The Weldon Thornton Irish Collection
Zach S. Henderson Library
Georgia Southern University
The Acknowledgement Plaque
Barbara's generous and gracious donation of Weldon's Irish collection has already attracted other scholarly and material donors, eager to be associated with the Weldon Thornton Irish Collection.
Tim Strickland, Jennifer Strickland, and Chris Swanson are the owners of Wexford: Savannah’s Irish Pub. It's been in business for less than a year, and has already been names Named USA Today's 2025 Best Restaurant in Georgia.
Carl Reiber, the Provost for Georgia Southern, has strongly supported both the Wexford Campus and the Weldon Thornton Irish Collection.
Every person or entity on this plaque is connected to the visionary who is not listed here, Howard Keeley, the Director of Georgia Southern's Center for Irish Research and Teaching.
Entering the Collection space
The display case is to the right of the Collection
(to be filled with pieces of North Carolina pottery)
The Collection name above the central display case
(The portrait of Weldon and the print of the bookplate will also go here)
The portrait of Weldon
The frames for this portrait and the bookplate were made from trees felled at Weldon's house, about 10 miles outside of Chapel Hill.
The Collection Bookplate
Weldon's personal bookplate; a line drawing of the house.
Various shots of the Collection Space
(That's North Carolina pottery on top of the shelves)
The Wexford Hub
Adjacent to the space for the Collection, the two combine to create a large and unique area focusing on research and scholarship
about Ireland and the special connections between the southeast of Ireland and the Savannah area.
The Public House Snug
(all the furnishings are from County Wexford)
Shots from Georgia Southern's Wexford Campus
The Wexford-Savannah Axis Nook
(The books in the nook are by Wexford authors; they were donated by the Wexford County Council)
The other side of the nook
Opening of the Weldon Thornton Irish Collection and the Wexford Hub
March 14, 2025
The official opening of the Weldon Thornton Irish Collection and the Wexford Hub kicked off the 2025 St. Patrick's Day weekend at Georgia Southern. Their bespoke space in the Zach S. Henderson Library was full to capacity with members of the Georgia Southern and Savannah Irish communities. Joining them was a contingent from the Wexford County Council, and speakers from among those listed on the Acknowledgement Plaque above.
Howard Keeley opened the event and served as MC. Pip Breen (Cathaoirleach, or Chairman, of the Wexford County Council) offered congratulations and bestowed both a collection of works by Wexford authors and a camán (hurling stick) signed by the County Wexford team. Tim Strickland and Chris Swanson spoke of their unique vision for Wexford, Savannah's Irish Pub; they want the pub to reflect the authentic experiences of those Irish immigrants who created the Wexford Savannah axis. Dr. Keeley showed them what the confluence of a significant research collection and a dedicated space could do, and they supported the vision wholeheartedly. Joe Pellegrino read a letter from Barbara Thornton, and—although he claimed to be unprepared to speak—Barbara's brother regaled the crowd with stories about Weldon and Barbara. Carl Reiber, a steadfast supporter of our engagement with Wexford, noted the opportunities this space and collection could offer students. And Lisa Carmichael, the Dean of University Libraries, acknowledged the significance of such a scholarly collection and was grateful that the University could find such a suitable space to house it.
Tim Strickland, Howard Keeley, and Chris Swanson
The image behind them is of the entrance to the Georgia Southern Wexford Campus.
Chris Swanson speaking at the opening