# Aongus Ó hAonghusa

Aongus Ó hAonghusa is an Irish public servant, and former director of the National Library of Ireland. Aongus Ó hAonghusa served as the director of the National Library of Ireland from 2003 to 2009.

## Early life and family

Aongus Ó hAonghusa was born in Galway, Ireland on 24 September 1959, where he was one of multiple children.
He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Galway, then known as University College Galway, in Zoology where he attended in the 1970s, and he has a Master's degree in Public Administration from University College Dublin. At University of Galway, Ó hAonghusa was part of the Mountaineering club. This hillwalking and camping has continued into his adult life, where he is a member of the Lung Gompas Hillwalking Club and has taken many trips inside and outside of Ireland to pursue this hobby. He and his wife have two children together.

## Early career and directorship (2000–2009)
### Early NLI years (2000–2004)

In 2000, Aongus Ó hAonghusa began his career at the National Library of Ireland (NLI) in an administration role. In 2002, the NLI acquired James Joyce's 500 page manuscript of Ulysses for €12.6 Million. In September 2003, Ó hAonghusa was appointed as the interim director, succeeding Brendan O’Donoghue upon his retirement.
In 2004, Ó hAonghusa played a pivotal role in curating the display of James Joyce's handwritten manuscripts of Ulysses. He attended the ReJoyce 2004 Launch party at the Guinness Storehouse.

#### Key Milestones and International Engagement (2004–2006)

In 2005, Ó hAonghusa officially became the director of the NLI. The year 2006 marked several milestones, including the facilitation of the donation of The Project archive, celebrating its 40th anniversary. Aongus referred to the messy collection of newspaper clippings, scripts, and letters as 'a magical mystery tour.' He oversaw the loan of personal materials of W. B. Yeats for the first major Yeats exhibit and spearheaded the acquisition of the Tom and Kathleen Clarke letters, relevant to the 1916 Rising. In September 2006, Aongus Ó hAonghusa welcomed Queen Sonja of Norway, the second royal visitor to the NLI, for the opening of the Portraits of Ibsen exhibit by Norwegian artist Haakon Gullvaag, underscoring the NLI's commitment to international cultural exchange.
November 14, 2006, marked a significant moment when the Cultural and National Identity Committee (CNCI) proposed the National Development Plan 'The Case for Culture' in a media briefing, showcasing Ó hAonghusa's role in advocating for cultural initiatives.
In November 2006, the Arts Committee sought funding for a new building, emphasizing the need for improved storage and preservation. By December 2006, the NLI proposed plans for a new building to accommodate its expanding collection. Additionally, in the same month, the Samuel Beckett collection was acquired.
During his time as director, Ó hAonghusa opened the "If I Were A Blackbird" exhibit at the NLI which honored works from singer Delia Murphy and diplomat Thomas J Kiernan. Together the couple spent 60 years as Irish representatives in Australia. Ó hAonghusa also worked on a proposal and plan to build an extension for the library. In July 2007, the government approved the plan for the new building that would include above and below ground storage.
Ó hAonghusa accepted two major donations in 2008. In April the NLI announced that the author Roddy Doyle donated his literary papers for the library to preserve and exhibit. Ó hAonghusa accepted the donation openly and described it "as invaluable source for researchers". In June, the Irish Queer Archives transferred their archive to the NLI. The archive includes thousands of printed materials that covers the history of the queer community in Ireland. Many of the materials are personal in nature, such as letters and diaries. Ó hAonghusa described the event as "one of the most significant movements for social change in modern Ireland".

## Later career

Ó hAonghusa stepped down as director of the NLI in January 2010 to return to civil service. In July 2017, he attended a UNCAT convention as part of the Irish delegation which provided an update on the welfare of the citizens of Ireland. Ó hAonghusa was later the assistant principal officer of the residential institutions redress unit. This board is an independent agency within the Government of Ireland set up following the Residential Institutions Redress Act, 2002. On 16 November 2017 he attended a Committee of Public Accounts debate where he explained the transfer of funds and property to the RIRB when questioned. On 15 November 2018 he attended the Joint Committee on Education and Skills debate in support of RIRB colleagues. In August 2019, he was quoted in the Irish Examiner in support of the Retention of Records Bill 2019 as necessary for his committee’s project at the RIRB.

## Legacy

In his time as Director of the National Library of Ireland, Aongus Ó hAonghusa had a lasting impact, bringing in a number of changes in his seven year span from 2003 to 2009.
Aongus Ó hAonghusa was thanked for the effort he put into the position and his leadership while he was resigning from his role as director by Martin Cullen, who was Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism at the time. He helped lead the way towards the National Library of Ireland becoming an independent agency with an autonomous board.
He welcomed in three major collections into the National Library that are still active: the Irish Queer Archive, the William Butler Yeats exhibition, and new additions to the James Joyce collection. While there was significant debate over the James Joyce manuscripts cost for the procurement of partial manuscripts finalized in 2005, the manuscripts are notably a key part in elevating the James Joyce collection within the National Library of Ireland.
As a director of the National Library, he was placed on the Council of National Cultural Institutions. Joining in 2003, he came in shortly after it was established in 2001 under the Heritage Fund Act, 2001. As director and chairman, he urged for more cultural development and investing in cultural provision.