Showing 23 results

Archival description
Dowling, Thomas, 1874-1951, Capuchin priest
Advanced search options
Print preview Hierarchy View:

6 results with digital objects Show results with digital objects

Papers of Holy Trinity (Father Mathew Memorial) Church, Cork

Although the Capuchins arrived in Cork as early as 1637 it was many years before they took up residence on the site now known as Holy Trinity Church and Friary. The first Capuchin friars in Cork initially resided on the southern side of the city, just outside the South Gate. The religious upheavals of the seventeenth century occasioned many hardships for the friars who lived in constant fear of arrest and banishment. By the early eighteenth century the Capuchins appear to have established a permanent apostolate in the South Parish and by 1741 had built a small Friary on Blackamoor Lane situated just behind O’Sullivan’s Quay. In 1771 the community was augmented by the arrival from France of Fr. Arthur O’Leary OSFC (1729-1802). A native of West Cork, he joined the Capuchin Order on the continent and was ordained in St. Malo in 1758. O’Leary was responsible for the building of the small chapel on Blackamoor Lane which subsequently became known as the ‘South Friary’. During the first half of the nineteenth century Cork underwent a rapid expansion in both geographical size and population growth. It soon became apparent that the Friary on Blackamoor Lane was not sufficient to meet the demands of a growing congregation. By the mid-1820s, Fr. Theobald Mathew OSFC (1790-1856), Provincial Minister of the Irish Capuchins and guardian (local superior) of the Cork community, decided to build a larger church in a more convenient location. Rejecting a site on O’Sullivan’s Quay, a location on Charlotte Quay (now Father Mathew Quay) below Parliament Bridge was eventually acquired. This area was then a busy a trading and shipping centre with many provisioning merchants, artisans and traders having offices and stores on the quayside. As the city expanded, the emerging Catholic business class sought to assert its power in social and public life. This self-confidence was reflected in the grandiose, perpendicular Gothic design for the new Capuchin church which was submitted by the well-known Cork-based architect George Pain (1793-1838).

Work commenced on the church in October 1832 but almost immediately the project ran into difficulties. The marshy site selected for the building soon became waterlogged and an additional £1,600 was required for the purchase of steam pumps. Afterwards, a lawsuit was filed by George Pain for the payment of an additional £300. In addition, the builder Thomas Anthony, who claimed to have taken the contract at too low a figure, went out of business. The firm of Sir Thomas Deane (1792-1871) & Company completed the church (excepting the steeple) with Thomas Coakley acting as supervising architect following George Pain’s death in 1838. The interior of the church was completed by William Atkins (1811-1887). Theobald Mathew’s preoccupation with the nationwide temperance campaign, the onset of the Great Famine and a lack of financial resources were also contributory factors in delaying the completion of the church. Although the building opened for religious services on 10 October 1850, it remained without a tower and ornamental façade for many years. Money was subsequently collected by the local guardian, Fr. Louis (John) O’Connell OSFC, but the sum was not sufficient to finance the completion of the church. It was not until the centenary celebrations of Theobald Mathew’s birth (1890) that sufficient funds were raised to finish the construction of the building. The church was completed to the design of the local architect Dominick J. Coakley (d. 1914). Although Coakley reduced the size of the spire, the building is largely as George Pain originally designed it. By 1884 the Capuchin friars had also managed to build a Friary adjoining Holy Trinity Church, having previously resided in a house situated at the corner of Queen Street and Charlotte Quay. The Friary building was designed by Robert Walker (c.1835-1910).

In the following years further ornamentation and building work enhanced the church interior. A special bell, replacing one erected sixteen year earlier, was blessed after Mass on 26 April 1896. It was the gift of H. O’Donovan. A memorial to Fr. Bernard Jennings OSFC (1850-1904) in the form of an expansion to the church was undertaken by a special committee formed for that purpose in 1906. This expansion was built upon property which the community had acquired situated to the rear of Holy Trinity Church. Foundation trenches had to be sunk to a depth of twenty feet below street level before construction work could commence. The High Altar, over which a memorial window for Daniel O’Connell had been erected, and two adjoining side altars, were taken down and replaced in the new extension. Shortly after this work was completed the sanctuary was extended, eventually opening in April 1908. A memorial window by Harry Clarke (1889-1931), the renowned stained-glass artist, was erected in 1918 by Cork trade unionists in recognition of the services rendered by Fr. Thomas Dowling OSFC (1874-1951) in improving conditions for the city’s workers. In the late 1970s Fr. Eustace McSweeney OFM Cap., guardian, initiated plans to bring the interior of the church more into line with the liturgical requirements set down in the Second Vatican Council. It also became clear that the physical fabric of the building required extensive renovation work. A survey undertaken by Brian Wain & Associates, architects, discovered serious structural defects including dry rot infestation, damage caused by the ingress of water into roofing spaces and extensive corrosive damage to the steeple. As a result, a major project of reconstruction was begun in January 1982. This renovation work was largely completed within a year and the church was reopened for public worship in November 1982.

