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The collection comprises over 300 original glass plate negatives and lantern slides. Prior to the invention of cellulose nitrate film in 1903, photographic emulsions were made on glass supports. These glass supports are typically referred to as glass plate negatives. The term ‘glass plate negative’ refers to two separate formats: the collodion wet plate negative and the gelatin dry plate. Both formats consist of a light sensitive emulsion that is fixed to the glass plate base with a binder. This form of photographic process largely faded from the consumer market in the early years of the twentieth century, as more convenient and less fragile films were introduced. Despite the impracticalities of the medium, glass negative plates were generally considered superior to cellulose nitrate film for high-quality imaging because they were extremely stable and less likely to bend or distort.

The collection also includes several lantern slides. Lantern slides were constructed from a base piece of glass, with the emulsion (carrying the photo or print) on it, then a matte over that, and then a top piece of cover glass. They were then taped all the way around to keep the pieces together and to keep dust out. Occasionally, colour was added by hand, tinting the images (these lantern slides were created before the invention of colour film). The slides were then projected onto a screen using a bespoke lantern slide projector. Lantern glass slides were used by some public speakers until the mid-twentieth century, when they were eclipsed by more economical and practical 35mm colour slides popularised by Kodachrome. Finally, the collection also includes some original glass stereo plates. Stereo cameras used a single glass plate negative to capture images. Prints from these negatives were intended to be looked at with a special viewer called a stereoscope, which created a rudimentary three-dimensional image.

Provenance and Collection Content

Precise information on the provenance of the collection is lacking. The plates were retrieved from a worn leather suitcase bearing the initials ‘F.A.’ which almost certainly refers to Fr. Angelus Healy OFM Cap. (1875-1953). Although Fr. Angelus never considered himself an academic historian, he researched assiduously and transcribed many original documents relating to the history of the Irish Capuchins. His ‘Pages from the Story of the Irish Capuchins’ was published in 1915 to mark the tercentenary of the arrival of the first Capuchin friar in Ireland. It is highly likely that Fr. Angelus was responsible for assembling this glass plate photographic collection and that many of the lantern slides were created specifically for his use.

The image content of the glass plate collection is eclectic and varied. Only a relatively small number of the images are dated but it can be inferred that most of the photographs date to the first or second decade of the twentieth century. Many of the plates show images of scenes around the Capuchin Friary in Rochestown in County Cork. The Capuchins established a community in Rochestown, situated about five miles from Cork city, in 1873. The Irish friars had founded a Seraphic School in 1884 with the primary aim of training young religious. This school originally operated along the lines of a novitiate for students who aspired to join the Capuchin Franciscan Order. In 1887, this school was transferred from Kilkenny to Rochestown. The collection includes many images of novice friars and students attached to the Rochestown house. In addition to photographs of the friary itself, local landmarks, buildings, and scenic locations in the environs of Rochestown feature prominently in some of the images. Several photographs showing other Irish Capuchin houses and foundations such as the Church of St. Francis in Kilkenny are also extant in the collection. The collection also includes some rare images of the Reek Sunday pilgrimage to the summit of Croagh Patrick in County Mayo (CA-PH-1-49-55). The 764-metre-high mountain is traditionally climbed by pilgrims on the last Sunday in July. These images were likely assembled by Fr. Angelus Healy OFM Cap., who was known as the ‘Guardian of the Reek’ in honour of his long association with the pilgrimage. His association with Croagh Patrick lasted from 1906 to 1949, during which he climbed the mountain forty-two times missing only two years, in 1919 due to a railway strike, and in 1922 due to the Civil War.

A seemingly separate series of lantern slides relating to the life and career of Fr. Theobald Mathew OSFC (1790-1856), a famed nineteenth century temperance campaigner and Capuchin friar, were also deposited in the collection. It is very probable that these 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 initially elicited 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. Finally, the collection also includes images of seventeenth century manuscripts and photographs of other original records pertaining to the lives and ministries of several early Irish Capuchins. These were probably acquired by Fr. Angelus Healy OFM Cap. and Fr. Stanislaus Kavanagh OFM Cap. (1876-1965), another prominent Irish Capuchin historian, for research purposes.

