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Christopher Moynihan was born in the town of Boyle in County Roscommon on 30 May 1877. He joined the Irish Capuchins in October 1896 and took Kevin as his religious name. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Royal University in Cork in 1901. Following his theological studies, he was ordained to the priesthood on 28 September 1902. There followed further academic studies at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium where he was awarded a Doctorate in Philosophy. In 1907 he was appointed guardian (local superior) of Rochestown Friary in County Cork. Three years later he was appointed Rector of the Seraphic College at Rochestown. In 1919 he assumed the role of master of novices. He was five times elected Provincial Definitor (Councillor) and held the office of Provincial Minister of the Irish Capuchins from 1928 to 1931. His term of office as Provincial Minister witnessed the opening of Ard Mhuire Friary in County Donegal (for the training of cleric novices) in 1930, and the establishment of a foreign mission in Barotseland, a vast territory located in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) in 1931. Fr. Kevin spent most of his life in ministry in Rochestown holding various offices including guardian, director of students and professor of theology. He died (suddenly) at St. Bonaventure’s Friary in Cork on 20 January 1959. He was buried in the cemetery adjoining Rochestown Friary.

Baptismal name: Christopher Moynihan
Religious name: Fr. Kevin Moynihan OFM Cap.
Date of birth: 30 May 1877
Place of birth: Boyle, County Roscommon (Diocese of Elphin)
Name of father: Michael Moynihan
Name of mother: Margaret Moynihan (née Murphy)
Date of reception into the Capuchin Order: 4 Oct. 1896
Date of first profession: 4 Oct. 1897
Date of final profession: 2 Aug. 1902
Date of ordination (as priest): 28 Sept. 1902
Educational attainments: BA, RUI (1901); PhD, Catholic University of Louvain
Leadership positions: Provincial Definitor (Councillor), 1910-3, 1913-6, 1919-21, 1940-3, 1943-6; Provincial Minister, 1928-31; Custos General, 1931-4.
Date of death: 20 Jan. 1959
Place of death: St. Bonaventure’s Capuchin Friary, Cork
Place of burial: Cemetery, Rochestown Capuchin Friary, County Cork

William Neary, the son of John Leary and Brigid Neary (née Dowling), was born on 24 May 1857 in Freshford, County Kilkenny. Michael Neary, an older brother, joined the Capuchins in 1875 and took the religious name of Fidelis. William followed in his brother’s footsteps and joined the Order in Kilkenny a year later in May 1876. He took Paul as his religious name and was solemnly professed as a friar in October 1881. Following his profession, he was sent to France to continue his studies. He returned to Ireland and was ordained a priest in April 1881. In 1884, the Irish friars succeeded in re-establishing administrative autonomy by reconstituting a canonical Irish Capuchin Province with a Belgian-born friar, Fr. Seraphin Van Damme OSFC (1820-1887), appointed as Provincial Minister (Superior). In January 1887, Fr. Paul was summoned to Rome and was appointed the first Irish-born Provincial Minister of the reconstituted Irish Capuchin Province. Fr. Paul played a key role in the organisation of the celebrations of the centenary of the birth of Fr. Theobald Mathew OSFC (1790-1856) in 1890 and in the campaign to secure funds to complete the church named in his honour (Holy Trinity, or Father Mathew Memorial Church in Cork). As Provincial Minister, and later as Vice-President of Father Mathew Hall in Dublin, he campaigned widely for the promotion of temperance. When the Catholic hierarchy invited the Irish Capuchins to undertake a nationwide crusade for the revival of temperance in 1905, Fr. Paul was the principal organiser and facilitator of this missionary campaign. Plagued by regular bouts of ill-health in his latter years, Fr. Paul Neary died in the Capuchin Friary on Church Street in Dublin on 20 June 1939 and was buried in Glasnevin Cemetery.