Collection Content

The collection consists of records relating to the Capuchin community in Cork city and in particular to the foundation known as Holy Trinity Church and Friary situated on Father Mathew Quay (formerly known as Charlotte Quay). The majority of the material dates from the mid-nineteenth century to the late twentieth century. The fonds includes legal records relating to the acquisition, transfer and disposal of church property (such as deeds of title, mortgages and bills of sale), financial records, and material relating to individual members of the Capuchin community in Cork. The collection includes a large number of administrative and community files, financial statements and books of account relating to building construction and structural alterations, correspondence, plans, publicity material, photographs, and miscellaneous items of ephemera connected with Capuchin ministries and apostolates in Cork. The collection also includes unpublished historical writings and biographical material relating to notable members of the Order who ministered in the city. The collection also includes records and registers relating to the Third Order of St. Francis (now the Secular Franciscan Order) and other sodalities and confraternities attached to Holy Trinity Church.

Archival Book of the Capuchin Friary, Kilkenny

The volume is titled in print on the fly leaf: ‘Archives of the Franciscan Capuchin Monastery, Kilkenny’. The volume was manufactured by Dollard Printing House, Dublin, and appears to have been used as an official archival record book for the Capuchin Friary in Kilkenny. It includes manuscript and typescript copies of documents pertaining to the administration of the Irish Province. Many of the documents are copy circular letters from Capuchin Ministers General or from Irish Capuchin Provincial Ministers. Other documents include letters to the guardian of Kilkenny Friary, letters of obedience (with particular reference to the Kilkenny community), notices of jubilees and deaths, and other official documents from the Provincial Minister and Definitory (Council). The volume includes:
pp 14-15. Circular letter from Fr. Bernard Christen of Andermatt OSFC, Minister General, Peckham, 29 Oct. 1890. Refers to the recent pastoral visitation of the Irish Capuchin Province: ‘It rejoices us much to say that, on the whole, we have found things in a good and satisfactory condition’. With a transcribed copy in volume.
pp 15-23. Copy circular letter from Fr. Bernard Christen of Andermatt OSFC, Minister General of the Capuchin Order, Dublin. 21 Oct. 1890. Outlines the regulations set down following the general visitation to the Irish Province. The regulations mainly refer to matters of discipline, studies and formation, the exercise of prayer and devotion and the celebration of religious feast days. Article 20 affirms that ‘each of our places shall have its own conventual archives, in which shall be kept under lock and key all official and circular letters issued by the general or provincial, and the papers concerning the House’. With a transcribed copy in volume.
p. 23. Circular letter from Fr. Seraphin Van Damme OSFC, Provincial Minister, regarding the observance of a solemn triduum in the Capuchin Friary, Kilkenny, to mark the canonisation of Saint Lawrence of Brindisi. 29 Nov. 1882. In Latin.
p. 25. Circular letter from Fr. Seraphin Van Damme OSFC, Provincial Minister, regarding dispensations from fasts: ‘... We grant to all the Religious of Our Province during the approaching Lent of All Saints, the dispensation to use flesh meat once in the day at the principal meal …’. With similar dispensations in respect of ‘eggs, milk, butter, cheese and things prepared from them’. Convent of the Most Holy Trinity, Cork, 14 Oct. 1885.
p.27. Authentication for the relic of the True Cross ‘and for the relics in large case’ including those of John the Baptist. With blind seal stamp of Fr. Antonius Ligi-Bussi Urbinas, Titular Archbishop of Iconium, and Domestic Prelate to the Pope, signed by him and dated 19 April [1859]. In Latin. Endorsed in pencil on verso: Rev. M.A. Muldoon OSFC.
p. 27. Ordination certificate for Fr. Alphonous Lombard of Ballyhooly OSFC (d. 29 Apr. 1900). Signed, with wax seal of the Most Rev. Marc Michael Hudrisier OFM Cap. Bishop of Port Victoria, Seychelles, Cork, 1 Jan. 1897. Also signed by Fr. Benvenutus Guy OSFC, secretary. In Latin.
