The collection includes material relating to Mrs Sarah Ryan (nee Hartley), including notebook about her activities with the Irish Countrywomen's Association (1962-65) Also her correspondence (1933-71) relating to personal, political and literary matters, including letter from Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, Women's Social and Political League, about a reception for 'Spanish returned soldiers'; correspondence with Olivia Hughes with references to Margaret Cunningham, Warden of Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and Countess Markievicz, and with Ella Walsh and Lil Nic Dhonnachada; also circulars, etc., from Girton College, of which Sarah Ryan was a graduate.

Desmond Ryan's research material includes note by Alice Milligan, editor of the 'Shan Van Vocht', to an article by James Connolly; copies of correspondence 1911-1916 of P.H. Pearse with Mrs Bloomer relating to St. Ita's; copy of 'The memoirs of Madge Daly', incomplete, corrected and annotated by Ryan.

Ryan's correspondence 1938-1963 includes letters from Margaret Pearse, Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, Maighréad Ní Cochlain, Eileen McCarthy, May Crowley (nee Quigley), Bab Ryan; also passing references in correspondence to women's part in Easter Week. Ryan's letters to the press 1936-1963 refer to a wide variety of topics, among them hot meals for schoolchildren. Mrs. Kathleen Clarke's account of the evacuation of the GPO in 1916, and 'certain relatives of Easter Week leaders gagging with shrouds all writers', Irish Housewives' Association delegation to Paris World Conference for Peace (1953), and an unsent letter relating to an attack on Mrs Hilda Verlin for visiting the Soviet Union. Other correspondents include Eibhlín Ó Briain, Eily D. Walsh, Patricia Rushton, Marguerite Louis, Mary O'Malley, Lorna Reynolds, Sighle Barrett, Moirin Chavasse, Miss Conway, Madge Daly, Geraldine Dillon, Norah Hoult, Stella Jackson, Rosamund Jacob (including reference to her difficulty in finding a publisher for her book on Matilda Tone), Helen Landreth, Mary Francis MacHugh, Mrs Margaret Phelan, Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, Mrs Mary Boylan, Teresa Brennan, Lillie Byrne, Mrs Erskine Childers (regarding her reservations about a life of Childers by Ryan), Johanna Collins, Sr M. Conception, Nora Connolly O'Brien, Kathleen Coyle, Kitty Fleming, Ina Foley (Department of External Affairs), Marjory Forrester, Janet E. Handley, Eileen McCarvill (nee McGrane), Brighid Nic Ruadhrí, Mrs [? Terence] MacSwiney, Kathleen O'Connell (private secretary to President de Valera), Ailbhe Ó Monachain, Hilary Pyle.

Personal correspondence includes correspondence with Doris Alcock, Olivia Hughes (about the involvement of Elizabeth Ryan (mother) with the Irish Countrywomen's Association, Scoil Bride and Miss Gavan (Duffy) Maire Ní Cathasaigh (Mary Casey), Máire Comerford (about Cis Cremin, May Crilly, Mary Tinney (Department of External Affairs), Agnes Finnegan, Lil Ní Fhoghartaigh Bean Uí Thuama, Maire Ní Dubhghaill and Caitlin Nic Giolla Íosachta, Una Ní Fharceallaigh, Mrs Gwyn, Alice [Harte], Ina Heron, Eleanor Howard, Olivia Hughes, Eily Hutton, Dorothea Kast, Nancy Kirwan, Mrs. Delia Kiernan (Delia Murphy), Ilse Kilscar, Jean Leonard, Mary McDermott, [Mary] Frances [McHugh], Máirín Mithcell, Marie Murphy, Máire Nic Eoin, Geraldine Ó Briain, Mrs O'Kelly, Cerise Parker, Margaret Pearse, mother St Patricia (Sheila O'Cleary), Dr Lorna Reynolds, Phyllis Ryan (later O'Kelly), Lizzie Ryan (mother), Maeve Ryan (sister), Joan and Kathleen [? Boyd] (aunts), Amy (Leonard, nee Hartley), Mary [? Hartley], Máire Nic Shuibhlaigh.

Political correspondence includes letter dated 1963 from Marie Johnston, who at 88 is 'the last woman left of the deputation of suffragists who waited on Arthur Griffith and Eamon de Valera to ask that under whichever State was set up women should be granted the vote under the new Constitution' .

Also includes obituaries for Margaret Butler (incomplete) and Hanna Sheehy Skeffington; correspondence to the Torch, edited from 1940-1944 by Desmond Ryan, includes letters from Rosa Jacob about a debt owed to Liam Mellowes's mother, and Louie Bennett on behalf of the Irish Women Workers' Union, enclosing letter to the President of Ireland, asking him to refer the Trade Union Bill to the Supreme Court; a copybook belonging to Ryan (1917), marked 'private and confidential' includes discussion of prostitution and sexual love; letter to Mrs Keating about Noel Browne and Blanchardstown Sanatorium , and a copy of 'Leabhar na mBan', published 1919 by Cumann na mBan.

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A descriptive list for the collection is available here.