Baptismal name: William Neary
Religious name: Fr. Paul Neary OFM Cap.
Date of birth: 24 May 1857
Place of birth: Freshford, County Kilkenny (Diocese of Ossory)
Name of father: John Neary
Name of mother: Brigid Neary (née Dowling)
Date of reception into the Capuchin Order: 24 May 1876
Date of first profession: 27 May 1877
Date of final profession: 4 Oct. 1880
Date of ordination: 4 Apr. 1881
Date of death: 20 June 1939
Place of death: Capuchin Friary, Church Street, Dublin
Place of burial: Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin
Leadership positions: Provincial Minister, 1887-90, 1890-3, 1904-7; Provincial Definitor, 1885-8, 1895-8, 1901-4, 1913-7.
Note: Fr. Fidelis (Michael) Neary OFM Cap. (1855-1932) was a half-brother of Fr. Paul Neary OFM Cap.

Baptismal name: Michael Anthony Gough
Religious name: Fr. Jarlath Gough OFM Cap.
Date of birth: 22 Mar. 1904
Place of birth: Rush, County Dublin
Name of father: Thomas Gough (Carpenter)
Name of mother: Alicia Gough (née O’Donohoe)
Date of reception into the Capuchin Order: 18 Sept. 1921
Date of first profession: 15 Oct. 1922
Date of final profession: 29 Dec. 1925
Date of ordination (as priest): 29 June 1929
Educational attainments: BA (1925)
Missionary activities: Travelled to the United States in 1929; Pastor at Our Lady of Angels Parish, Hermiston, Oregon, 1930-3; returned to Ireland in 1936; Travelled to the Prefecture of Victoria Falls, Northern Rhodesia (later Zambia) in 1936; returned to Ireland in 1957; Parish Priest on the island of St. Helena from 1957-64 while attached to the Cape Town mission in South Africa.
Date of death: 30 Nov. 1983
Place of death: Little Sisters of the Poor Nursing Home, Sybil Hill, Raheny, Dublin
Place of burial: Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin

Baptismal name: Patrick B. Brennan
Religious name: Fr. Benignus Brennan OFM Cap.
Date of birth: 14 July 1875
Place of birth: Paulstown, County Kilkenny (Diocese of Kildare & Leighlin)
Name of father: James Brennan
Name of mother: Mary Anne (Margaret) Brennan (née Byrne)
Date of reception into the Capuchin Order: 1 Jan. 1891
Date of first profession: 2 Feb. 1892
Date of final profession: 11 Oct. 1896
Date of ordination (as priest): 8 Jan. 1899
Missionary activities: Travelled to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States, in 1911
Date of death: 15 Apr. 1950
Place of death: Wilmington, Delaware, United States
Place of burial: St. Patrick’s Capuchin Friary, Wilmington, Delaware, United States

From the ‘Necrology of the Western American Province’ (2005):

Patrick Brennan was born in Paulstown in County Kilkenny on 14 July 1875. He was given the name Benignus upon joining the Capuchin Order in 1891. Benignus was remembered as an outstanding preacher and retreat master. This was his principal ministry. He also wrote articles for the ‘Homiletic and Pastoral Review’ and other publications. Most of his life was spent as a member of the community at St. Patrick’s Friary in Wilmington, Delaware, from the 1920s until his death in 1950. In the 1930s he was an associate pastor for a short time in the friary in Lincoln, Nebraska. He was there when fire destroyed the friary on 8 January 1933 severely injuring Fr. Raphael Quinn OFM Cap., the pastor. Benignus was a great community friar and a helper to all those in the community. He died in the Wilmington Friary on 15 April 1950 and was buried in the cemetery attached to the house.

