Vancouver Irish Prisoner of War Committee Fonds Description and Inventory UBC Rare Books and Special Collections Kristan Cook February, 2007 Table of Contents Fonds Description………………….page 3-4 Series Description………………….page 6 Inventory…………………………...page 6-21 2 Title: Vancouver Irish Prisoner of War Committee Fonds Creator: Vancouver Irish Prisoner of War Committee Extent: 1.98 m of textual material. -- 165 audio cassettes. Dates: 1976- 1995 Administrative History: The Irish Prisoner of War Committee formed in 1981 in Ireland. Following Ireland’s establishment, Irish Prisoner of War Committees surfaced in Hamilton, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver. Throughout its operation, the Vancouver Irish Prisoner of War Committee (V.I.P.O.W.C.) held rallies, hosted lectures, organized protests, campaigned for prisoner rights’ in the pursuit of Irish Republicanism. The V.I.P.OW.C. also supported other human rights organizations such as Amnesty International. Producing a weekly radio show for Vancouver Co-Op Radio comprised one of the primary activities of the V.I.P.O.W.C. In 1987, the V.I.P.O.W.C. changed its name to the Irish Solidarity Committee as a member of the newly formed Canadian Irish Solidarity Network. The Irish Solidarity Committee established itself to coordinate Irish Solidarity Groups in Canada and receive representation from Sinn Fein. The Irish Solidarity Committee also produced a newsletter: “The Irish Solidarity News.” Scope and Content: The fonds primarily consists of the organizational, administrative, and operational records of the V.I.P.O.W.C. and the Irish Solidarity Committee dating from 1977 to 1994. The fonds also includes 165 audio cassettes of “Saoirse Eirleann.” The fonds divides into three series: The Textual Material Series, the “Saoirse Eirleann” Audio Cassette Series, and the Events Material Series. Source of Supplied Title: Title based on contents of Fonds General Note: The “Saoirse Eirleann” Audio Cassette Series can be found in the audio visual collection of UBC Rare Books and Special Collections. Arrangement Note: The original file titles of the V.I.P.O.W.C. and the Irish Solidarity Committee have been retained in the inventory. To further illuminate the file titles, additional information regarding subjects and materials have been added in hyphenate to the file title. The change of organizational name did not alter the records of the V.I.P.O.W.C. and the Irish Solidarity Committee. It appears that the Irish Solidarity Committee maintained and added to subject files already in use by the V.I.P.O.W.C. The V.I.P.O.W.C also subscribed to local magazines and newspapers including The Celtic Connection . The V.I.O.W.C. also received Irish Republican newspapers from Ireland including An-Phoblact, The Andersontown News, Troops Out, The Starry Plough, the Captive Voice, as well as magazines related to Women’s rights such as Iris and Women in 3 Struggle. These magazines and periodicals have been removed from the fonds, but can be located in the U.B.C. library catalogue. Related Material: The editorial work of V.I.P.O.W.C. president, Roisin Sheehy- Culhane, daughter of Claire Culhane, can be found in the Mick Lowe Fonds located at U.B.C. Rare Books and Special Collections. Mick Lowe published One Woman Army, a biography on prison rights’ activist, Claire Culhane, and Roisin Sheehy-Culhane edited several chapters of the biography. More biographical information about Roisin Sheehey- Culahne can also be located in One Woman Army. The Canadian Ethnic Studies Journal published Sheehy-Culhane’s “Ode to an Orangeman” in 1998. Sheehy-Culhane also self-published a children’s book When Mama Goes to Work: Devin’s Story in 2006. 