The Coss Family Collection in Irish Studies was established in 2000 by Lawrence M. and Virginia Coss. The Coss family has a passion for horses and equestrian competitions. Larry is the founder of Green Tree Financial Inc., which grew to become the third-largest publicly traded consumer lender in the United States. At Notre Dame, Larry has served on the Graduate Studies and Research Advisory Council. Virginia is a Bush Foundation Fellow, with an MBA from the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota. Their two youngest children, Laura (’03) and James (’05), are Notre Dame graduates.

The outstanding support of the Coss Fund has enabled the Hesburgh Libraries to make magnificent acquisitions in the history of Northern Ireland and the 1798 Rebellion, as well as biographical, autobiographical, and critical works, and titles in Irish literature, archaeology, art and architecture, religion, sociology, folklore, and rare books.