The premises at Castleknock were purchased in 1834 by the Vincentians, who were at that time running a school in Usher’s Quay. They initially continued teaching in Usher’s Quay in the morning and went over to Castleknock in the afternoon, but this management of both institutions could not be carried on very long, so the Vincentians gave up the school in Usher’s Quay in 1839.

The seminary at Castleknock, for second and third level boys, was founded by the early Irish Vincentians just after they had officially joined the Congregation of the Mission. These Vincentians were Fathers James Lynch CM, Michael Burke CM, Roger Kickham CM and Thomas MacNamara CM.

Saint Vincent’s College was a Vincentian major (i.e. third level) seminary from 1835 until the purchase of Saint Joseph’s, Prospect House, Temple Road, Blackrock, in 1875 when it moved there.

It was also a minor (i.e. second level) seminary for Vincentian and also originally for Dublin Diocese students, until the Dublin Diocese moved its seminary to Holy Cross College in Clonliffe in 1859. After the move of the Diocesan seminary, Castleknock College became more lay than ecclesiastical in nature, but even with many lay pupils attending, most of them appear to have decided to join the priesthood, and most of these joined the Congregation of the Mission.

The school is still in existence as Castleknock College, but since 2006 it has only been for day pupils. It has also been a lay school since 1859 when the Diocesan seminary moved to Clonliffe. 3 September used to be the standard day to join the Vincentian Community for those starting the novitiate, as it was the start of term.

Letters to and from Mother Mary Martin. They are from the early days of the Medical Missionaries of Mary, and thus are mostly concerned with matters pertaining to the foundation of the order.

'The Capuchin Annual' was published by the Irish Province of the Capuchin Franciscans from 1930 to 1977. The purpose of the publication was clearly stated:

'"The Capuchin Annual" from its foundation presents Ireland to the world, sets forth the Irish way of life in all its phases: spiritual, cultural, intellectual, and social. It has been said that Ireland has a spiritual mission, and we believe that her mission is best fulfilled by showing her people, their customs, their literature, their art to the world. Our interest in Ireland exists beyond the confines of her shores to the achievements of Irishmen wherever their native genius has contributed to the glory of their own country or the country of their adoption'.

The 'Annual' was founded by Fr. Senan Moynihan OFM Cap. (1900-1970), a Kerry-born Capuchin friar who exuded a deep literary interest. Shortly after his ordination in 1928 he was appointed editor of 'The Father Mathew Record', a popular monthly publication of the Irish Capuchins which promoted the Order’s overseas’ missions (particularly in Africa) and carried articles supporting the cause of total abstinence which had as its champion Fr. Theobald Mathew OSFC (1790-1856), a charismatic friar who led a nationwide temperance campaign in the nineteenth century. Fr. Senan strove to create a higher grade, more literary publication. He was acquainted with many well-known Irish writers and artists and he secured permission from his superiors to publish the 'Annual' in 1930. Although its ethos always remained the promotion of Christian values and a Catholic way of life, the 'Annual' found many unique ways of exploring these subjects. In addition to the task of presenting Ireland and the Irish way of life to the world, 'The Capuchin Annual' also presented the Capuchin friars, their ideals, their history and their missionary endeavours to a wider audience. From its inception, the 'Annual' attracted a very high quality of contributing authors. It was a journal unique in Irish publishing containing many literary, historical, topographical, photographic, biographical, artistic, and cultural articles. Many Irish writers, artists and educators who later gained prominence such as Benedict Kiely (1919-2007), Francis MacManus (1909-1965), and Augustine Martin (1935-1995) received their first opportunities to publish in the 'Annual'. Other leading writers, artists, politicians and public figures who contributed to the 'Annual' included Pádraig Ó Siochfhradha (1883-1964), Pearse Hutchinson (1927-2012), Daniel Corkery (1878-1964), Alice Curtayne (1898-1981), Aodh de Blácam (1890-1951), Richard Mulcahy (1886-1971), Leon Ó Broin (1902-1990), Brian O’Higgins (1882-1963), and Francis Stuart (1902-2000).