4 SERIES 1 Title: Vancouver Irish Prisoner of War Committee Textual Material Series Creator: Vancouver Irish Prisoner of War Committee Extent: 1.98 m of textual material Scope and Content: The series consists of correspondence, newsletters, fliers, leaflets, magazines, newspaper clippings, financial records, poetry, and essays reflecting the activities of the V.I.P.O.W.C. Source of Supplied Title: Title based on contents of series. SERIES 2 Title: “Saoirse Eirleann” Audio Cassette Series Creator: Vancouver Irish Prisoner of War Committee Dates: 1987- 1993 Extent: 149 audio cassettes Scope and Content: The series consists of audio cassettes of the Vancouver Prisoner of War Committee Co-op Radio Program “Saoirse Eirleann.” Source of Supplied Title: Title Based on contents of series. SERIES 3 TITLE: Events Materials Series CREATOR: Vancouver Irish Prisoner of War Committee DATES: [1987- 1994] EXTENT: -- 7 Posters. -- 1 flag. -- 1 calendar. SCOPE AND CONTENT: The series consists of materials the V.I.P.O.W.C. used in events. SOURCE OF SUPPLIED TITLE: Title based on contents of series. 5 BOX LIST BOX/FOLDER/SERIES/TITLE/DATE/ Box 1 1/1/1/ “I.P.O.W. Chee” - Irish Prisoners of War Committee”/ notes, photocopies, newspaper clippings/ 1987-1988 1/2/1/’I.P.O.W.C.” Vancouver - notes, notes of Sinn Fein/ 1987 1/3/1/”Women in Ireland- Historical”- notes, newspaper clippings, info on women in Armagh Jail , overheads, newspaper clippings/ 1986 1/4/1/ Irish Solidarity News newsletter draft /1987 1/5/1/ ”Irish Unity Information Service”/1983- 1984 1/6/1/”The Funeral of Laurence Marely”- information/ 1988/ 1/7/1/ ”ISN Reports- Historical”- reports, newsletters, photocopies/ 1987 1/8/1/ ”ISC Membership Info” /1990 1/9/1/ ”Irish Canada Video Project”/ 1987 1/10/1/ ”Historical Material”- magazines, newsletters/ 1983 1/11/1/Irish Solidarity Committee- copies of correspondence, newsletters, membership info/ 1990 1/12/1/ ”Requests for Support”- correspondence/ 1990 1/13/1/ ”Kachuk, Pat”- paper, research notes for class- “Hermeneutics and the Study of Irish National Consciousness”/ BA Thesis “The Three Irlenads”/1988 1/14/1/ Correspondence- Irish Committee for Freedom, Irish Republican Socialist Committee Newsletter, Irish Solidarity Committee/ 1990 1/15/1/ ”ISC- AGM” – ledger, meeting notes, financial notes/ 1990 1/16/1/ “Macbride Principles”- copies of principles / 1989 1/17/1/ ”Irish Freedom Association”/ 1989 1/18/1/ “Hate Mail” – letter to Roisin Sheehy/ 1990 6 BOX 2 2/1/1/ “Irish Solidarity Network- Historical”- info on history of society/ 1990 2/2/1/ Mailing Lists/ [1981-1993] 2/3/1/Gerry Adams visit to Canada- correspondence, information/ 1987-1990 2/4/1/ “IPOW” – history of organization/ 1982 2/5/1/”Belfast Letters” / letter to Roisin Sheehy discussing Irish climate/ 1990 2/6/1/ “Human Rights” / 1990 2/7/1/ “Co-op Radio” – sign up sheets, policies for “Saoirse Eireann” radio show/ 1993 2/8/1/Sinn Fein- policy documents”/ [1981-1993] 2/9/1/”Leaflets”/ 1987 2/10/1”Mohawks/ Aboriginal Links”- clippings, correspondence/ [1981-1993] 2/11/1 “NORAID”- Irish Northern Aid Committee/ 1991 2/12/1/ “Keane, Mairead”- clippings regarding lecture March 12, 1991/1991 BOX 3 3/1/1/ “Letters to Papers” – clippings/ 1992 3/2/1/ “Leyen, Denis”- clippings, faxes/ 1993 3/3/1/ “Irish Solidarity Network Conference- Vancouver”/ 1990” 3/4/1/ “Poems” / 1984-1987 3/5/1/ “American Protestants for Irish about IRA”- clippings / 1989 3/6/1/ “Amnesty International”- clippings/ 1987-1988 3/7/1/”Bloody Sunday”- Radio show notes, clippings/ 1992 3/8/1/”Black Propaganda and Dirty Tricks”- clippings/ 1989 3/9/1/”Birmingham Six”- clippings/ 1990 7 3/10/1/ “Bernadette Devlin McAliskey”- clippings/ 1988” 3/11/1/ “Dirty Tricks (British Forces/ Gov)”- clippings/ 1987 3/12/1/ “Disinformation”- clippings/ 1991 3/13/1/ “Dessie, Ellis”- clippings, letter before beginning hunger strike/ 1990 3/14/1/ “Easter Rising”- Radio show notes/ [1981-1993] 3/15/1/”British Army and Rac”- clippings, correspondence/ 1987-1990 3/16/1/ “Border Campaign” –clippings/ [1981-1993] 3/17/1/ “Bombardier (Shorts)” – clippings [1987] / nd 3/18/1/ “Bobby Sands and Hunger Strikes” – notes, clippings / [1981-1993] 3/19/1/ “Canada Immigration”- clippings/ 1991 3/20/1/ “The Casement Accused”- radio show, notes, clippings, Casement Trials”/ [1981- 1993] 3/21/1/”Civil Rights Movements”- clippings of Derry Massacre/ [1981-1993] 3/22/1“ISC- Current” – correspondence regarding ISC/ 1990 BOX 4 4/1/1/ “Broadcast Ban and Censorship”- clippings, briefs, Sinn Fein Foreign Affairs Bureau/ 1989 4/2/1/ “Broadcast Ban and Media”- clippings, briefs, leaflets/ 1989 4/3/1/ “British Withdrawal”- clippings, correspondence/ [1981-1993] 4/4/1/ “Doors of Hope” – clippings, releases, correspondences/ 1990- 1993 4/5/1/ “Danny Morrison”- Information Service/ 1990 4/6/1/ “Civil Liberties” / correspondence, releases, Civil Liberties Council News Releases, Northern Ireland Civil Liberties Council/ 1987-1989 4/7/1/ “Church”/ publications/ 1989 8 4/8/1/ “Anti Sinn Fein”- press releases, clippings/ 1990 4/9/1/ “IRISH History”- publications/ clippings/ [1981-1993] 4/10/1/ “Women’s History”- publications, notes / [1981-1993] 4/11/1/ “ISC”-correspondence, print publications/ 1991- 1993 4/12/1 / Women in Ireland” history, clippings, correspondence, [1981-1993] 4/13/1/ “An Phoblacht” / Republican News/ 1986 4/14/ 1/ V.I.P.O.W. information- pamphlets, clippings on Sinn Fein, Women in Ireland/ [1981-1993] 4/15/ 1/ V.I.P.O.W. pamphlets, information, poems, Sinn Fein statements/ 1982 4/16/1/ poetry, cards, information/ [1981-1993] BOX 5 5/1/1/ V.I.P.O.W materials, calendar poster / 1994 5/2/1/ Irish Sheet Music/ [1981-1993] 5/3/1/ calendar/ 5/4/1/ V.I.P.O.W. materials- papers, publications, poems of Paddy Brady/ 1986- 1987 5/5/1/ V.I.P.O.W. materials- clippings, publications, Sinn Fein Booklist, letter for F.A.D.A Forum for Democratic Alternative, Irish Solidarity Committee Booklist, and Republican Publications / 1987- 1990 5/6/1/ “Irish Info Package – 1989” – Sinn Fein Foreign Affairs Bureau Information Service / 1989 5/7/1/ Poem – handwritten “Racial Pride” [1981-1993] 5/8/1/ Human Rights publications, pamphlets/ [1981-1993] 5/9/1/ “Irish Times” Clippings/ 1987 5/10/1/ “Sinn Fein Information Service”/ 1987 5/11/1 / “Irish Solidarity Committee”- newsletters/ 1990 9 5/12/1/ V.I.P.O.W.