This collection comprises the papers and correspondence of the Kevin Barry Memorial Committee. The Committee was formed to raise funds to create a memorial to Kevin Barry (20 January 1902–1 November 1920). Barry, a medical student at University College Dublin, was executed for his part in an ambush which resulted in the deaths of three British Army officers. The Committee commissioned Harry Clarke Stained Glass Limited to create a stained glass window dedicated to Kevin Barry and the other students and graduates of University College Dublin who lost their lives in the struggle for Irish Independence. The window, designed by Richard King, was erected in Earlsfort Terrace and unveiled on 1 November 1934. In 2010, the window was conserved, restored and relocated in the Charles Institute at Belfield, the current campus of University College Dublin.

Unsigned letter from Bourke, Students’ Representative Council, to Dr T. Corcoran extending an invitation to act as joint honorary treasurer, along with The O’Rahilly, of the Kevin Barry Memorial Fund.

Typed draft letter from Bourke, Students’ Representative Council, to an unspecified recipient, [possibly I.F. McInerney or I.F. Tierney?] concerning statements made in the Irish Independent newspaper and requesting that the recipient refrain from commenting on the memorial until the committee decided to make further information available.

Letter from Bourke, Students’ Representative Council, to Professor E.P. McLoughlin extending an invitation to act as joint honorary treasurer of the Kevin Barry Memorial Committee.

Letter from Kevin Mangan, Richmond Avenue, Milltown, to Bourke advising that he may not be able to attend the next meeting of the committee but stating his strong belief in choosing a theme or central idea to guide the selection of designs for the individual panels within the stained glass window.

Brief manuscript letter from E.P. McLoughlin, Olney, Ailesbury Road, Dublin, addressed to Bourke outlining his hope that the memorial window will be a worthy tribute to the memory of Kevin Barry.

Letter from C.B. Simmonds, manager, Harry Clarke Stained Glass Limited, to Bourke, The National University, 49 Merrion Square. He will not be attending the unveiling ceremony but other representatives from the company will be present. He is arranging for the window to be draped and will give his attention to the inscription plates as soon as the committee have made a decision.

Brief manuscript letter from M.J. O'Maille, 106 Phibsboro' Road, Dublin, former schoolmate of Kevin Barry's in Belvedere College, to the Kevin Barry Memorial Committee enclosing a cheque as a contribution towards the erection of the memorial window.

Manuscript letter from Ua Rathghaille, 40 Herbert Park, Dublin, informing Bourke of his inability to attend a meeting of the committee and commenting on the suggestion that the committee should provide photographs of the stained glass window to subscribers. He feels this would be too costly.

Loose sheet featuring manuscript notes on decisions made by the Kevin Barry Memorial Committee relating to the adoption of an unspecified report by the committee and the election of members to the committee for the period 4 December 1927–19 March 1928. The reverse of the page also features a list of eleven possible options for the form of a memorial dedicated to Kevin Barry.

Manuscript notes on decisions made by the committee at a meeting held in Earlsfort Terrace on 13 March [1927 or 1928]. The notes discuss attempts to obtain permission to erect a water font in University Church or to hold an annual memorial mass for Kevin Barry. It also refers to suggestions to construct a memorial in St Stephen's Green. The minutes are signed by B. O Reilly, secretary of the Kevin Barry Memorial Committee.

Circular letter entitled 'The Kevin Barry Memorial Fund' containing a brief history of the memorial fund and a request for contributions and subscriptions. The letter is written both in English and in Irish and features the names of the members of the committee. The names of ex-committee members have been crossed out with pencil.

Draft manuscript report providing a detailed history of the Kevin Barry Memorial following a proposal made at a meeting of the Students' Representative Council of University College Dublin on 2 November 1920, the day following the execution of Kevin Barry. The report is written within two short examination booklets which have been labelled 'I' and 'II.'

Manuscript report, written in Irish, relating to the proposed memorial and the search for approval for the project from the Governing Body of University College Dublin. The report was unanimously adopted by the committee and has been signed by Eoin Ó Broleáin, secretary, and Pádraig O Donnobhán, vice-president of the committee.

Letter from Thomas Murphy, President of University College Dublin, to John V. Bourke responding to enquiries made by Bourke regarding the possibility of transferring the Kevin Barry Memorial stained glass window from Earlsfort Terrace, the former main campus of UCD, to Belfield, the current main campus of the university. Murphy advises that the window will be moved in due course and discusses the selection of a suitable location.