Fr. Senan crafted 'The Capuchin Annual' into a finely tuned expression of Irish nationalism. His editorial office was located on Capel Street in Dublin and it became a regular meeting place for artists and writers. He was also an acquaintance of Éamon de Valera and his successor as leader of Fianna Fáil, Seán Lemass. De Valera supported the 'Annual' and appreciated its editorial alignment with the nationalist agenda espoused by the Fianna Fáil party. The 'Annual' also strove to develop a wider public appreciation of Irish art. With the assistance of his friend Thomas MacGreevy (1893-1967), a noted literary figure and director of the National Gallery of Ireland from 1950-63, Fr. Senan promoted the work of Irish artists such as Jack B. Yeats (1871-1957), Seán O’Sullivan (1906-1964) and Richard King (1907-1974). Fr. Senan was naturally gifted as a page-setter and the 'Annual' was regularly lauded. The 'Irish Times’ review of the 1937 edition complimented Fr. Senan as a ‘distinguished editor’ who had produced ‘one of the brightest magazines of the season’ ('Irish Times', 28 Dec. 1936). In 1942, Patrick Kavanagh (1904-1967) referred to the 'Annual' as an 'amazing phenomenon of modern political Catholic Ireland’ ('Irish Times', 10 Jan. 1942). The publication spread knowledge of and heightened awareness of Irish painting, sculpture, music, poetry and literature. Although its readership was predominately Irish, its circulation was international as it was frequently sent to Irish emigrants in the United States, Canada and Australia. The publication was immediately successful from a circulation point-of-view. Only 2,000 copies of the first edition of the 'Annual' were printed in 1930 and these were sold out within a month. By 1940 the print run had increased to 25,000 copies.

The 'Annual' was always published on high quality glossy paper, ensuring that reproductions of artwork were as good as one would expect in a fine arts journal. The publication increased in physical size by the 1940s. The 1930 edition had two hundred and thirty-six pages. This had increased to three hundred and ninety-eight pages in 1940. Throughout the difficult years of the Second World War (or ‘The Emergency’ as it was referred to in Ireland), the 'Annual' continued to be published, albeit on slightly coarser paper due to wartime restrictions. The high quality of the publication meant that it was a costly endeavour to produce. Printing full-colour reproductions of artwork along with the generous honorariums offered by Fr. Senan to contributors greatly increased production costs. Benedict Kiely was paid an exorbitant fee of thirty guineas for one poem about the 1916 Rising published in the 1942 edition. In 1936 Fr. Senan wrote to the Capuchin Provincial Minister to assure him that the publication was ‘solvent’. (CA CP-1-12-1). 21,000 copies of the 1937 edition were printed at a total cost of £2,500 with a profit of around £800. Despite these reassurances, it appears that Fr. Senan remained profligate in his spending. In 1954, he outlined a series of measures aimed at reducing the escalating debt of the Capuchin Publications Office (CA CP-1-5-1-2). This included selling off the office’s valuable collection of art (including three original paintings by Jack B. Yeats which he had purchased and reproduced in the 1942 'Annual'). These financial difficulties inevitably resulted in a strain on Fr. Senan’s health and he required hospitalization for periods in the late 1940s and in the early 1950s. In 1955 a decision was made at the Capuchin Provincial Chapter to remove Fr. Senan from the editorship of the 'Annual'. Fr. Nessan Shaw OFM Cap. (1915-1997), a fellow friar and friend, offered this assessment of the reasons for Fr. Senan’s departure:

