The Jolley/O’Rourke Family Collection in Irish Studies was established in 2005 by the late Jack and Joyce Jolley. It was named to honor Jack’s grandmother, Annie O’Rourke, as well as the rest of his Irish family from County Leitrim. Jack retired as vice president and treasurer of PACCAR Inc., a manufacturer of heavy-duty highway trucks. At Notre Dame, Jack served on the College of Arts and Letters Advisory Council. He and Joyce were members of the Sorin Society and the Badin Guild. Residents of Bellevue, Washington, Jack and Joyce had five children. Their son William R. (’86) graduated from the College of Business.

The family’s endowment has allowed for acquisition of newspaper microfilm sets and the addition of some rare travel accounts of Ireland. This includes the 1824 illustrated book, A picturesque tour through Ireland, by Dennis Sullivan, held only in fifteen libraries. Additionally, rare prints have been added to the valuable Cuala Press collection, and the Irish Fiction Collection now offers digital copies of Catholic Youth Literature.

All areas of Irish history continue to be developed, including folklore, travel writing, and historical and political memoirs. The collection includes works by and about W.E.H. Lecky (1838–1903), Francis Plowden (1749–1829), Daniel O’Connell (1775–1847), and Charles Stewart Parnell (1846–1891), among others. In addition, there are resources relating to the political, religious, social, and cultural history of Northern Ireland.