Madam, - I wonder if any of your readers could help me in my attempts to locate copies of the Intermediate and Leaving Certificate English poetry anthologies used up to 1969. Readers who left school around 1970 or earlier will remember them.
The textbooks were edited by H.L. Doak and published by the Educational Company of Ireland. I am currently writing a thesis on Irish poetry and would like to have a list of the contents of each anthology and, ideally, to buy copies of the books.
The catalogue of the National Library lists two editions of the Intermediate anthology published in 1941 and 1955 respectively and one edition of the Leaving Cert anthology, published in 1945. Unfortunately, the books are now on the National Library's "CBF" list, meaning, "Can't be found"! The publisher cannot help; likewise second-hand bookshops.
According to one source, these kinds of textbooks used to be sent to Africa until postage became too expensive. While this information opens up new perspectives for the student of post-colonial literature, my search is beginning to resemble the search for the Holy Grail. Surely someone somewhere has these books?
Any help would be much appreciated. I can be contacted at m.t.healy@chello.nl or by post at the address below. - Yours, etc.,
MARIA HEALY, Gerard Brandtstraat 1-2, 1054 JH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.