| Collection Description | Timothy Looney, a native of Cahir, county Tipperary, was born in 1914. A well-known local historian, he could regularly be
found exploring local castles, churches, graveyards, and sites of archaeological interest. He was known to challenge
established beliefs and traditions and to use the evidence of cross-disciplinary elements such as documents and
landscapes to offer alternative interpretations. His house on Pearse Street, a treasure trove of maps, books, documents,
and photographs, was a popular port of call for genealogists tracing their ancestors and for scholars researching historical
topics. Looney’s collecting activities culminated in a remarkable salvage operation to recover papers from Shanbally
Castle, county Tipperary prior to its destruction by a controlled explosion in March 1960. [University of Limerick Special
Collections and Archives] |
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