A report titled ‘housing in Dublin’ by Fr. Angelus Healy OFM Cap. referring to the corporation-sponsored Church Street and Beresford Street Improvement Schemes. Fr. Angelus refers to the history of Capuchin involvement in the campaign for housing improvement in the areas around Church Street. He wrote: ‘The Capuchins were directly responsible for the improvements that began in 1890, when Father Columbus [Maher] erected the Father Mathew Hall. Later on Father Nicholas [Murphy] obtained possession of the area extending from the Hall down to the Church. This was a very insanitary area, with a number of courts and alleys of ill-repute. It is now occupied by an extension of the Hall and by the garden attached to the Capuchin Friary. Reference is also made in the report into the Church Street Tenement Disaster of September 1913. This article was published in 'The Father Mathew Record', Vol. 27, No. 8 (Aug. 1934), pp 407-16.
A draft schema for the compilation of the Ard Mhuire Friary archives. The schema was devised by Fr. Angelus Healy OFM Cap. and refers to some of the foundational documents which should be obtained and secured for safe keeping. Reference is made to documents from the Land Commission, correspondence with the Bishop of Raphoe and letters from the Capuchin General Minister re the establishment of a novitiate at Ard Mhuire.
Assorted notes by Fr. Angelus Healy OFM Cap. on the history of the Capuchins in Kilkenny. Most of the notes are loose and fragmentary. The more substantial records include: • ‘The Capuchins in Kilkenny / 1643-1937 / The Capuchins in Walkin Street’. • Notes on the ‘names of Friars who died in Kilkenny, with the dates of death, place of burial, and inscriptions on tombstones’. The list covers circa 1647-1930. • Manuscript extract from 'The Kilkenny Journal', 30 Oct. 1875, referring to the first reception of novices in Kilkenny. • Extract from 'The Kilkenny Journal', 18 Mar. 1876, on the ‘impressive ceremony of the clothing of four novices … at the Church of St. Francis, Walkin Street … celebrated by Fr. Albert Mitchell OSFC’. • Extract from 'The Kilkenny Journal', 4 Nov. 1876, referring to the celebration of the Feast of All Saints at the Capuchin Friary, Kilkenny. • Transcripts of Latin documents referring to Capuchins connected with Kilkenny (primarily in the seventeenth century) including extracts from Fr. Robert O’Connell’s 'Historia Missionis Hibernicae Capucinorum' (Bibliothéque de Troyes, MS 706); a eulogy on Fr. Sebastian Butler OSFC (d. July 1647); a eulogy on Fr. Thomas Tuite OSFC (d. 12 Sept. 1649). • Newspaper cutting referring to Fr. John Brenan (d. 1847) of Kilkenny, author of the 'Ecclesiastical History of Ireland'. • Note asking the question ‘Was the Capuchin Convent closed after the death of Father Peter Joseph Mulligan OSFC in 1853’? • Biographical notes on Fr. Peter Joseph Mulligan OSFC: ‘His life in Ireland was spent entirely in Kilkenny where he died on December 4th 1853’. • Obituaries for Fr. Felix Duggan OSFC (d. 22 June 1847); Fr. Augustine Dunne OSFC (d. 19 Mar. 1860); Fr. Aloysius Hennessy OSFC (d. 2 Dec. 1879). Copy obituary articles taken from 'The Kilkenny Journal'. • ‘The Capuchins in Kilkenny’. Copy text from 'The History and Antiquities of the Diocese of Ossory'.
Chronology (probably compiled by Fr. Angelus Healy OFM Cap.) of important events associated with the Capuchin presence in Kilkenny dating from 1643 to 1876. Many of the later entries are references from local newspapers.
A note, possibly by Fr. Angelus Healy OFM Cap., on the building by Fr. Peter Joseph Mulligan OSFC of the Capuchin Friary Church in Kilkenny in 1847. Fr. Angelus wrote ‘in the account of the celebration of the Feast of St. Francis in 1847 there is no reference to any change in the Friary Church, which was the Old Poor House Chapel … the new Church was begun between October 1847 and December 1848’.
List of guardians of the Capuchin Friary, Kilkenny, from 1842-1883 compiled by Fr. Angelus Healy OFM Cap. The list includes their dates of office. The file also includes notes by Fr. Angelus re Fr. Edward Tommins OSFC (d. 29 July 1889), Fr. Columbus Maher OSFC (1835-1894) and Fr. Cherubini Mazzini OSFC (1831-1906), guardians from c.1855-68.
A history of the Capuchin novitiate in Kilkenny, 1875-77 by Fr. Angelus Healy OFM Cap. Referring to the decision to found a novitiate, Fr. Angelus wrote ‘In the month of May 1875 a visitation of the Irish Custody was made by Very Rev. Arsenius, the Provincial of Paris Province. At the conclusion of the visitation he called the Custos [Fr. Patrick O’Reilly OSFC] and his two assistants [Fr. Edward Tommins OSFC and Fr. Aloysius Hennessy OSFC]. They met in our Convent at Dublin on May 25th. At this meeting it was decided to apply to our Superiors General in Rome, for permission to establish a Novitiate for the Irish Custody’. The novitiate was transferred from Kilkenny to Rochestown on 14 Feb. 1877. Fr. Angelus concludes by noting that the ‘account of the Novitiate in Rochestown from 1877 to 1886, when it returned to Kilkenny may be given in another paper’.
Letters of obedience, from c.1874-1910, compiled by Fr. Angelus Healy OFM Cap. from originals pasted into the archival book of the Capuchin Friary, Kilkenny (CA KK/1/3/1). The obediences are listed under the headings of date, ‘from’ [usually the letter of obedience is from the Provincial Minister or Definitory], to [the name of the friar to which the obedience is addressed] and ‘import’ [place of transfer]’. The list would appear to have particular reference to transfers to and from the Friary in Kilkenny.
Copybooks containing ‘extracts of Irish Capuchin interest copied from the files of '"The Kilkenny Journal"' by Fr. Angelus Healy OSFC. First published as “the Lenister Journal”, 24th Jan. 1767, and with present title [from] 17th March 1830’. The volumes contain extracts from articles referring to Fr. Theobald Mathew OSFC and his temperance campaign, Fr. Peter Joseph Mulligan OSFC and to other members of the Order ministering in the city. The copybooks are organised by date: • 20 Mar. 1844-14 Sept. 1844 • 14 Sept. 1844-27 Nov. 1844 • May 1846-Oct. 1846 • 1 Dec. 1849-Mar. 1850 • Mar. 1851-Feb. 1852 • Mar. 1852-Oct. 1852 • Mar. 1854-Jan. 1861 • Mar. 1856-Dec. 1856
Notes compiled by Fr. Angelus Healy OFM Cap. and Fr. Stanislaus Kavanagh OFM Cap. on the history of Ards House and its acquisition by the Capuchin friars in 1930. Extensive reference is made to the previous occupiers of the estate: 'The Sampsons, the Wrays, the Stewarts, one of whom was married to Lady Isabella Toler, granddaughter of the notorious Lord Norbury are gone, and the Capuchin Fathers are in their ancient home. In the graveyard at Clondahorky, can be seen the grave of the second wife of the first Wray of Ards, and in the grounds of Ards, some trees recall the birthdays of members of the Stewart family. To the Capuchins however, a stronger appeal is made by a lonely tomb in the graveyard around Doe Castle, the last resting place of a Franciscan Friar, Rev. Father Dominick Curden “who departed this life August ye 17th. 1809, aged 85 yrs”'. The file includes a newspaper cutting of a poem titled ‘On the return of the Brown-Robed Friars to Donegal’ by Bernard A. Furey.