Baptismal name: James Kelleher
Religious name: Br. Didacus Kelleher OFM Cap.
Date of birth: 4 Aug. 1873
Place of birth: Watergrasshill, County Cork (Diocese of Cloyne)
Name of father: Willliam Kelleher
Name of mother: Catherine Kelleher (née McCarthy)
Date of reception into the Capuchin Order: 29 June 1895
Date of first profession: 29 June 1896
Date of final profession: 9 July 1899
Missionary activities: Travelled to the United States in May 1914
Date of death: 3 May 1947
Place of death: St. Bonaventure’s Friary, Cork
Place of burial: Cemetery, Capuchin Friary, Rochestown, County Cork

From the ‘Necrology of the Western American Province’ (2005):

James Kelleher was born near Watergrasshill in County Cork in August 1873. He was received into the Capuchin Franciscan Order in June 1895, took Didacus as his religious name, and was solemnly professed as a brother in July 1899. After a few years he and Fr. John Butler OFM Cap. were assigned to the new Capuchin mission in the United States. In 1914 they arrived in Paradise near Abbottstown in Pennsylvania. Here Br. Didacus helped the friars in caring for the church, the sacristy, and especially the Altar. In 1931 he was transferred from Abbottstown and ministered for several years at other locations in the American mission. After completing his assignment in the United States, he returned to Ireland. The remining years of his religious life were lived as a cook and sacristan at various friaries in the home province. For a short time, he ministered in Holy Trinity Friary in Cork. He died at St. Bonaventure’s Hostel in Cork on 3 May 1947 and was laid to rest in the cemetery adjoining the Capuchin Friary in Rochestown in County Cork.

Baptismal name: Michael McDonnell
Religious name: Br. Anthony McDonnell OFM Cap.
Date of birth: 28 June 1867
Place of birth: Dublin
Name of father: Michael McDonnell
Name of mother: Mary McDonnell (née Larkin)
Date of reception into the Capuchin Order: 19 Feb. 1903
Date of first profession: 19 Mar. 1904
Date of final profession: 13 June 1907
Date of death: 24 Dec. 1941
Place of burial: Cemetery, Capuchin Friary, Rochestown, County Cork

Baptismal name: Edmond (var. Edward) Connery
Religious name: Fr. Timothy Connery OFM Cap.
Date of birth: 4 July 1908
Place of birth: Ballylanders, County Limerick (Archdiocese of Cashel & Emly)
Name of father: Edmond Connery
Name of mother: Catherine Connery (née Barry)
Date of reception into the Capuchin Order: 4 Oct. 1926
Date of first profession: 5 Oct. 1927
Date of final profession: 5 Oct. 1930
Date of ordination (as priest): 17 June 1934 (Letterkenny, County Donegal)
Missionary activities: Travelled to Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) in 1935. He returned to Ireland in 1938.
Date of death: 20 Jan. 1996
Place of death: Kilkenny
Place of burial: Foulkstown Cemetery, Kilkenny

Baptismal name: Patrick King
Religious name: Fr. Philip King OFM Cap.
Date of birth: 16 Mar. 1885
Place of birth: Glin, County Limerick
Name of father: Thomas King
Name of mother: Johanna King (née Ahern)
Date of reception into the Capuchin Order: 17 Mar. 1903
Date of first profession: 17 Sept. 1904
Date of final profession: 31 July 1908
Date of ordination (as priest): 24 Sept. 1921
Educational attainments: BA (RUI)
Date of death: 22 Aug. 1952
Place of burial: Cemetery, Capuchin Friary, Rochestown, County Cork

Baptismal name: Matthew Dowd
Religious name: Fr. Maurice Dowd OFM Cap.
Date of birth: 31 Oct. 1904
Place of birth: Castlegregory, County Kerry
Name of father: Jeremiah Dowd
Name of mother: Catherine Dowd (née Fitzgerald)
Date of reception into the Capuchin Order: 17 Sept. 1923
Date of first profession: 18 Sept. 1924
Date of final profession: 18 Sept. 1927
Date of ordination (as priest): June 1931
Educational attainments: BA (1927)
Missionary activities: Travelled to Cape Town, South Africa, on 22 Sept. 1970.
Date of death: 15 Nov. 1989
Place of death: Cape Town, South Africa
Place of burial: Maitland Cemetery, Cape Town, South Africa