p. 129. Circular letter from Fr. Paul Neary OSFC, Provincial Minister, and definitors, conveying the ‘decisions of our superiors general with regard to the administration of this Province for the coming three years …’. Fr. Paul adds that these decisions have ‘come upon us with surprise, regret and disappointment …’. Kilkenny, 21 May 1890. With a copy letter from Fr. Bernard Christen of Andermatt OSFC, Minister General, referring to the ‘peculiar circumstances of our dear Province of Ireland with regard to the actual number of priests composing it, and its recent erection into a self-governing Province …’. Rome, 26 Mar. 1890. With a copy decree from Fr. Bernard. In Latin.
p. 130. Circular letter from Fr. Paul Neary OSFC, Provincial Minister, to the guardian and religious of the Capuchin Friary, Kilkenny, referring to the impending visit of the General Minister of the Capuchin Order to mark the occasion of the centenary celebrations of Fr. Theobald Mathew OSFC. Holy Trinity Friary, Cork, 26 Aug. 1890.
p. 130. Circular letter from Fr. Paul Neary OSFC, Provincial Minister, convening the Provincial Chapter. Cork, 17 Dec. 1892.
p. 133. Encyclical letter of Fr. Matthew O’Connor OSFC (1859-1930), Provincial Minister, following the Provincial Chapter held in Cork, 31 Jan. 1893.
p. 133. Circular letter of Fr. Matthew O’Connor OSFC, Provincial Minister, convoking the Provincial Chapter. 21 Oct. 1895.
p. 133. Circular letter of Fr. Bernard Jennings OSFC, Provincial Minister, regarding the impending General Chapter of the Order. He also refers to the General Minister’s instructions with regard to the exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament. Cork, 24 Apr. 1896.
p. 135. Circular letter of Fr. Bernard Jennings OSFC, Provincial Minister, referring to the upcoming Provincial Chapter. He refers to the great ‘influx into our Seraphic College’, the increase of students, and to the fact that ‘the number of our Priests shall be increased by five towards the end of the year’. Reference is also made to a ‘kind benefactress’ who by a donation of £1,000 helped to put Rochestown Monastery on its legs …’. Fr. Bernard also refers to the good work which has been done in other houses. He affirmed that a ‘magnificent monastery’ now stands upon the ‘almost plague-stricken ruin at Kilkenny and the £4,000 which at least have been expended thereon is a gift of another kind benefactor. Not only has the back-bone of the hitherto gigantic debt on the Dublin House [Church Street] been broken but by an effort as laudable as it was ingenious the Fathers have contrived a plan by which the whole debt can be wiped out during the next administration’. On the expanding reach of Capuchin preaching and missions, Fr. Bernard wrote: ‘so great was the success achieved that we were even invited there again [to Belfast] in the hotbed of orangeism’. Cork, 20 June 1898.
p. 135. Circular letter of Fr. Bernard Jennings OSFC, Provincial Minister, yielding the government of the Province to the second definitor, Fr. Paul Neary OSFC, for the duration of his absence on Order business in Rome. Cork, 10 June 1898.
p. 137. Circular letter of Fr. Matthew O’Connor OSFC, Provincial Minster, on the silver jubilee of Br. Joseph O’Mahony OSFC. Cork, 1 Dec. 1898.
p. 137. Circular letter of Fr. Matthew O’Connor OSFC, Provincial Minster, convoking the Provincial Chapter. Reference is made to the improvements in the previous three years in terms of personnel, ministry, education, retreats, missions and the economic condition of the Irish Province. Cork, 18 July 1901.
p. 137. Circular letter of Fr. Matthew O’Connor, Provincial Minster, referring to the silver jubilee celebrations of Fr. Nicholas Murphy OSFC and Fr. Bernard Jennings OSFC. Cork, 17 Nov. 1899.
p. 137. Circular letter of Fr. Peter Bowe OSFC, Provincial Minister, on the silver jubilee of Br. Elzear Kelly OSFC. Dublin, 20 Dec. 1908.
p. 137. Circular letter of Fr. Peter Bowe OSFC, Provincial Minister, reflecting on the commemorations in the Province of the seventh centenary of the foundation of the Franciscan Order. 5 Nov. 1909.
p. 137. Circular letter of Fr. Peter Bowe OSFC, Provincial Minister, yielding the government of the Province to the first definitor, Fr. Edwin Fitzgibbon OSFC, during his absence ‘on some importance business in the Province of America’. Dublin, 20 Apr. 1910.
p. 139. Circular letter of Fr. Peter Bowe OSFC, Provincial Minister, referring to the death of Pope Leo XIII, to the missionary labours of the Order’s members in Ireland and to progress of the Total Abstinence Association. St. Mary of the Angels, Dublin, 7 Mar. 1904.
p. 139. Circular letter of Fr. Peter Bowe OSFC, Provincial Minister, convoking the Provincial Chapter of 1904. Reference is made to progress over the previous three years in terms of personnel, ministry, education, retreats, missions and the economic condition of the Irish Province. Cork, 18 July 1904.
p. 139. Letter from Fr. Peter Bowe OSFC, Provincial Minister, to Fr. Camillus Killian OSFC, guardian, Capuchin Friary, Kilkenny, regarding the ‘Ceremonial and book of the customs of the Irish Province’. Dublin, 25 Apr. 1908.
