This series includes a collection of rare books which were formerly held in the Library of Holy Trinity Friary, Father Mathew Quay, Cork. They were transferred to the Irish Capuchin Archives in Dublin in 2012. The collection is divided into six sub-series. In all of the sub-series the volumes have been arranged chronologically by date of publication. The series includes works published in Latin, French and English. Most of the volumes are in an extremely poor condition due to exposure for many years to inappropriate environmental storage conditions in the attic and in other locations in Holy Trinity Friary.
The section includes photographic images of both the old Ard Mhuire Friary (formerly Ards House, the seat of the Stewart-Bam family) and the present-day Friary and House of Studies (now a retreat and conference centre) built on the same site in the 1960s. There are also images of Capuchin friars who resided at Ard Mhuire and prints of the surrounding towns, scenic landscapes and sites of historical and religious significance.
This section contains property documents including title deeds, leases, legal correspondence and memoranda relating to the acquisition of properties in Dublin by the Capuchin friars. For the most part, the documents relate to the present-day St. Mary of the Angels Friary located on Church Street. The section also includes legal documents relating to properties located on streets immediately adjoining Church Street (such as Bow Street and North King Street). These documents relate to buildings which were either previously held by the friars (and have since been disposed of), or to properties which continue to be used for various apostolates such as the Capuchin Day Centre located on Bow Street.
The series contains records compiled mainly by Capuchin friars relating to the history of the locality around Ard Mhuire Friary including material on the previous owners of Ards House in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Much of this historical research was amassed by Fr. David Kelleher OFM Cap. (1912-1995) who spent nearly sixty years of his ministry as a Capuchin friar in County Donegal.
The series includes lantern slides and glass plate photographic images relating to the life and career of Fr. Theobald Mathew OSFC (1790-1856), a famed nineteenth century temperance campaigner and Capuchin friar. It is very probable that these lantern slides were used as illustrative aids by the Capuchins for public talks and auditorium lectures on Fr. Mathew’s campaign against intoxicating liquor. Temperance activity was revived in 1905 when the Irish Catholic hierarchy invited the Capuchins to preach a National Crusade. This revival generated widespread public enthusiasm and by 1912 the Capuchins had administered over a million pledges throughout the country. The lanterns slides were, in all probability, used in this campaign. The collection includes images of various places associated with Fr. Mathew’s life and notable events associated with his crusade against intoxicating liquor which began in Cork in 1838. Other images relate to later commemorations of Fr. Mathew and include photographs of the ‘Father Mathew Pavilion’ at the Cork International Exhibition of 1902 which displayed historical artefacts, devotional objects and personal paraphernalia associated with his campaign.
This series comprises a small collection of glass plate negative images of seventeenth century manuscripts and other original records pertaining to the lives, ministries, and writings of several early Irish Capuchins. These were acquired by Fr. Angelus Healy OFM Cap. (1875-1953) and Fr. Stanislaus Kavanagh OFM Cap. (1876-1965), another prominent Irish Capuchin historian, for research and publication purposes.
