Letter from Fr. Brian Browne OFM Cap. (1919-2015) to Fr. Berard Creed OFM Cap., Provincial Minister. The letters include references to the establishment of a preparatory seminary for postulants in Zambia (8 Oct. 1969); developments at the various Irish Capuchin mission stations (25 Nov. 1969); the election of a delegate for the Capuchin General Chapter (14 Mar. 1970); a former Dutch Reform Church which is for sale in Livingstone, and which could be used as a new foundation for the Capuchins (6 Sept. 1971). Reference is also made to the following Irish Capuchin missionaries: Fr. Vianney Holmes OFM Cap., Fr. Flavian Helsted OFM Cap., Fr. Theophilus Murphy OFM Cap., Fr. Macartan Hyland OFM Cap. and Br. Hugh Davis OFM Cap.
Letters from Fr. Albert Hayes OFM Cap. (1915-2005) to Fr. Stanislaus Kavanagh OFM Cap. thanking him for sending on mass stipends and referring to his arrangements for travelling from Northern Rhodesia to Ireland. Reference is also made to the health of Fr. Salvator Quinn OFM Cap. who is suffering from sciatica (21 June 1953).
Letters from Fr. Albert Bibby OFM Cap. to Fr. Augustine Hayden OFM Cap., referring to journey to the United States, from New York to Santa Barbara, California, his declining health and to the consolation he has found as his death approaches. On 25 Jan. 1925 Fr. Albert wrote: ‘I am gradually getting weaker and am preparing for end. … Fr. Dominic O’Connor OFM Cap. came here last night and will remain with me to the end. Tis a great comfort and joy to have him. He will do for me what he did for Terry McSweeney in Brixton Jail’. With a newspaper cutting from the Santa Barbara Daily News (21 Jan. 1925) containing an article with (photographic prints) of the Old Mission of Santa Ynez and ‘Padre Albert’.
Letters and cards from Fr. Michael Sheehan, St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth, to Fr. Richard Henebry. The correspondence refers mainly to issues associated with Irish language education, university administration, and to Ring College (Coláiste na Rinne) in County Waterford, which Sheehan co-founded with Henebry.
Letters to Fr. Albert Bibby OFM Cap. from Eva Gore Booth, 33 Fitzroy Square, mostly referring to her sister Constance Markievicz, the East Clare by-election and to the publication of an article in the 'Catholic Bulletin'. With covers.
A file of letters from Douglas Hyde to Fr. Richard Henebry. Many of the letters are signed ‘An Craoibhín’. A letter (17 Mar. 1910) refers to the need for external examiners in Irish for a university board of education. Other letters refer to various texts in Irish for a matriculation examination for University College Dublin and matters pertaining to travelling studentships. An undated letter from Hyde (written at Ratra, Frenchpark County Roscommon) reads ‘As to your scholarships and the valuable work you have done in Celtic phonology and language there can be only one opinion. Your long course of study in Germany under the most distinguished dialectologists of Europe has given you advantages such as none of our native Irish scholars at home possess …’.
Letters from Douglas Hyde (‘An Craoibhín’), 1 Earlsfort Place, Dublin, to Br. Senan Moynihan OFM Cap. giving his recollections of Tadhg Ó Murchadha (‘Seandún’) and his commentary on the publication of ‘Scéal “Sheandúin”’.
Letters from D. O’Callaghan, prisoner no. q 128, Portland Prison, to Fr. Albert Bibby OFM Cap., Church Street, referring to his health. The official letter states that O’Callaghan is in ‘bad health’ and notes that if he behaves well, shall ‘be allowed to write another letter about 19 Jan. 1918’. A letter M.H. Smith, medical officer, Portland Prison, reports that O’Callaghan ‘is in his usual health’. With cover
Letters from D. O’Callaghan, Lewes Prison, to Fr. Albert Bibby OFM Cap. concerning his prison conditions and to kindness shown to him by a Sister Bridget. He adds: ‘Duggan and Beasely were glad to hear from her and sends best wishes’. He later refers to his actions during Easter Week: ‘ … I done my best to conduct things to the best advantage for all, and if done a great deal of damage to property, it had to be done to insure the safety of the men that were in my charge. But I certainly say no unnecessary damage was done by us’. Reference is also made to his fellow prisoners G. Grofts and Jimmy Brennan. With an undated letter [c. Apr. 1917] from O’Callaghan referring to the deteriorating conditions endured by republican prisoners: ‘On Wednesday, the 9th some of the young fellows started kicking a rag ball at exercise and warder Birch picked it up most abruptly on the fooling day he had Boland charged with using insolent language. Boland got severely punished and on the following day we struck work. … Our experience is that the warders are incapable of making a correct statement about us. McEntee and I were charged with insubordination simply because we spoke on behalf of our comrades’.
Letters from Constance Markievicz, Holloway Jail, to Fr. Albert Bibby OFM Cap., Church St., Dublin, referring to her conditions of imprisonment and conveying her good wishes to Fr. Albert, Fr. Augustine Hayden OFM Cap., and Sister Brigid. She declares that ‘when we free our country I shall start a movement for the reformation of jails and jailors! I am proud of being selected as a candidate. I wonder whether I should have a better chance of election in or out of jail?’ With 2 covers.
