Dun’s Library – New Accessions
Before the Christmas holidays Dun’s Library received some
new accessions to add to its collections. These new volumes A Directory of Ulster Doctors (who qualified
before 1901) by R.S.J. Clarke and Caring
for the Nation. A History of the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital by
Sr Eugene Nolan have been shelved with our modern reference collection to aid
those studying the history of medicine.
A Directory of Ulster Doctors (who qualified before 1901)
Professor Richard Clarke is a widely respected anaesthetist
and historian of that medical profession. He is emeritus professor of
anaesthetics at Queen’s University and has previously taken on the role of
archivist of the Royal Victoria Hospital. His two-volume work A Directory of Ulster Doctors (who qualified
before 1901) is a huge undertaking and clearly benefits from his
experience.
Professor Clarke has kindly donated a copy of this work to
the Library, and has acknowledged
Robert Mills (retired librarian of RCPI) and the contribution of the Heritage
Centre collections. Professor Clarke utilised the Medical Registers, Medical
Directories, our unique resource the
Kirkpatrick Index and some of our portraits while compiling this very
extensive reference book. (You can find more information about these resources
on our website.)
The work aims to include all doctors (physicians, surgeons and apothecaries)
who were born, educated, worked or died in the nine counties of Ulster. This
will be an extremely useful reference tool for those studying the work of
specific medics, history of medicine, or indeed for genealogical research.
For those interested in genealogical research the Heritage
Centre has fantastic resources to trace medical professionals. Members of the
public are very welcome to use our resources; however, we would request that they
would contact us via telephone or email in order to make an appointment.
Alternatively, we offer a commission research service for those that may not be
able to attend the reading room in person. For more information visit our website or contact
us by email heritagecentre@rcpi.ie.
Caring for the Nation. A History of the Mater Misericordiae University
Hospital
The second new accession also comes from a hospital
archivist – Caring for the Nation. A
History of the Mater Misericordiae was written by Sr. Eugene Nolan. Having
trained in nursing and midwifery she worked as a staff nurse in the Mater. She
then went on to teach these subjects and spent some years as Principal of the
Mater School of Midwifery in Kenya. She returned to Dublin to the Mater’s
Centre for Nurse Education and also holds the position of hospital archivist.
She too donated a copy of her book and acknowledges the
assistance of RCPI President John Crowe and our Keeper of Collections Harriet
Wheelock.
The book details 150 years of history of the well-known
Mater hospital. The hospital was founded in 1861 and its full history is
beautifully arranged and illustrated in this volume.