p. 139. Circular letter of Fr. Peter Bowe OSFC, Provincial Minister, appointing Fr. Edwin Fitzgibbon OSFC Vice-Provincial Minister during his absence in Rome at the General Chapter of the Order. Dublin, 28 Apr. 1908.
p. 139. Circular letter of Fr. Peter Bowe OSFC, Provincial Minister, on the golden jubilee of Fr. Salvator Corrigan OSFC. 10 Apr. 1909.
p. 139. Circular letter of Fr. Peter Bowe OSFC, Provincial Minister, convoking the Provincial Chapter of 1910. Reference is made to various aspects of the ministry in the Irish Province (and in Western America) in the previous three years. 7 July 1910.
p. 141. Letter from Fr. Peter Bowe OSFC, Provincial Minister, to Fr. Jarlath Hynes OSFC (d. 25 Mar. 1918), guardian, Kilkenny Friary, asking for a statement ‘that what I laid down at the visitation has been put in practice’. Rochestown, County Cork, 27 Aug. 1905.
p. 141. Circular of Fr. Peter Bowe OSFC, Provincial Minister, referring to the progress of the national temperance crusade. Church Street, Dublin, 28 Feb. 1906.
p. 143. Letter from Fr. Paul Neary OSFC, Provincial Minister, to Fr. Jarlath Hynes OSFC, guardian, Kilkenny Friary, referring to celebrations of the thirtieth anniversary of the establishment of the novitiate for the Irish Province. Reference is also made to the ‘new work of the “Temperance Crusade” …’. Church Street, Dublin, 23 Oct. 1905.
p. 143. Circular letter from Fr. Paul Neary OSFC, first definitor, on the silver jubilees of Fr. Peter Bowe OSFC, Provincial Minister, and Br. Felix Harte OSFC. Rochestown, County Cork, 22 Mar. 1902.
p. 143. Letter from Fr. Paul Neary OSFC, Provincial Minister, to Fr. Jarlath Hynes OSFC, guardian, Kilkenny Friary, enclosing a copy of a report on the progress of the temperance crusade in 1906 which was sent to the Minister General and published in the 'Analecta'. Church Street, Dublin, 21 May 1907.
p. 151. Circular letter from Fr. Paul Neary OSFC, Provincial Minster, forwarding an ‘authentic copy of … the decision lately arrived at by Superior General in Rome regarding this Province’. Kilkenny, 15 Feb. 1887. In English and Latin.
p. 153. Circular letter from Fr. Thomas Dowling OSFC, Provincial Minister, reporting on the progress of missions in the Diocese of Baker City, Oregon and in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Fr. Thomas wrote: ‘Father Luke [Sheehan] took charge of those foundations [in Baker City] and was appointed Superior of the Missions at the Capitular Definitorial Meeting. Father Casimir [Butler] was selected to join Father Luke and together with him has laboured zealously there for more than twelve months’. Church Street, 21 Dec. 1911.
p. 153. Circular letter from Fr. Thomas Dowling OSFC, Provincial Minister, on the silver jubilee of Fr. Jarlath Hynes OSFC. Church Street, Dublin, 1 Dec. 1911.
p. 153. Circular letter from Fr. Thomas Dowling OSFC, Provincial Minister, on the silver jubilee of Fr. Aloysius Travers OSFC. Church Street, 27 Mar. 1912.
p. 155. Letter from Fr. Thomas Dowling OSFC, Provincial Minister, to Fr. Berchmans Cantillon OSFC, guardian, Kilkenny, re the declining health of Br. Stanislaus Walsh OSFC. Rochestown, County Cork, 22 Aug. 1910.
p. 155. Letter from Fr. Benedict Phelan OSFC to Fr. Berchmans Cantillon OSFC, guardian, enclosing a circular letter from Fr. Thomas Dowling OSFC, Provincial Minister, regarding the death on 31 August of Br. Stanislaus Walsh OSFC. Church Street, Dublin, 31 Aug. 1910.
p. 155. Circular letter from Fr. Thomas Dowling OSFC, Provincial Minister, regarding the regulations governing the conduct of temperance missions and retreats. Church Street, Dublin [c.1910].
p. 155. Letter from Fr. Benedict Phelan OSFC to Fr. Berchmans Cantillon OSFC, guardian, Kilkenny, requesting that the house book and ledger of the Kilkenny community be sent to Dublin for Fr. Anselm’s signature. Church Street, Dublin, 21 Aug. [c.1910].
p. 169. Copy circular letter from Fr. Bernard Christen of Andermatt OSFC, Minister General, regarding the forms of regular observance within the Order. Certified copy by Fr. Peter Bowe OSFC, Provincial Minister. 25 Mar. 1903.
pp 311-337. Letters of obedience, c.1874-1910. Fr. Angelus Healy OFM Cap. compiled a list of these obediences under the headings of date, ‘from’ [usually coming from the Provincial Minister], to [the name of the friar] and ‘import’ [place of transfer]’. The list is extant at CA KK/1/2/5.
p. 367. Examination results for Fathers Brendan, Edward, Berchmans, Pius, Bonaventure, Martin and Malachy. The candidates are noted to have acquired a placet or vote of assent (probably from the governing body of a university). [n.d.].

