Deposited Collections

Biographical History

Born in Dublin and educated at the Christian Brothers School, Synge Street and University College Dublin where he graduated in Irish, English and French. He taught at his old school for several years before returning to UCD as an assistant in French in 1912. He joined the Irish Volunteers in 1913 and fought with Thomas MacDonagh in Jacob’s Factory during Easter Week 1916. An active member of Sinn Féin, Hayes’ house was raided in November 1920 while Richard Mulcahy, Chief of Staff of the IRA was living there. Mulcahy escaped but Hayes was arrested and interned in Ballykinlar where he was Director of Education. Elected to the Second Dáil, he was released in August 1921, supported the Treaty and served as Minister for Education in the Dáil Cabinet, January–September 1922. He was elected Ceann Comhairle [Speaker] in September and held the office until 1932. He lost his seat in the 1933 general election. He also served as Chairman of the Civil service Commission, 1923-32.

Hayes was appointed Lecturer in Modern Irish Language and Literature in 1932 and Professor in 1951. He sat in Seanad Éireann from 1938 until 1965 and was a member of the Governing Body of UCD and of the Senate of the National University of Ireland.

Archival History 

This collection was deposited in UCD Archives in October 1980 by his sister, Mrs. Bridin Kehoe. 

Scope and Content

Minister for Education in the Second Dáil (1922), Ceann Comhairle (1922–32): Dáil Éireann standing orders, circulars, agendas, departmental and ministerial reports; material relating to the Treaty Debates and attempts to prevent a split in Dáil Éireann and the Army; correspondence concerning the position of National University of Ireland T.D.s on the Treaty; copies of speeches as Minister for Education; correspondence with universities and schools and memoranda on matters such as finance, curricula, qualifications, and the availability of teachers; correspondence concerning the position of teachers in Northern Ireland; correspondence as Ceann Comhairle with the President of the Executive Council and the Chairman of the Seanad on Oireachtas procedural and staff matters; memoranda on the offices of Governor General, President of the Executive Council, Ceann Comhairle and Leas Ceann Comhairle; reports on the Irish Race Congress, Paris (1922); correspondence concerning the refund of deposits for the 1918–23 general elections; requests for interviews and references.

Ballykinlar No 2 Internment Camp (1921): correspondence and reports concerning educational activities in the camp; correspondence with family and friends while interned and other internees after his release; draft chapters of a book describing conditions and activities in the camp.

Northern Ireland (1921–2): memoranda, reports, statements, statutory declarations, correspondence and news cuttings relating to events in Northern Ireland with particular reference to sectarian murder, arson and bomb outrages; the activities of the British Army and Ulster Special Constabulary; the implementation of the second Craig-Collins Pact; and distorted reportage and censorship of news in Northern Ireland newspapers.

Correspondence concerning the administration of the estate of the late President Arthur Griffith and the proposed President Griffith Bill; correspondence with Sean Milroy and Padraic Colum concerning the commissioning and progress of a biography of Griffith; correspondence with contemporaries of Griffith concerning aspects of his life; notes, drafts and copy chapters of the biography.

Draft chapters of a proposed book on the period 1919–23, together with related correspondence with publishers (1950s–70s); copies of articles and speeches on political, economic, historical and cultural topics.

Cumann Na nGaedheal and Fine Gael (1925–66): party political material including policy documents, newspapers and periodicals, and election posters.

News cuttings consisting mainly of retrospective comment and analysis of the 1916 Rising, the War of Independence, the First Dáil and the Civil War; copies of letters to the editors of Irish newspapers mainly on political matters(1922–72).

• Access: Available by appointment to holders of a UCD Archives reader's ticket. Produced for consultation in microform.
• Language: English and Irish.
• Finding aid: Descriptive Catalogue