Showing 30 results

Letters from Nannie O’ Rahilly (wife of ‘The O’Rahilly’), to Fr. Albert Bibby OFM Cap., expressing her regret that a mass in honour of the rebels of 1916 could not be held in Church St. Friary ‘as you did so much for the men who died’. Later she added ‘Thank God we had the Mass at Mt. Argus, it was most touching and edifying and as you say the spirit was splendid, without any outward demonstration. So the priests who refused us might easily have had more courage’.

The file includes a letter from Fr. Albert to Fr. Edwin Fitzgibbon OFM Cap., Minister Provincial [Dec. 1922], referring to his time in the parish. He declares that the priests there have no interest in Ireland. ‘It doesn’t count here apparently’, and added, ‘unemployment [is] very serious. The “Daily News” urges the setting up “unemployment committees” …’. Later, Canon Palmer, Ilford, Essex, wrote to Fr. Peter Bowe OFM Cap., Provincial Minister, Church Street, Dublin, seeking to have Fr. Albert come over to cover for one of his clerical assistants who is unwell. On 11 Oct. 1923 Fr. Palmer wrote: ‘I would gladly give him all accommodation and he could help us. In strict confidence with yourself I wish to say at the same time that if there is any radical objection to his coming or having facilities. I would not presume to ask you at all’. With letter from Fr. Peter Bowe to Fr. Albert granting permission to ‘absent yourself from the Province for the benefit of your health, and to go to Very Rev. Canon Palmer of Ilford … to help in Parochial Work during the absence of the Senior Curate, until the end of February 1924’. The file also includes a letter from Fr. Sylvester Mulligan OFM Cap. to Fr. Peter Bowe OFM Cap., regarding the sending of Fr. Albert to Ilford, Esssex. Some political references are made by Fr. Albert in a letter to Fr. Stanislaus Kavanagh OFM Cap. (4 Mar. 1924). He wrote: ‘I am able to follow the events pretty well. Tis an awful pity that the being in power of the Labour Party is not availed of to scrap or modify the Treaty – a united body at home could now get anything – not that Labour is pro-Irish. It is not, but … because of the support on which it depends it could not turn down a united Ireland – or a large section demanding it’

Photographic prints (black and white) of mourners at the funeral of Fr. Albert Bibby OFM Cap. at the Old Mission, Santa Inez, California. Several of the prints are annotated on reverse. An annotation on one print reads: ‘Father Dillon, Father Dominic, Mrs Mellows, Mrs Campbell, Eamon Martin, who came out with Mrs Mellows’. The file includes a cover indicating that some of the prints were sent to Fr. Peter Bowe OFM Cap., Minister Provincial, Church Street, Dublin.

Memorial print of Fr. Albert Bibby OFM Cap., ‘Chaplain of the Irish Republican Army’. It notes that on ‘his deathbed he renewed his allegiance to the Irish Republic. In deference to his life-long wish, his remains, together with those of this loyal pupil Fr. Dominic now lie side by side in Irish soil in the little cemetery, Rochestown, County Cork’

Newspaper cuttings book compiled and annotated by Fr. Stanislaus Kavanagh OFM Cap. Printed stamp on inside front cover: ‘Franciscan Capuchin Library, Church Street, Dublin’. The pages have been numbered by Fr. Stanislaus. The book includes:
96; 101-112: Reports relating to the death of Fr. Albert Bibby OFM Cap. in Feb. 1925. With some reports on the death of his mother, Julia Bibby in July 1935. With a number of cuttings of photographic prints of Fr. Albert including one with the children of Thomas MacDonagh.
113: Article titled ‘Irish Nationality – Its Safeguard’, 'Kilkenny Journal', 15 Feb. 1913; Report of Irish lectures at a Gaelic League meeting attended by Fr. Albert Bibby OFM Cap.
114: Article titled ‘Awakening of the Nation’ referring to the presentation of Home Rule Club Shield to the Freshford Boys’ National School and to the propagation of the ‘Gaelic Gospel’. The event was attended by Fr. Albert Bibby OFM Cap. and the article reports his address. 'Kilkenny Journal', 1 Mar. [1912]
115-116: Report of meeting of the Gaelic League which was addressed by Fr. Albert Bibby OFM Cap. 'An Claidheamh Soluis', 13 Nov. 1915; An article praising Fr. Albert's role in the 1916 Rising. 'Sinn Féin', 21 Feb. 1922; Tributes to the late Fr. Albert Bibby OFM Cap., 'Irish World', 28 Feb. 1925; 'Kilkenny People', 21 Feb. 1925.
117-118: Tributes to the late Fr. Albert. Includes cuttings of photographic prints. 'Irish World', 4 Apr. 1925

The note reads: ‘The General Officer Commander in Chief directs that every facility be given to his Revered Father Albert [Bibby] OSFC to visit rebel prisoners at any of the places of detention or internment, to hear confessions and administer the rights of his Church, at all times’. With typescript copy.

Letters from D. O’Callaghan, Lewes Prison, to Fr. Albert Bibby OFM Cap. concerning his prison conditions and to kindness shown to him by a Sister Bridget. He adds: ‘Duggan and Beasely were glad to hear from her and sends best wishes’. He later refers to his actions during Easter Week: ‘ … I done my best to conduct things to the best advantage for all, and if done a great deal of damage to property, it had to be done to insure the safety of the men that were in my charge. But I certainly say no unnecessary damage was done by us’. Reference is also made to his fellow prisoners G. Grofts and Jimmy Brennan. With an undated letter [c. Apr. 1917] from O’Callaghan referring to the deteriorating conditions endured by republican prisoners: ‘On Wednesday, the 9th some of the young fellows started kicking a rag ball at exercise and warder Birch picked it up most abruptly on the fooling day he had Boland charged with using insolent language. Boland got severely punished and on the following day we struck work. … Our experience is that the warders are incapable of making a correct statement about us. McEntee and I were charged with insubordination simply because we spoke on behalf of our comrades’.

Letters from Brigid E. Whelan, Staplestown Rd., Carlow, to Fr. Albert Bibby OFM Cap., regarding a subscription from local people ‘to have a Mass said in the Cathedral, Carlow, for the repose of the soul of the I[rish] V[olunteers] who died in connection with the 1916 Rising which proposal was refused by the administrator ’. (2 May 1916). She later reprobates the ‘clergy [who] had abandoned the cause of their motherland’. She added ‘Thank God that there are such men as you and your “Beloved Brethren”’. (4 May 1917).