• Reference code  IE/UCD/SC/JO’D
• Title John O’Donovan/William Reeves Correspondence
• Dates 1832-1860
• Level of description Fonds
• Extent 106 items

Creator John O’Donovan (1806-1861)

Biographical History

• John O’Donovan was born in Kilcolumb, County Kilkenny.
• In 1830 he took up the post of ‘Orthographer and Etymologist’ with the Ordnance Survey and was appointed the head of the Topographical Department the following year.
• In 1834 he began fieldwork for the Ordnance Survey and travelled throughout Ireland working on place names.
• He was assisted with this task by several people including Eugene O’Curry.  (O’Curry’s manuscript collection is also held in UCD Library Special Collections).
• This fieldwork involved writing an explanation of over 60,000 townland names as well as details of the history and antiquities of these townlands.
• It was as part of this fieldwork that the famous O’Donovan’s name books and O’Donovan’s letters were produced. (Copies of O’Donovan’s letters and name books are held in UCD National Folklore Collection).
• O’Donovan was a prolific writer and appeared in various publications of the time. 
• His greatest achievement was the publication of a transcription and translation of the Annals of the Four Masters in seven volumes in 1848-51.

Creator William Reeves (1815-1892)

Biographical History

• William Reeves was born in Charlevill, County Cork.
• He was a celebrated antiquarian? and the Church of Ireland Bishop of Down, Connor and Dromore.
• Prior to this he had been the Armagh diocesan librarian for a time.
• Reeves published several books including the Life of St. Columba and the History and Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dromore and the paper On the Townland distribution of Ireland.

Source of Acquisition Inherited by UCD Library from an antecedent body of UCD.

• There are 80 letters either to or from John O’Donovan O’Donovan’s principal correspondent is William Reeves.
• One letter is to George Petrie [1789-1866).
• Three letters are to James Henthorn Todd (1805-1869).
• One letter is to Edmund Getty One letter is to O’Donovan from Arthur Blennerhassett Rowan (1800-1861).
• One letter is to O’Donovan from W. Oldham.

The correspondence with William Reeves often takes an interesting form. Reeves writes to O’Donovan with enquiries about Irish words and place-names and O’Donovan annotates the letter with his answers and sends it back.

In addition to these letters, there are 26 fragments, mostly of questions and answers; some of these may belong with letters, as there is sometimes reference in a letter to queries enclosed.

• Access The materials in this collection are available by appointment only to research students, teaching staff and scholars.
  Research students should have a letter of recommendation from their supervisor.
• Reproduction Photocopying or digital photographing of this material is not permitted.
• Language English and Irish.
• Finding Aid Descriptive list: John O'Donovan - William Reeves correspondence

Publication Note

This collection has been digitized and is available on the UCD Digital Library.

Find information on John O’Donovan and William Reeve in the Dictionary of Irish Biography (UCD only).