'At the Provincial Chapter of 1955, Fr. Senan was transferred to the Capuchin Friary of the Most Holy Trinity in Cork with no definite assignment. Fr. Henry Anglin OFM Cap. was appointed editor of the 'Annual' with Fr. Felix Guihen OFM Cap. as manager. The appointment of a manager was significant because it considered that the financial arrangements and the editorship was too much for one man. That proved to be the case with Senan with the result that in spite of his best efforts the publication ran into serious debt, certainly from 1950 onwards (note that the 1950 and 1951 issues were amalgamated). It is my opinion that this caused him serious worry and very definite stress. Due to his constant work in the promotion of culture and the art and the necessity of contact with contributors of first-class quality, Fr. Senan lived a life somewhat removed from the lifestyle of the ordinary Capuchin. He had premises at 2 Capel Street which served both as an office and an art gallery. There might be found famous writers and painters etc. who contributed to the Annual – Jack B. Yeats, Seán Keating, Count John McCormack etc. In addition, there was maintenance staff, so the financial resources were not there to meet the demands. This was the real cause of his problems'.

Finding it impossible to continue as editor of the publication he had founded, Fr. Senan later requested secularization and left the Capuchin Order to become a diocesan priest in Australia. He arrived in Perth in 1959 following an invitation from Archbishop Redmond Prendiville (1900-1968), a fellow Kerryman. On arrival, Fr. Senan took up a position as chaplain to the Mercy Sisters at St. Anne’s Hospital in Mount Lawley, Western Australia (now St. John of God Mount Lawley Hospital). Archbishop Prendiville appointed him archivist of the Perth Archdiocese in 1962. He died in Perth on 26 July 1970 and was buried in Karrakatta Cemetery.

The appointment of Fr. Henry Anglin OFM Cap. (1910-1977) as editor of the 'Annual' in 1955 occasioned no real change in the ethos of the publication. The 'Annual' continued to publish an eclectic mix of content ranging from scholarly articles on the struggle for Irish independence to features extolling physical achievement, the national myth, rebellion, adventure, and spiritual and moral self-improvement. An awareness of the Capuchin Order’s commitment to the missionary work of the church explained much of the publication’s content as did an adherence to the predominantly conservative culture of the Irish state. Fr. Henry reflected on the 'Annual’s' purpose in 1965 as a publication ‘of prestige value … run by an Order on a shoe-string but produced as a Catholic and patriotic effort which has, I have no doubt, done much good for these objects over thirty years’ (CA CP-1-5-2-20).

Under Fr. Henry's editorship, the 'Annual' cemented its position as a popular cultural journal. He greatly expanded content which examined events associated with the Irish Revolution. The 1966 edition published detailed articles, profusely illustrated, on the 1916 Rising. The 1967 edition offered a striking pictorial record of the nationwide commemorations marking the fiftieth anniversary of the insurrection. Reproductions of contemporary photographs were also used to illustrate articles which reflected upon the ‘resurgence of the national spirit of Ireland after the 1916 prisoners were released’. More than two hundred and fifty pages of the 1970 edition were given over to memorializing key figures and events in the War of Independence. These anniversary features provided plenty of scope for forthright displays of national sentiment. Comparatively little was published on the contested history of the Civil War. Like Fr. Senan before him, Fr. Henry maintained the 'Annual’s' decidedly republican perspective. In a reassuring letter to the leading Fianna Fáil politician, James Ryan (1891-1970), Fr. Henry remarked that ‘the tradition of "The Capuchin Annual", as you know, has always been along the other [republican] side, and it is my intention that it shall remain so’ (25 Feb. 1969. CA CP-1-5-1-8).

'The Capuchin Annual' presented an unusual form of miscellany. Its extended length, designed to meet the needs of an annual publication, ensured that it exhibited a broadly conservative and nationalistic ideology in a comprehensive fashion. However, its goals of educating and elucidating in areas beyond the narrow confines of the prevailing culture of the state resulted in a varied mix of religious, literary, historical and artistic content. The 'Annual' attracted a readership who normally would not have even glanced at what was, outwardly, a religious journal. The renowned Irish playwright and critic, George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), was an avid reader of the 'Annual', and it was one of the few Irish periodicals he subscribed to (CA CP-1-6-9). The final edition of the 'Annual' was published in 1977. A cursory note in this issue attributed its demise to the increasing costs of production. A ninety percent increase in printing costs from 1973-76 made the continued publication of the 'Annual' economically unviable. The print-run in 1976 (about 6,300 copies) cost over £14,500 and arrears in the Publications Office were running at over £1,200 per annum. Despite increases in the retail price of the periodical, it was clear that such losses were not sustainable. Many contributors, academics and literary critics lamented the journal’s demise. Fr. Henry limited himself to expressing an opinion that the decision to cease publication was a ‘mistake’ (CA CP-1-5-1-15). He died on 30 May 1977 just a few months after completing work on the final edition.