Receipt and Expenditure Ledger

Ledger and account book for the Capuchin community at St. Mary of the Angels, Church Street. The ledger provides a daily record of income received and expenses incurred by the community. Notes are made of income derived from mass stipends, street collections, sodalities, Third Order payments and temperance publications. Reference is also made to monies received from donations, alms, bequests, and cheques. Expenses include travel tickets, staff wages, groceries, building repairs and other sundries. The entries are periodically signed by the Friary Guardian and by the Provincial Minister at Visitations
The front cover is endorsed in typescript with a list of Friary Guardians:
Fr. Bernard Jennings 1883-1886
Fr. Nicholas Murphy 1886-1893
Fr. Francis Hayes 1893-1895
Fr. Anthony Travers 1895-1898
Fr. Peter Bowe 1898-1901
Fr. Fiacre Brophy 1901-1904
Fr. Thomas Dowling 1904-1907
Fr. Laurence Dowling 1907-1910
It is also noted that Fr. Laurence began a ‘new ledger in Sept. 1907’. See CA CS/3/1/6.

Newspaper cuttings commemorating Father Mathew

File of newspaper clippings mainly re various anniversaries and commemorations connected with Fr. Theobald Mathew OSFC and the temperance campaign. The file includes:
• ‘Leitrim Man 116 Years Old / Follower of Father Mathew / Preserves Pledge Card of 89 Years Ago’, 'Roscommon Herald', 27 June 1931.
• ‘Father Mathew’s Birthday / Great Demonstration in Cork’, 'Cork Examiner', 12 Oct. 1885.
• ‘Father Mathew Anniversary / Eloquent lecture by the Rev. Fr. Kane SJ in the Assembly Rooms’, 'Cork Examiner', 11 Sept. 1899’.
• ‘Celebrations at St. Finn Barr’s Temperance Association Hall’ / Address by Father O’Leary’. 'Cork Examiner', 11 Oct. 1904.
• ‘Fr. Mathew Anniversary / Address by Rev. J.A. Cullen SJ’.
• An address by Fr. Bernard Jennings OSFC on Fr. Mathew in the Assembly Rooms, Cork. 'The Monitor', 15 Oct. 1897.
• ‘Father Mathew / Notable Anniversary / Lecture by Canon Ryan, Thurles’. Refers to a lecture in Father Mathew Memorial Hall, Church Street, Dublin.
• ‘Father Mathew / Birth Anniversary / An Eloquent Appreciation by Fr. Nicholas Murphy OSFC’. 'Irish Catholic', 17 Oct. 1903. Refers to a commemoration in Father Mathew Memorial Hall, Church Street, Dublin.
• ‘Apostle of Temperance / Impressive Ceremonies in Holy Trinity Church’, 'Cork Examiner', 10 Oct. 1910.
• ‘Father Mathew Anniversary / Father Mathew Hall, Queen Street, Cork / Oration by Mr. P.J. O’Neill, Chairman, Dublin County Council’, 'Cork Examiner', 11 Oct. 1910.
• ‘Father Mathew Anniversary / Oration by Very Rev. Fr. Thomas Dowling OSFC / References to Home Rule / Brilliant Discourse in Father Mathew Total Abstinence Hall, Queen Street’, Cork Examiner, 12 Oct. 1912.
