Richard Harris

The items will be first exhibited in Harris' birth city of Limerick at the Hunt Museum.

Harris’s son added: “He collected an awful lot of personal memorabilia. Another was written to his parents when he was in a production of Arthur Miller’s A View From The Bridge where he reveals the playwright came to visit them every day and that Marilyn Monroe came to rehearsals one evening. One of the letters is from Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry Potter in the fantasy film series, wishing him a good recovery while Harris was in hospital in his last days.

The star of classics like The Field, Gladiator, Camelot and two Harry Potter movies was originally from Limerick.

Jill Cousins, Director of The Hunt Museum in Limerick stated “It will be an honour to curate this wonderful archive into an exhibition about one of Limerick’s favourite sons. “Barry is a leading expert on our father’s career and University College Cork is home to a really exciting film school. Harris was a proud Munster man, a huge rugby fan (and former player) and a regular visitor home.

The son of acclaimed Irish actor, Richard Harris, said his family were “very proud” that the vast personal archive of the Camelot, The Field and Gladiator ...

Richard Harris came to international prominence with a series of powerhouse theatre performances on London’s West End in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Cork University, the curricula and the programme they have on offer, really reflect the passions and interest that my father pursued in his life so it is a good fit in that regard. His public persona was not as someone who was sentimental and yet he was tremendously sentimental. “There is tremendous stuff in there that will be useful to so many different people and different interests. “Limerick was very important to my father. “Limerick was the obvious sentimental first choice. When I started talking to Barry and Cronán Ó Doibhlin they immediately understood and were thrilled with the idea of it.” He became a superstar thanks to his breakout performance in the film The Sporting Life in 1963 for which he was nominated for an Academy Award and then the 1968 blockbuster, Camelot. “Richard Harris was one of Limerick’s favourite sons. But he was also a pack rat – he collected everything. There is a lot of stuff in there that is specific to the history of Limerick, obviously people are interested in his acting and film career, he has scripts in there that have all of his performance notes so for students of acting that will be fascinating.” Mr Harris said that what was remarkable about the archive was that his father’s reputation did not reflect the fact that he was a hoarder who kept vast quantities of personal documents and memorabilia, offering a fascinating insight into his career and personal life.

A RICH COLLECTION of world-famous actor Richard Harris's archives are to be put on display in his home city of Limerick. The Hunt Museum in the city centre ...

Prominent items from the archives were unveiled at the event which took place in the Savoy Hotel’s Richard Harris Suite, where the late actor resided for many years. Jill Cousins, director of the Hunt Museum in Limerick stated: "It will be an honour to curate this wonderful archive into an exhibition about one of Limerick’s favourite sons. Jared Harris with representatives of University College Cork announcing the donation of the Richard Harris Archive

The first public exhibition of the archives will take place at the Hunt Museum, Limerick before arriving at their final destination at University College ...

Perhaps the greatest role he ever played, Jared suggests about his father, was the one of Richard Harris. One of his greatest roles – in Pirandello’s Henry IV – encapsulated this exact problem. By leaning into his persona he knew he could help editors sell newspapers and, in turn, he could sell tickets to his films.” His career started in tandem with the emergence of the Kitchen Sink drama – a huge cultural movement in British cinema. He speaks with forensic precision in the manner of someone who has interrogated their subject matter deeply. His last role was Albus Dumbledore in the early films of the Harry Potter franchise.

The University College Cork Library and the Richard Harris Estate collaborated to house the late actor's collection of letters, photographs, literary works, ...

Speaking about the archive, Jared said: "Our family is excited about bringing this collection to the public in Limerick and also basing it around the particular academic expertise of Dr Barry Monahan. This impressive collection is said to be a legacy of the actor’s roots in Ireland and Munster. The archive offers a unique, never-before-seen insight into one of Ireland’s most legendary actors.