The Maura Collins Endowment for Irish Studies was established in 2000 by William M. and Una Murphy of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Bill and Una honored his late mother, Maura, with this endowment because of her strong belief in the value of higher education. Maura took over the family business in Cork City, Ireland, after she was widowed at age 36. In later years, she took an active interest in her grandchildren’s education and loved to visit the United States. Bill has served as director, trustee or general partner of numerous successful private and public companies, and is now the owner of Douglas Management & Realty. Una (Lynch), born in Baileboro, County Cavan, Ireland, had a career in publishing in New York before dedicating her time to raising their children, Kate, Kerri (’03), and Patrick.

Through the Collins Endowment, a broad spectrum of materials in Irish history, literature, music and culture, including monographs, journals and their back runs, microtext, and electronic resources can and have been purchased. This includes primary resources on a number of important Irish social and political movements, such as the Home Rule Campaign, the Young Ireland Movement, and the Fenian Movement.

Recent acquisitions in the Irish Studies collection include newspaper microfilm sets and the addition of some rare travel accounts of Ireland.

Members of the Sorin Society, Bill and Una have also established the Murphy Irish Exchange Program.