• Newspaper cutting of an article titled Carmel in Kinsale re the history of the Carmelites in Kinsale, County Cork. Reference is made in the article to the preaching of a sermon by Fr. Theobald Mathew OSFC in the church in 1844. It reads: ‘A manuscript History of the Temperance Reformation by James McKenna, Chief Travelling Secretary to the Very Rev. Theobald Mathew, contains an account of a visit of the Apostle of Temperance to Kinsale in the summer of 1844 … ‘. 'The Southern Star', 14 Dec. 1929.
• Newspaper cutting of article by ‘Dogliente’ re the need for the preservation of Thomastown Castle, Fr. Mathew’s birthplace. A memorandum attached to the cutting reads: ‘Our representative was informed that as far back as 1916 the Superiors of the Capuchin Order were very concerned about the condition of the historic house which through neglect was fast going into a state of ruin. To preserve the house they were prepared, with the sanction of their higher Superiors, to take over the property, but failed to obtain [the] necessary ecclesiastical authority to do so’. 'Cork Examiner', 27 Oct. 1931. Typescript, 1 p.

Newspaper cuttings commemorating Father Mathew

File of newspaper clippings mainly re various anniversaries and commemorations connected with Fr. Theobald Mathew OSFC and the temperance campaign. The file includes:
• Father Mathew Centenary Supplement to the 'Weekly Herald', 18 Oct. 1890.
• J.T. Collins, ‘Cork’s Fr. Mathew Statue’, 'Evening Echo', 23 June 1956.
• ‘Father Mathew / Interesting Memoir of his Life and Labour’. [c.1905].
• Gillie Lismore, ‘Friar with face of an angel / millions of people enrolled under his banner’.
• ‘Father Mathew / Birthday Celebration / Address by Very Rev. Dr. Thomas Dowling OSFC’, 'Cork Examiner', 12 Oct. 1925.
• ‘Father Mathew’, Everybody’s Monthly, 1 Oct. 1912. Refers to a temperance mission conducted by Fr. Dowling OSFC in Graiguenamanagh, County Kilkenny.
• ‘Dublin Memorial to Father Mathew’, Irish Independent, 10 Oct. 1939. The clipping refers to the laying of the commemorative tablet to mark the re-naming of the bridge (formerly Whitworth Bridge) at Church Street to honour Fr. Theobald Mathew OSFC.
• Newspaper clipping of an article titled ‘Life of Father Mathew Recalled on eve of Catholic Total Abstinence Union of America (CTAU) Convention’. c.1949.
• Newspaper cutting reporting on a ceremony at Thomastown Castle, County Tipperary, to honour Fr. Mathew in 1956. The article includes reports of speeches by the Most Rev. Jeremiah Kinane, Archbishop of Cashel, and Fr. James O’Mahony OFM Cap., Provincial Minister.