'The Capuchin Annual' was one of the most widely read Irish literary publications of the twentieth century. Though Irish-Ireland in its politics, the journal was never narrowly Catholic. The deployment of a wide range of topics ensured that it could not be easily located within the prevailing periodical culture of the period. Interested primarily in literature, history and art, it also took an astute view on issues of social and political import. The complete run of 'The Capuchin Annual' (1930-1977) has been digitised and is now freely accessible online.

'The Father Mathew Record' (later 'Eirigh')

'The Father Mathew Record' was a monthly periodical published by the Irish Capuchins. The 'Record' began publication in January 1908 and was founded by Fr. Aloysius Travers OFM Cap. (1870-1957). The stated aim of this popular magazine was to ‘record, month by month, the efforts made by the Father Mathew Total Abstinence Association and the Father Mathew Hall to advance the sacred cause of temperance’. Fr. Senan Moynihan OFM Cap. was appointed editor in 1928. Under his editorship, the 'Record' increased the amount of coverage of the Capuchin overseas' missions, and by 1934 circulation had increased to 12,000 copies a month. During the Second World War foreign mission reportage was curtailed and, in its place, there was a greater emphasis on Franciscan spirituality along with articles on Irish culture, art and literature. Around this time, Fr. Gerald McCann OFM Cap. (1910-1948) assumed the editorship of the 'Record' leaving Fr. Senan to concentrate on the production of 'The Capuchin Annual'. Fr. Gerald was also a gifted artist and his humorous depictions of Franciscan life were regularly published in both the 'Annual' and in the 'Record'. 1967 marked the last year of the publication under the title of 'The Father Mathew Record'. Following his appointment as editor in 1967, Fr. Donal O’Mahony OFM Cap. (1936-2010) decided to broaden the appeal of the Capuchin publication and sought permission to change the name and enhance the content of the 'Record' to reflect current ideas about social and cultural issues affecting Christian living. From January 1968 the periodical was known as 'Eirigh' and it continued to be published by the Irish Capuchins until December 1973.

Collection Content:

'The Capuchin Annual' was published from 1930 to 1977. It only ever had two editors, Fr. Senan Moynihan OFM Cap. (1900-1970) and Fr. Henry Anglin OFM Cap. (1910-1977). The distinctive cover illustration of St. Francis and the wolf was designed by Seán O’Sullivan RHA (1906-1964). The Three Candles Press founded by Colm Ó Lochlainn (1892-1972) printed the first three issues of the Annual. John English & Co. of Wexford assumed printing responsibilities from 1934 until 1957, and from 1958 until the final issue in 1977 it was printed by Dollard Printing House in Dublin.

