The Dunn Family Collection, c. 1905 - c. 1935
Donated to WIMA by David K. Dunn, this collection contains the manuscripts, books, sheet music, recordings, and ephemera collected by Michael Dunn. Musician and instrument maker/repairer Michael Dunn (1855 - 1935), also a captain of the Milwaukee Fire Department, was a contemporary and associate of the famed Irish music collector, Francis O'Neill. It is believed that Dunn received field recordings and possibily manuscripts belonging to O'Neill after the death of Sergeant James Early of Chicago in 1914.

This collection contains 32 wax cylinders recorded sometime between c.1902 and c. 1905 by Francis O'Neill of Chicago. The cylinders capture performances by noted uilleann piper Patrick Touhey, as well as Chicago musicians James Early, Bernard Delaney, John McFadden, and Edward Cronin. The collection also includes five hand-written manuscripts of Irish tunes, notated copies of O'Neill's Music of Ireland and Dance Music of Ireland (including hand-written music gathered from Touhey and Turlough McSweeney, the Donegal piper), as well as instruments, books, sheet music, and other items from Michael Dunn.

The Michael and Mary Comer Collection
Donated to Irish Fest in May of 1998, this collection contains over 5,ooo reel-reel, CD, Cassette, LP, 45 rpm and 78 rpm records. Most of the collection is on Irish labels and was collected in Ireland by Michael Comer. Materials date from the 1940's through 1980's with a strong focus on 1960's and 1970's LP's. Most of these would be very difficult to find today. The Comer Collection also contains over 30 pieces of recording and play back equipment used by Michael Comer in his basement broadcast studio. His radio show "Echoes of Erin" ran for over 25 years in Cleveland, Ohio. Several dozen of Mr. Comer's Commendations and plaques came with the collection.

The Ed and Cathy Ward Collection
The base of this collection was 400 plus LP's, CD's and cassettes which Ed Ward has collected since the 1970's. In the late 1970's Ed and Chuck Ward ran Irish Music Ltd. which distributed for numerous Irish Recording labels. Operating in the early years of Green Linnet and Shanachie, Ed was able to collect many of the early releases. More recently, Ed has focused on acquiring items that would complement the Comer Collection assembling over 1,000 pieces of Irish sheet music, several thousand Irish and Irish-American 45 rpm and 78 rpm records, hundreds of song books and music periodicals and a number of authentic antique phonographs and juke boxes.

The Irish Fest Collection
The Irish Fest Collection numbers over 6,000 items including many of the LP's, tapes and CD's collected from bands sending material to Irish Fest for possible booking. Some of these items date back to the early years of Irish Fest. The festival still receives several dozen CD's each month from groups who want to play here. Since the archives moved to its current location many items have been donated to this collection by individuals who wished to give their Irish related items a good home. Also included in this collection are purchased items such as a player-piano, hundreds of turn-of-the-century sheet music and many books.

Irish Fest John McCormack Collection
This is one of the world's largest public collections of the great Irish tenor's recordings. Eleven very rare cylinders from 1903 and 1904 are included in this collection. Many rare recordings include McCormack 78 rpm records on such labels as Odeon, Columbia, Regal, Okeh, Gramophone G & T, HMV and Victor. The collection also has advertisements, books, postcards, over 40 photographs and over 50 LP's.

The Stapleton Crosby Collection
Through the efforts of Barry Stapleton this Bing Crosby Collection is the largest public collection of his recordings outside of Gonzaga University. Most of this collection was donated from Crosby fans across the U.S.. The collection includes recordings but also includes many books, photos and Crosby memorabilia.

The Irish Fest Summer School Collection
The Irish Fest Summer School, held annually prior to Irish Fest, has recorded many of the internationally acclaimed musicians, dancers and educators who have taught at the school since 1994. Certain sessions of the Summer School have been either audio or videotaped and placed in the archives.

The Jerry Kelly Collection
This collection contains over 1,000 LP's and cassettes. Jerry, of Philadelphia, was a colorful and avid collector of Irish music. At his death he gave his collection to Irish entertainer Seamus Kennedy who donated the collection to the archives.

The Kit and Josie Nash Choral Collection
This collection was initiated at the archives in memory of Kit and Josie Nash, owner's of Nash's Irish Castle, long-time supporters of Irish Fest and enthusiastic promoters of Irish music since the 1970's.

Michael Corenthal Collection
Michael Corenthal is the proprietor of Yesterday's Memories in Milwaukee and is also a well-known music collector and historian. He has been helpful in establishing our John McCormack Collection and is interested in Jewish-Irish material from the turn-of-the-century.toooooo