Newspaper cuttings commemorating Father Mathew

File of newspaper clippings mainly re various anniversaries and commemorations connected with Fr. Theobald Mathew OSFC and the temperance campaign. Many of the articles refer to sermons and talks on temperance made by Fr. Thomas Dowling OSFC (1874-1951). The file includes:
• ‘The anniversary celebration at St. Mary’s Cathedral Temperance Hall’. Refers to a lecture on the Apostle of Temperance by Fr. Thomas Dowling OSFC. 'Cork Examiner', Oct. 1899.
• ‘The vigil of Father Mathew’s Anniversary / Rejoicing in the city’, 'Evening Echo', 10 Oct. 1899.
• ‘Father Mathew Anniversary / Oration by Very Rev. Fr. Thomas OSFC / References to Home Rule / Brilliant Discourse’, 'Cork Examiner', 12 Oct. 1912.
• ‘Mathew Anniversary / Father Mathew Hall’, 'Evening Echo', 11 Oct. 1917.
• ‘Has prohibition a heretical tendency / A Franciscan on temperance’. Refers to an address by Fr. Thomas Dowling OSFC in Dublin on the anniversary of Fr. Mathew’s birth. 'Catholic Herald', 15 Oct. 1921.
• ‘Address at Father Mathew Anniversary Celebration’, 'Freeman’s Journal', 11 Oct. 1921.
• ‘Father Mathew Anniversary / Cork’s distinguished son honoured / imposing procession’, 'Cork Examiner', 18 Oct. 1902.
• ‘Mathew Celebrations / Fr. Mathew Hall’, 'Cork Examiner', 12 Oct. 1918.

Temperance Fliers, Pastoral Letters and Mission Cards

The file includes various fliers, pastoral letters, mission cards and ephemera relating primarily to various temperance associations, and missions and retreats including the Father Mathew Temperance Sodality and the Young Irish Crusaders attached to the Capuchin Friary, Church Street, Dublin. The file includes:
• Pastoral letters on temperance composed by various Irish Bishops in 1900 including Patrick Joseph O’Donnell, Bishop of Raphoe, Robert Browne, Bishop of Cloyne, Richard Alphonsus Sheehan, Bishop of Waterford and Lismore, and John Keys O’Doherty, Bishop of Derry.
• Souvenir of the National Temperance Crusade preached by the Franciscan Capuchin Fathers (c.1906).
• Midwinter greeting to the Priests’ Total Abstinence League of America (31 Jan. 1908).
• Flier for Grand Abstinence Demonstration, Armagh (27 June 1909).
• Flier for St. Michael’s Temperance Society, Lower Cecil Street, Limerick (1909).
• Circular from the Most Rev. Thomas O’Dea (1858-1923), Bishop of Galway, to the clergy of the diocese re the Capuchin Temperance Mission. 8 Aug. 1909.
• Indulgences granted to temperance sodalities established by the Franciscan Capuchin Fathers.
• Souvenir of retreat for the Children of Mary attached to the Convent of St. Camillus, St. Patrick’s Kilkenny (8 Dec. 1915).
• The Catholic Bishops on Intemperance.
• Souvenir of the Temperance Crusade held at Kilmacow, County Kilkenny / 6th to 13th July 1913.
• Father Mathew Temperance Association in honour of the Sacred Thirst / Object, Means and Constitution of the Association (Nov. 1913).
• Souvenir of the General Mission for Men and Women held in St. Mary of the Angels, Church Street, Dublin (25 Jan. 1914).
• Enrolment card for the National Catholic Total Abstinence Congress, Dublin (June 1914). The card also gives details of the proceedings of the congress which closed with an address by Fr. Aloysius Travers OSFC, Provincial Minister.
• Ceremonial and instructions for Capuchin Fathers conducting Missions and Retreats. (24 Jan. 1912).
• Flier for Devotions at St. Augustine’s Church Galway on the Feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel (26 April 1915).
• Annual retreat of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis (6 Oct. 1918).
• A week-long mission at the Church of Our Immaculate Lady of Refuge, Rathmines, Dublin.
• Temperance Rallying Songs published The Father Mathew Record Office, Church Street, Dublin. Words by Brian O’Higgins and music by Arthur Darley.
• Rules of St. Patrick Total Abstinence Society, Dundalk (May 1909).
• The Amethyst / a temperance lecture by Fr. Matthew Russell SJ. A manuscript note on the final page reads: ‘Recited in the Father Mathew OSFC Centenary Memorial Hall, Church Street, May 21st, 1894 by the Rev. Author before it was printed. Fr. Columbus Maher’.
• The Anti-Saloon League and its work / what position should our Catholic Total Abstinence Societies assume towards it? Speech given by John. T. Shea. Published by the CTU of America, Massachusetts. Aug. 1908.
• Flier for a Lenten mission given by Capuchin Fathers from Cork at the Corpus Christi Votive Basilica, (Corpus Christi Priory), Manchester. Feb. 1921.
• The Father Mathew Man, no. 19 (Nov. 1924). Published in Chicago.
• A Solemn Novena in honour of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the Church of Saint Simon Stock / 182nd Street, Bronx, New York / Saturday, July 10th to Sunday, July 18th 1926. The sermons were given by Fr. Thomas Dowling OFM Cap.
• A remembrance of the mission preached by the Capuchin Fathers in the Pro-Cathedral, Dublin. 2-30 Mar. 1941.
• Young Irish Crusaders Prayer Book (St. Mary of the Angels, Church Street, Dublin, 1954).

