Letitia Dunbar-Harrison
Encyclopedia
Letitia Dunbar-Harrison (born Dublin 4 February 1906, died 1994) was an Irish
librarian
who became the subject of a controversy over her appointment. She was a graduate of Trinity College Dublin
. She was the subject of a documentary made in 2009 by RTÉ entitled 'Scannal - The Curious Case of the Mayo Librarian'.
county librarian arose and Letitia Dunbar-Harrison was recommended for the role by the Local Appointments Commission. The Library Committee of Mayo County Council
refused to endorse the recommendation to Mayo County Council, claiming her grasp of Irish
was inadequate. The County Council accordingly did not sanction her nomination. In response, the government dissolved the County Council and replaced it with a Commissioner who appointed Dunbar-Harrison to the role of county librarian. In December 1931, Letitia Dunbar-Harrison was transferred from Castlebar
to work for the Department of Defence
in Dublin.
J. J. Lee suggested that the resentment of local people towards the Local Appointments Commission
for appointing someone with little or no local connections may also have been a factor, but argued that sectarianism was also involved:
He cited one J.T. Morahan who was:
Michael D. Higgins
also suggested that sectarianism was a factor:
Professor John A. Murphy
argued that it was a case of local government versus government:
The government resolved the situation by offering her a post in the Military Library in Dublin, which she accepted.
Minister, Rev. Robert Crawford while in Castlebar and they married a few months after she started work in the Military Library and became known as Aileen Crawford. Because of the marriage bar
she had to resign her post.
The couple lived in Waterford, Tipperary, Louth and Antrim and had no children. After being widowed in the 1950s, she remained in Northern Ireland
.
She attempted to become a Methodist Minister, but was failed on one of her written exams for the post. She remained an active member of her church for many years and died in 1994.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
librarian
Librarian
A librarian is an information professional trained in library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials for those with information needs...
who became the subject of a controversy over her appointment. She was a graduate of Trinity College Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
. She was the subject of a documentary made in 2009 by RTÉ entitled 'Scannal - The Curious Case of the Mayo Librarian'.
Mayo County Librarian Controversy
In 1930 a vacancy for MayoMayo
- Places :Ireland* County Mayo* Mayo * Mayo * Mayo * Mayo East * Mayo North...
county librarian arose and Letitia Dunbar-Harrison was recommended for the role by the Local Appointments Commission. The Library Committee of Mayo County Council
Mayo County Council
Mayo County council is the local authority which is responsible for County Mayo in Ireland. The Council is responsible for Housing and Community, Roads and Transportation, Urban planning and Development, Amenity and Culture, and Environment. The county council is governed by the Local Government...
refused to endorse the recommendation to Mayo County Council, claiming her grasp of Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
was inadequate. The County Council accordingly did not sanction her nomination. In response, the government dissolved the County Council and replaced it with a Commissioner who appointed Dunbar-Harrison to the role of county librarian. In December 1931, Letitia Dunbar-Harrison was transferred from Castlebar
Castlebar
Castlebar is the county town of, and at the centre of, County Mayo in Ireland. It is Mayo's largest town by population. The town's population exploded in the late 1990s, increasing by one-third in just six years, though this massive growth has slowed down greatly in recent years...
to work for the Department of Defence
Department of Defence (Ireland)
The Department of Defence is the department of the Government of Ireland that is responsible for preserving peace and security in Ireland and abroad...
in Dublin.
Debate about motives for non-appointment
The reason given by the County Council for not appointing her as librarian was her insufficient grasp of Irish:J. J. Lee suggested that the resentment of local people towards the Local Appointments Commission
Local Appointments Commission
The Local Appointments Commissions were created by W. T. Cosgrave to counter allegations of favouritism at local levels in government in Ireland....
for appointing someone with little or no local connections may also have been a factor, but argued that sectarianism was also involved:
He cited one J.T. Morahan who was:
Michael D. Higgins
Michael D. Higgins
Michael Daniel Higgins is the ninth and current President of Ireland, having taken office on 11 November 2011 following victory in the 2011 Irish presidential election. Higgins is an Irish politician, poet, sociologist, author and broadcaster. Higgins was President of the Labour Party until his...
also suggested that sectarianism was a factor:
Professor John A. Murphy
John A. Murphy
John A. Murphy is an Irish historian and a former senator. He is currently Emeritus Professor of history at University College Cork ....
argued that it was a case of local government versus government:
The government resolved the situation by offering her a post in the Military Library in Dublin, which she accepted.
Life after Mayo Controversy
She had met a MethodistMethodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
Minister, Rev. Robert Crawford while in Castlebar and they married a few months after she started work in the Military Library and became known as Aileen Crawford. Because of the marriage bar
Marriage bars
Marriage bars were a practice adopted from the late 19th century to the 1960s restricting married women from employment in many professions, especially teaching and clerical jobs...
she had to resign her post.
The couple lived in Waterford, Tipperary, Louth and Antrim and had no children. After being widowed in the 1950s, she remained in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.
She attempted to become a Methodist Minister, but was failed on one of her written exams for the post. She remained an active member of her church for many years and died in 1994.