Text of an interview with an unidentified member of the Students’ Representative Council involved in the establishment of the original fund for a memorial which commenced shortly after the execution of Kevin Barry in 1920. The interview addresses questions relating to the history of the fund, how the funds collected by the Students' Representative Council after 1920 should be spent and the most appropriate form for the memorial. The interview has been signed with the initials [TOH?] and dated 25 April 1930.

Minutes of a meeting of the Kevin Barry Memorial Committee. The minutes refer to the proposed acceptance of subscriptions from people who do not and have never attended University College Dublin and the proposed date for the unveiling ceremony. The meeting was adjourned and resumed on the 15th January. The minutes were signed by Desmond Bell, chairman, 1 March 1934.

The minutes concern payment due to the Clarke studio, the date of the unveiling ceremony and the decision to publish a photograph of the stained glass window in the college magazine Comhthrom Feinne. The minutes were signed by Desmond Bell, chairman, 23 July 1934, and feature manuscript annotations.

Minutes refer to the exhibition of black and white designs for the panels of the stained glass window along with comments and suggested changes made by the Memorial Committee. The minutes were signed by Desmond E. Bell, chairman, 2 January 1934.

Minutes refer to the question of whether to accept subscriptions from political parties and the likelihood that the stained glass window would not be completed for the intended Saint Patrick's Day unveiling. Signed by Desmond Bell, 27 April 1934.

Minutes pertain to a discussion on whether the committee should accept financial assistance from the public following a letter published in the Irish Press from Joseph J. O' Donoghue IV of New York concerning the Kevin Barry Memorial. Mr O' Donoghue also sent $100 to be given to the Memorial Fund in order to facilitate its completion. In another context, Keogh Brothers Photographers offered to print and sell memoriam cards and donate the proceeds to the fund. The minutes were signed by William P. Fay, chairman, 8 January 1934.

Document contains the minutes of a meeting of the Kevin Barry Memorial Committee and was signed by Desmond C. Bell, chairman of the committee on 11 October 1934. The minutes refer primarily to proposed alterations to the window and payment due to Harry Clarke Stained Glass Limited.

Brief minutes of a meeting of the committee, signed by Kevin Mangan, chairman of the committee, 14 November 1934.

News-cutting regarding efforts to have a memorial erected to Barry at UCD on the anniversary of his death, and the eventual unveiling (1 November 1934) of a stained glass tribute to him designed by the Harry Clarke Studios.

Manuscript letter from Hogan, Department of Finance, Upper Merrion Street, Dublin, to Bourke concerning the proposed designs for the stained glass window and stating the matter may require further consideration.

Brief manuscript letter from John V. Bourke, Students’ Representative Council, to the Governing Body of University College Dublin discussing the erection of the Kevin Barry Memorial.

Letter from the office of J.W. Bacon, secretary and bursar, University College Dublin, stating that a scheme to be prepared by The O’Rahilly still needs to be submitted to the UCD Governing Body.

Manuscript letter concerning a final report from the Kevin Barry Committee including the price estimate received for the stained glass window, attempts made to seek official approval from the Governing Body of University College Dublin, possible sites for the window and the history of the project.

Letter from John W. Bacon, secretary and bursar, University College Dublin, Earlsfort Terrace, to John V. Bourke stating that the Governing Body has decided to postpone consideration of a letter submitted to them by Bourke concerning the proposed memorial to Kevin Barry.

Copy letter sent by John V. Bourke to the Governing Body of University College Dublin regarding the findings of a commission established by the Students’ Representative Council to look into the history of the fund collected for the establishment of a memorial dedicated to Kevin Barry and submitting recommendations to the Governing Body regarding the erection of the memorial. The copy features minor manuscript annotations dated 12 November 1931.

Manuscript letter concerning the trustees of the Kevin Barry Memorial Fund, the inception of the fund and the reluctance of University College Dublin officials to approve the construction of a memorial dedicated to Kevin Barry.

Manuscript letter from Patrick Donovan, 83 Wellington Road, Dublin, former president of the Students’ Representative Council of University College Dublin, written in response to queries posed by a member of the committee, concerning the purpose of the memorial fund, attempts to erect the memorial in University Church, and possible forms the memorial could take.

Manuscript letter from Vincent C. Barry, University College, Galway, to the secretary of the Kevin Barry Memorial Committee (John V. Bourke), regarding the absence of a report from the committee for the previous year; the opposition of the UCD Governing Body to the erection of a memorial tablet to Kevin Barry; the funds collected by UCD students for the purpose of constructing a memorial; and the form the memorial should take.