Horariums

Horariums for the community at the Capuchin Friary, Kikenny. The documents are signed by Fr. Thomas Dowling OSFC, Provincial Minister, and Fr. Peter Bowe OSFC, Provincial Minister, 8 Oct. 1901 and 16 Aug. 1910.

Father Mathew Pavilion at the Cork International Exhibition

File relating to the commemoration of Fr. Theobald Mathew OSFC at the 1902 Cork International Exhibition. Proposed by Edward Fitzgerald, Lord Mayor of Cork, this exhibition and fair showcased many facets of the industrial revival in Ireland. The exhibition included a pavilion devoted to the life and work of Fr. Mathew. The installation of a Father Mathew Pavilion at the exhibition was primarily the result of work done by Fr. Thomas Dowling OSFC (1874-1951). The Exhibition Pavilion was designed by James F. McMullen, architect. The file includes:
• Letters relating to the loan of exhibits, temperance souvenirs, personal effects, paintings and mementos displayed in the Father Mathew Pavilion at the exhibition. Correspondents include Fr. Thomas Dowling OSFC, Fr. Paul Neary OSFC, Fr. Mathew’s collateral descendants, J.D. Power, James Nugent, Fr. J. Kane, Parish Priest of Culdaff, Derry, Joshua Baily and William O’Connell.
• Letter from Denis Downey, Dawson Street, Dublin, to Fr. Thomas Dowling OSFC regarding a painting of Fr. Mathew in his possession. Downey adds ‘the late Father Columbus [Maher OSFC] of Church Street with Miss Redmond, the artist, called here and sketched the features for the O’Connell Street Statue, and Father Columbus told me he would purchase the picture as soon as he would be free from debt over the building of the Hall in Church Street’. 24 Jan. 1902.
• Letter from Thomas S. Bowdern, Supreme Council of the Knights of Father Mathew, St. Louis, Missouri, to Fr. Thomas Dowling OSFC thanking him for his kindness in sending ‘souvenirs of the Great Apostle of Temperance’. Bowdern wrote ‘I assure you we appreciate very highly these souvenirs and will hand them down to our successors in the Knights of Father Mathew that in the flight of years they will become even more and more highly prized if such is possible’. Reference is also made to the Knights’ intention to build a statue of Fr. Mathew for the World Fair. ‘As it is the desire to make our statue after the one in Cork I have been asked to write to you to have you inquire whether there is a replica or moulds in existence of the Cork monument’. 24 Feb. 1903.
• Copybook containing notes on the provenance of many of the items displayed in the Pavilion including temperance certificates and medals, Fr. Mathew’s stole, portrait paintings, Fr. Mathew’s piano and a model of the Capuchin chapel on Blackamoor Lane, Cork.
• Caption panels for objects displayed in the exhibition. Includes descriptions and provenance details for commemorative plates, teapots and other artefacts associated with Fr. Mathew. One of the captions reads: ‘The marble chimney-place at present in Refectory was also left in Father Mathew’s house when he left it, and was presented to Community by Mrs Ryan’.
• Visitors’ Book to the Father Mathew Pavilion at the Cork International Exhibition in 1902. The visitors included Cardinal Michael Logue, Archbishop of Armagh. A note on the final page by Fr. Thomas Dowling OSFC reads ‘No. of visitors over 4,500’.
• Copy prints showing Fr. Thomas Dowling OSFC outside the Father Mathew Pavilion at the exhibition in 1902. The other print shows the interior of the Pavilion with various artefacts associated with Fr. Mathew on display.

Results 1 to 10 of 23