Lecture titled ‘Father Mathew / the motives inspiring his temperance work’ given at the annual meeting of the Father Mathew Temperance Hall, Queen’s Street, Cork. The text is probably by Fr. Thomas Dowling OSFC (1874-1951). The lecture reads: ‘This annual meeting occurs at the beginning of a year that will prove ever-memorable in the annals of history – 1919, the year of the World’s Peace Conference. The echoes of this mighty world war are still with us. But whilst it is true that its numerical dimensions dwarfed all past records, yet it is equally true that no individual in the world’s history ever marshalled a mighty force as Fr. Mathew did, [and] … in his movement there was no compulsion or conscription, yet his army totalled 10,000,000’.
Letter to Fr. Edward Walsh OFM Cap., guardian, Holy Trinity Friary, from Fr. Patrick Sexton, Parish Priest, St. Patrick’s, Cork, conveying his concern that the authorities at Father Mathew Hall ‘held this huge gamble’ for money during the Lent season. Fr. Sexton encloses a newspaper cutting referring to the fund drive for the Hall. With cover.
Copy of an unsigned letter from Father Mathew Hall, Queen’s Street, Cork, to Kevin Bourke, Strand Electric, 62 Dawson Street, Dublin, referring to the pantomime show in the Hall. With enclosures referring to a cheque payment and a poem titled 'The Poppy Boy'.
Correspondence mainly relating to repair work and insurance requirements for Father Mathew Hall, Cork. Includes letters from John A. Deasy, consulting engineer, Kelly and Barry & Associates, chartered architects, Br. Paul O’Donovan OFM Cap., and Barry O’Driscoll, solicitor.
Letters from Arnold Bax (1883-1953), 155 Fellows Road, London, and Grosvenor Hotel, Chester, to Fr. Michael O’Shea OFM Cap., President, Father Mathew Hall, Cork. In 1929 the Feis Maitiú Corcaigh invited Bax, a well-known composer and poet, to become an adjudicator marking the beginning of a 24-year friendship with the prestigious local music festival. Most of the correspondence relates to arrangements for the Cork Feis and other matters of musical interest. The file includes fifteen original items in Bax’s hand. With contemporary manuscript and later typescript copies of Bax’s letters. The file also includes a typescript appreciation of Arnold Bax possibly written by Fr. O’Shea. It reads ‘The way he [Bax] came to Cork was simple enough. I attribute his coming to the initiative of Frau Fleischmann in the meeting of the Feis Maitiú Committee that was considering adjudicators for the year 1929. I remember at the time that it was mentioned that Bax had rather a Celtic strain in his compositions and the he would like to come’. Also includes a newspaper cutting of a letter from Bax to the 'Daily Telegraph' referring to a performance by a choir at the Catholic Cathedral in Cork. In Irish and English.
A small collection of records relating to the Temperance Hall built on the grounds of the Capuchin Friary, Rochestown, County Cork. The Hall was officially opened for public use on 15 December 1913 by the Lord Mayor of Cork and Fr. Thomas Dowling OSFC (1874-1951), Provincial Minister. It consisted of a concert-platform, an auditorium, and spacious committee rooms which could also be used as classrooms. Despite the decline of the temperance movement, the Hall continued to function as a venue for local drama, music and dancing productions. Fr. Declan McFadden OFM Cap. (1901-1979) later strove to re-organise the management of the building which changed its name to Marian Hall in the early 1950s. Having laid vacant for many years, the former Temperance Hall at Rochestown was finally demolished in the 1990s.
Cutting from the 'Cork Weekly Examiner' referring to the presentation of a framed address to Fr. Sylvester Mulligan OSFC (1875-1950), former President of the Temperance Hall in Rochestown, on the occasion of his departure for Dublin to take charge of Father Mathew Hall on Church Street. The framed address is extant in the Irish Capuchin Archives. The newspaper article reads: ‘The address was the joint work of two members of the Cork School of Art, the illumination being designed and executed by Mr Sam Martin, and the frame designed and carved by Mr Michael Galligan. The article also includes a photographic print of Fr. Sylvester.
Programmes for concert performances at Father Mathew Hall. The file includes fliers for concerts by the Father Mathew Choral Society, in aid of the Brian Boru Fete (1914), by the Colmcille Branch of the Gaelic League (1918), for the Annual Colmcille Concert (1920), 'The Colleen Bawn' by The Mathew Choral Union (Easter 1920), and for a pageant titled 'Scenes from the Life of St. Patrick' (1921).
Correspondence of the Father Mathew Hall, Church Street, Dublin, with the Western Electric Company, Ltd., Bush House, Aldwych, London, regarding an agreement for the installation of projection equipment for motion pictures in the Hall. The file includes a memorandum on engineering requirements and an agreement and lease for the installation and operation of the said equipment.
