COLUM, Padraic. Arthur Griffith (Inscribed by Mulcahy and Colum with letter from Richard Mulcahy)

Dublin: Browne & Nolan, 1959. First edition. Octavo. pp. xvi, 400. Green cloth, titled in gilt. Signed by the author. Presentation copy inscribed by Richard Mulcahy (Risteárd Ua Maolchatha) to Alice Lyons: "To Alice, 4.12.59, a hot cake, from the oven." Loosely inserted is a two-page autograph letter signed from Mulcahy to "Dear Alice", discussing the publication of the book, together with a Christmas greeting card from General and Mrs Richard Mulcahy, printed in Irish and English at The Sign of the Three Candles in Colmcille type and illustrated with a woodcut. A very good copy in the very good dust jacket.

Presentation copy signed by Padraic Colum and further enhanced by an exceptional group of associated material from General Richard Mulcahy, Chief of Staff of the Irish Republican Army during the War of Independence and Commander-in-Chief of the National Army during the Civil War.

The accompanying two-page autograph letter, dated 4 December 1959 and addressed to "Dear Alice", discusses the publication of Colum's biography of Arthur Griffith. Mulcahy expresses the hope that Alice has already seen some of the reviews, notes that he has distributed copies to friends and newspapers, and remarks that he expects to return to Dublin shortly, closing with warm personal good wishes. Also present is Mulcahy's signed presentation inscription to Alice Lyons: "To Alice, 4.12.59, a hot cake, from the oven." Completing the group is a Christmas greeting card from General and Mrs Richard Mulcahy, printed in Irish and English at The Sign of the Three Candles in Colmcille type and illustrated with a woodcut.

Colum's biography of Arthur Griffith—the founder of Sinn Féin and first President of Dáil Éireann—was published only weeks before Mulcahy's letter. Having worked closely with Griffith throughout the struggle for independence, Mulcahy was uniquely placed to appreciate the significance of the work, and his correspondence offers a revealing contemporary insight into his interest in its reception and circulation.

The volume is inscribed to Alice Lyons, Michael Collins's personal secretary during the revolutionary period. It forms part of an exceptional provenance group comprising books, correspondence and greetings presented by Mulcahy to Alice Lyons over more than two decades, creating an outstanding association between Arthur Griffith, Michael Collins, Richard Mulcahy and one of Collins's closest colleagues. An exceptional association copy, combining the signature of Padraic Colum with an autograph letter, presentation inscription and Christmas card from Richard Mulcahy, representing an unusually personal and historically significant archive relating to the founders of the Irish Free State.

[L1 8D]