Bound music manuscript books, handwritten by Nellie Walsh, in both A4 staff notation books and smaller notebooks with lyrics and some tonic sol-fa. These are collections of songs unattributed to counties or dates, but each titled. They likely helped her when constructing her 'Songs of your county' column, but were also likely for her own personal use.
Bound music manuscript books with handwritten sheet music collected by Nellie Walsh. Written in staff notation with lyrics, each song titled and titles collected in an index on the paper front cover of the book. Several have lyric sheets or staff notation inserted, so not all are well bound together.
Small bound paper books containing song lyrics and occasional tonic sol-fa. Mostly handwritten by Nellie Walsh, but some books include inserts of newspaper clippings or typescript. Three are collections of typescript poems on coloured paper. These books are small memo books, day planners, notebooks, and contact books, mostly bound by cardstock, but a handful have thicker cardboard or plastic bindings. They are filled up with songs seemingly unattributed to certain counties or date ranges, but we can assume these fall between 1940s and 1990s.
Songs, newspaper clippings, and editorials about the tune 'The Londonderry air,' including a list of songs set to the air, letters from Nellie Walsh and letters responding to her request for information about the tune, several packets of sheet music in staff notation for songs composed to the air, and a collection of materials about its most famous interpretation, 'Danny boy.' Several of these are duplicates or photocopies of each other.
Unbound scrapbook entitled 'Songs from Ireland's own'. Each page numbered 1–75 by Nellie Walsh and contains numerous cuttings, manuscripts, etc. An eleven page index at the beginning shows the titles of the songs on each page, handwritten by Walsh, but with no discernible ordering principle.
Series of song manuscripts from and organised by the 32 counties of Ireland. Many are handwritten by Nellie Walsh herself, sometimes on the back of scraps of paper including envelopes, postcards, bank statements, and typescript notes or memos from the Old Wexford Society, for which Walsh was Honorary Secretary. Several songs are attributed to their writers, with the most belonging to the writer/composer duo John Nestor and Brian Driscoll and writer Dan McEntee. Most of the county files include letters requesting or submitting song, and many of those letters are attached to the song about which they are discussing. Although Walsh published her 'Songs of your county' column from the mid 1960s until the mid 1990s, the songs she compiled appear to date back to the late 1800s. The date range included here is 1898–1989 to account for the dates written on both the songs collected and the letters sent to Walsh to submit songs. The majority of the songs and letters are not individually dated.
Handwritten, typescript, and newspaper clippings of songs from Co. Donegal, mostly lyric sheets, but also a few with tonic sol-fa. Many transcribed by Nellie Walsh herself, but others clearly sent to her. Some attached to letters addressed to Walsh.
Handwritten and newspaper clippings of songs lyric sheets from Co. Fermanagh. A few transcribed by Nellie Walsh herself, but others sent to her or clipped from newspapers. Some attached to letters addressed to Walsh.
Handwritten, photocopied printed, and typescript song lyric sheets from Co. Laois, including an envelope containing letter from the Laois County Librarian addressed to 'Mr. Nellie Walsh' and 18 photocopied printed poems (53 pages). Several photocopied typscript songs are signed by John Fitzpatrick and/or John Devoy. A few transcribed by Nellie Walsh herself, but others sent to her and some attached to letters addressed to Walsh.
Handwritten, typescript, photocopied printed, and photocopied newspaper of songs from Co. Roscommon. These are mostly lyric sheets, but one includes tonic sol-fa and one is written on the back of music manuscript paper, which appears unrelated to the song. This file also includes a card signed "With compliments Michael Fitzmaurice" which is not attached to a song. Mostly transcribed by Nellie Walsh herself, but others sent to her or clipped from newspapers. Some attached to letters addressed to Walsh.