Manuscript letter from W. Ian Bloome, Ashbrook Terrace, Leeson Park, Dublin, to John V. Bourke concerning the history of the memorial fund established by the Students' Representative Council (S.R.C.) and suggestions as to the form of the memorial.

Photocopy of a page from an article published in an issue of The National Student (March 1931) concerning the Kevin Barry Memorial. One paragraph on the page has been highlighted concerning the decision to dedicate the memorial solely to Kevin Barry.

Newspaper cutting featuring an article concerning the approval of the Kevin Barry Memorial by the Governing Body of University College Dublin entitled ‘Announcement at N.U.I. Convocation: Erection in College’. [From the Irish Press]

Undated manuscript note on headed paper of the Commerce Society, University College Dublin, discussing the commencement of the construction of the window and the proposed design to be submitted to the committee. The note has not been signed by or addressed to a specific individual but is presumably an intra-committee communication.

Brief undated manuscript note, written in Irish, concerning the Kevin Barry stained glass window and providing a very brief description of its background. Written on National University of Ireland headed paper.

Newspaper cutting from the Irish Press criticising the delay of the Governing Body of University College Dublin in erecting the stained glass window memorial dedicated to Kevin Barry.

Manuscript list of the scenes to be depicted in the stained glass window accompanied by a rough sketch indicating the positioning of each individual scene within the panels. The sketch appears on the reverse of a leaflet for Harry Clarke and Sons Stained Glass Artists and Church Decorators, Dublin.

Document provides a detailed description of the scenes to be depicted in each of the eight individual panels of the stained glass window, to be designed and executed by Harry Clark Stained Glass Limited, North Frederick Street, Dublin. The descriptions outline the subject matter of each of the panels along with specifications relating to the composition and the symbolism of the scenes.

Newspaper cutting from the Irish Press featuring a letter sent by Joseph J. O' Donoghue IV of New York concerning the delays in the erection of the Kevin Barry Memorial and enclosing a cheque of $100 to be expended on the memorial window.

Typed list of companies that could potentially be commissioned to complete the stained glass window for the Kevin Barry Memorial. The list also features manuscript comments on the suitability of each of the companies for the project. Written on Permanent Exhibition of Irish Manufactures headed paper.

Loose page extracted from a University College Dublin magazine, featuring a black and white print copy of a photograph of the memorial window taken by Keogh Brothers Limited. The copy also features manuscript annotations suggesting possible changes to the window's design.

Press copy of a statement signed by Bourke clarifying the date of the unveiling ceremony as the preparations were not complete for the intended date of Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March 1934. The statement also briefly describes the scenes to be depicted in the memorial window.

Unaddressed invitation to the unveiling of the Kevin Barry Memorial in the Council Chamber, Earlsfort Terrace, University College Dublin on 1 November 1934, written both in English and in Irish.

Manuscript document entitled ‘Kevin Barry Memorial File’ concerning the decision of the Governing Body of University College Dublin to approve the erection of a stained glass window as a memorial to Kevin Barry and detailing discussions which took place on the other forms the memorial could potentially take, such as a scholarship or grant offered to students.

Document from The National University of Ireland Convocation detailing the Order of Business for 9 February 1932; including a proposal by John V. Bourke concerning the unnecessary delay on the part of the Governing Body of University College Dublin in granting permission for a memorial dedicated to Kevin Barry.

Manuscript report of the Kevin Barry Memorial Committee discussing the proposed memorial to be dedicated to Kevin Barry in University College Dublin, 14 October 1930. The report features a brief description of the history of the decision to create a memorial dedicated to Kevin Barry and the other students and graduates of University College Dublin who lost their lives during the struggle for independence. The report discusses the inception of the project and its development during the period 1920–30, beginning with a meeting of the Students’ Representative Council on 2 November 1920, in the immediate aftermath of the execution of Kevin Barry. It also refers to the finances of the memorial fund, the committee’s attempts at fund raising, members of the committee and the decision regarding what form the memorial should take. The report has been signed by the members of the committee including William P. Fay, Kevin Mangan, Patricia Browner, John V. Bourke and John Kent.

Minutes relate to a draft sketch of the plans for the proposed memorial window, a circular appealing for funds and the departure of Tadhg O'Neill from the committee. The minutes were signed by Ua Rathghaille, chairman, 21 December 1932.