Copy letter from Fr. Paul Neary OSFC to Timothy Harrington, Lord Mayor of Dublin. Fr. Paul refers to a dispute between the Committee of the Catholic Boys’ Brigade and the Capuchin friars of Church Street. Fr. Paul states that the lay Committee of the Brigade are organising an annual meeting without their sanction and wishes to lay these facts before the Mayor. Fr. Paul concludes by declaring that they ‘have no grievances with the Boys as such nor do we intend to oppose the meeting’.
‘Lists of applications for Church Street made by Dispossessed Tenants’. The lists provide the names of local tenants who are seemingly occupying tenements, their addresses, and occupations. Notes are made of which tenants responded to ‘cards sent out’ and those which did not. With a cover sent to Fr. Nicholas Murphy OSFC by ‘Labourers’ Dwellings and Lodging-Houses, Corporation of Dublin’.
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.
Correspondence of Fr. Maurice Dowd OFM Cap., Capuchin Friary, Church Street, mainly concerning the removal of the bridge at Broadstore which would permit the transit of double-decker buses on Upper Church Street and ‘which would open up a great thoroughfare to North County Dublin, as well as to West Cabra, Glasnevin and Finglas’. Other projects referred to in the correspondence include the erection of a statue to Our Lady of Lourdes on the Church grounds and a proposal to use a small park opposite the Church to commemorate Holy Year. Correspondents include Brendan Corish TD, Minister for Local Government, Jack Belton, Lord Mayor of Dublin and J.A. Harbison, Chief Medical Officer, Dublin Corporation. The file includes a clipping from the 'Irish Independent', 7 July 1953, of a public notice re the proposed acquisition of land for the widening and improvement of Church Street.
The file includes • Report of a Dublin Corporation housing enquiry into conditions in tenements in the Cook Street-Chapel Yard area ('Evening Herald', 2 Feb. 1933). Reference is made in the report to the ruins of 'a Capuchin convent, an old windmill and two Mass houses' in the Cook Street area. • Article (with photographic prints) publicising the opening of a sale of work in aid of the Capuchin Foreign Missions held in the Catholic Commercial Club in Dublin. 'Irish Catholic', 1 Dec. 1938. The attendees included Alfie Byrne, Lord Mayor of Dublin, and Fr. Colman Griffin OFM Cap.
The file includes: • ‘Down Dublin Streets / Capuchin Friary’. An article on the Church Street Capuchins and the 1916 Rising by Eamonn Mac Thomais. c.1980. • An article (with photographic prints) reporting on the funeral of Roddy Connolly, a son of the 1916 Rising leader James Connolly. A number of Capuchin friars from Church Street were in attendance at the funeral in Glasnevin Cemetery. 'Irish Press', 19 Dec. 1980. • Report on the ‘Progress through the family’ seminar held in Carysfort College, Blackrock, Dublin. 'Family Solidarity News', Summer 1988. • Clipping of a photographic print of Fr. Senan Dooley OFM Cap. at the annual blessing of the animals on the Feast of St. Francis at The King’s Inn, Dublin. 'Irish Catholic', 8 Oct. 1992. • Clipping of a photographic print of Fr. Mike Tobin OFM Cap., Fr. Angelus O’Neill OFM Cap., Provincial Minister, and Fr. Kieran Garvey OFM Cap. in the garden of the Church Street Friary. 'Irish Catholic', 26 July 1990.
Photograph of the High Altar, sanctuary and interior of St. Mary of the Angels, Church Street. A single unidentified friar is sitting in the pews. The photographer/studio is credited as Thomas F. Geoghegan, 6 Sackville Street, Dublin
Photographic print of a group of Capuchin friars playing croquet in the garden of the Church Street Friary. The game is taking place in front of a high wall which fronts out onto Bow Street. Fr. Paul Neary OSFC and Fr. Aloysius Travers OSFC appear to be participating in the game.
Account book of Fr. Bernard Jennings OSFC, Fr. Daniel Patrick O’Reilly OSFC and Fr. Patrick Joseph Columbus Maher OSFC, Church Street, with the National Bank. The book is annotated on the front cover: ‘To be sent at least once a month to be written up from Bank’s ledger – Reverends Murphy and Maher’. The entries relate to deposits in cash and payments by cheque.
