Document details

In November 1946, Walt Disney, his wife Lillian Disney, assistant producer Perce Pearce and his wife, writer John Tucker Battle and his wife, as well as associate producer Larry Lansburgh, visited Ireland. They were working on a project that thirteen years later would become Darby O’Gill and the Little People. Throughout the trip, they were helped by the director of the Irish Folklore Commission, James Hamilton Delargy (Séamus Ó Duilearga). While in the region of Waterville, Delargy introduced Disney and his party to folklore collector Tadhg Murphy (Tadhg Ó Murchadha).

Throughout his life, Tadhg kept detailed diaries, which are now preserved by the Irish National Folklore Collection. 


Tuesday, November 26, 1946

The morning was dark and heavy, and it became dull and wet later in the day. I got word from Séamus Ó Duilearga—a telegram—to speak to him on the phone that evening, that he had some great piece of news for me. I spent the day transcribing and then late in the evening, around seven o’clock, I reached the post office. The weather was very cold and I had to stay there waiting until half past ten for an opportunity to telephone—I was frozen stiff.

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