Very many of the surviving records in 'The Capuchin Annual' collection relate to the editorship of Fr. Henry Anglin OFM Cap. who assumed responsibility for the Capuchin publication in 1955 following the resignation of Fr. Senan Moynihan OFM Cap. Fr. Senan subsequently settled in Australia in 1959. It has not been ascertained why so little of the archive associated with Fr. Senan’s editorship of the 'Annual' has survived. Fr. Henry noted Fr. Senan’s practice of ‘returning to all writers any manuscripts he had received and had not paid for’ (25 Nov. 1954. CA CP-1-5-2-1). It also appears that Fr. Senan did not maintain much contact with the Capuchin Publications Office following his departure for Australia. Many years later Fr. Henry affirmed that Fr. Senan ‘has had nothing to do with this place for over twenty years’ (21 July 1976. CA CP-1-5-1-15). It is conceivable that Fr. Senan took much of his personal archive (including papers relating to the operation of the 'Annual') with him to Australia. The Archives of the Catholic Archdiocese of Perth (Fr. Senan was appointed archivist in 1962) confirmed that he died without making a will and that his papers were subsequently auctioned and dispersed following his death. In an article by Ormonde D.P. Waters on the Fenians in Australia published in 'Seanchas Ard Mhacha' in 1996, it is noted that Fr. Senan was a ‘dedicated Fenian researcher’ and that ‘his very specialized library was scattered in a second-hand bookshop shortly after his death’. In 2003 the National Library of Ireland acquired manuscript drafts of two poems ('The Mother' and 'The Fool') by Patrick Pearse (1879-1916). The Library purchased the manuscripts from the Archdiocese of Perth. The provenance note suggested that these manuscripts were gifted by Pearse’s sister, Margaret, to Fr. Senan before he left for Australia. A recent discovery by Professor Richard Sharpe of the first printing of Brian Merriman’s (c.1747-1805) 'Cúirt An Mheán Oíche' ('The Midnight Court') in the National Library of Ireland also refers to the prior ownership of ‘Fr. Senan Moynihan, Saint Anne’s Hospital, Mount Lawley, Western Australia’. Other material with a direct provenance to Fr. Senan (including an autograph poem presented to the Capuchin friar by Donagh MacDonagh, son of Thomas MacDonagh, the executed 1916 Rising leader) has been offered for sale at auction. This would seem to support the contention that many of the papers and ephemera of cultural and historical significance acquired by Fr. Senan during his time as editor of 'The Capuchin Annual' were dispersed and sold in the years after his death.

Many of the records held in the Irish Capuchin Archives are draft articles received by Fr. Henry Anglin OFM Cap. for publication in the 'Annual'. A significant twentieth-century photographic archive is also extant. The collection also includes volumes containing copies of Fr. Henry’s outgoing letters along with financial records dating from the 1960s until the closure of the publication in 1977. A very large assemblage of ephemera in the form of photoengraving plates and stereotype printing blocks is also extant in the collection. These were likely returned to the Capuchin Publications Office by the firms responsible for the printing of the 'Annual'. The survival of certain record series is seemingly haphazard. In 1976 Fr. Henry referred to the destruction of ‘many periodicals and papers’ when the Publications Office moved from Father Mathew Hall to new premises adjacent to the Capuchin Friary on Church Street. (28 Apr. 1976. CA CP-1-5-1-15). The surviving records were subsequently transferred from the Publications Office following its closure. It is very likely that this transfer occasioned a further loss of material as the Capuchins had not yet acquired a suitable space for the storage of their archives.

The fonds consists of the correspondence and papers of Capuchin friars detailing their involvement with participants in the national struggle. The majority of the material dates from 1916-1925 and includes many records highlighting the roles played by Irish Capuchins in ministering to republican leaders and their relations. Of particular interest is a large collection of prison letters including the correspondence of some of the leading figures of the Irish Revolution. The fonds also contains a large collection of republican publicity material, newspapers and miscellaneous items of ephemera and artefacts mostly relating to the military and political campaign organised by nationalists for Irish independence. A smaller collection relating to the repatriation of the bodies of Fr. Albert Bibby OFM Cap. and Fr. Dominic O’Connor OFM Cap. from the United States to Ireland in 1958 is also extant.

Various histories of the Order both nationally and internationally.

This Fond consists of material relating to the Tertiary Carmelite Brothers of Clondalkin and Drumcondra. It is subdivided into two sub-fonds, the first of which primarily concerns the organisation of the Order, it’s laws and professions of vows and material written about its early history and publications about the Order.

The second sub-fond contains personal material belonging to Brother Vincent Corcoran to was head of the Order and primarily consists of his diaries, several artefacts, photographs, and publications regarding the Carmelites

This collection contains material relating to the Vincentian community in the Parish of Our Lady’s Queen of the Universe, Hereford, United Kingdom. Items include: correspondence, Visitation Reports, House Council Minutes, Architects Reports, newspaper cuttings, printed articles, photographs.