, Emmett, Dail Vladh: Shaping A New Society, 1973

Box: 7, Folder: 7 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Pamphlet - Workers Solidarity Movement, Ireland and British Imperialism, 1992

Box: 7, Folder: 9 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Publication: Brennan's: A weekly journal of advocating justice, equality and the preservation of American indenpenndence. Vol. 1, no. 1. (Chicago), Aug 16, 1924

Box: 4, Folder: 11 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Purdie, Bob Ireland Unfree Permantente Revolution, German, 1972

Box: 7, Folder: 6 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Van Der Straeten, Serge and Phillippe Danfouy, The Counter Revolution in Ireland, 1974

Box: 7, Folder: 5 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Series V. Nonprint, 1980-1995

Scope and Content Note

This series consists of flags, sashes, bumper stickers, and other objects demonstrating support for various 19th and 20th century Irish Republican and Irish American support groups. Also included is Prendiville's button collection, an assortment of political buttons from Irish organizations in Ireland and the United States, including Irish Republican Clubs, Irish Northern Aid, Citizens for Irish Justice, and the National Association for Irish Freedom. Complementing the buttons are detailed notes on the objects, created and supplied by Prendville.

Button Collection, 1980s-1990s

Box: 6 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Bumper stickers and penants, circa 1980s, undated

Box: 5, Folder: 3 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Paperweight: James Connolly (sold by Anne Devlin IRC; from Gardiner Place, Dublin (Sinn Fein), undated

Box: 5, Folder: 5 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Silk handerchief/scarf "Remember '98" with images of: Robert Emmet, Wolfe Tone, Henry Joy McCracken, Lord Ed. Fitzgerald, undated

Box: 5, Folder: 4 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)
Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
2nd Floor
New York, NY 10012