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This subseries contains research into the ancestry and family history of Fr. Theobald Mathew OSFC. Fr. Mathew was born in Thomastown Castle near Golden in County Tipperary in October 1790. His father James Mathew was steward on the Thomastown estate which belonged to his relative, Francis Mathew (1738-1806), who was created Earl Landaff in 1797. There is some uncertainty about the parentage of James Mathew. One account, repeated by Fr. Mathew himself, affirmed that he was the child of an undocumented second marriage of Lord Landaff’s great uncle, James Mathew of Borris. Another account, which enjoyed some currency at the time, suggested that he was the natural son of Earl Landaff’s father Thomas Mathew. The files include research notes, genealogical tables and other information relating to Mathew family history.

This section includes a large collection of receipts, vouchers, and invoices, mainly comprising bank deposits and cheques, personal letters and bills of receipt, subscriptions, tax receipts, and receipts for goods for use in the Capuchin Friary, Church Street. The receipts refer to goods chiefly purchased from local suppliers in Dublin (particularly in the north-inner city). The retailers include booksellers, plumbers, carpenters, stationers, clothiers, chemists, locksmiths, and medical suppliers, china, food and drink, services (including funeral, transport, sundry repairs), jewellers, gold and silver smiths and watchmakers, kitchenware, grain suppliers, seed merchants, coal merchants and furniture makers. The sub-series also includes some receipts for maintenance and improvements to friary property. The receipts are arranged chronologically.

The sub-series contains proofs and pulls from block printing for illustrations and visual content published in 'The Capuchin Annual'.

Files of Prior Gerard Francois

The sub-series contains a select collection of publications formerly held by the editors of 'The Capuchin Annual' in the Publications Office. It is probable that many books, periodicals and journals were transferred to the Provincial Library in the Capuchin Friary on Church Street. Many others may have been discarded.

This sub-series comprises papers mostly relating to the ministries performed by Fr. Dominic O'Connor OFM Cap. in Oregon in the United States following his release from British detention in January 1922. The sub-series also includes records referring to Fr. Dominic's death in October 1935 and tributes and commemorations thereafter.

A large collection of contemporary republican newspapers and Anti-Treaty publications. The sub-series includes extensive files of both 'Poblacht na hEireann (War News)' and the republican newssheet, 'The Daily Bulletin'.

Some Irish Capuchins displayed a noticeable sympathy with the republican interest during the Civil War. The Church Street community maintained close ties with various republicans including Frank Gallagher who carried out propaganda work on various Anti-Treaty bulletins, newsletters and publications. Gallagher worked alongside Erskine Childers (who was also on good terms with some Capuchin friars) on the republican publicity staff. Both men sided with Éamon de Valera in the Treaty debates. Gallagher and Robert Brennan were significant contributors to the 'Daily Bulletin' which was produced at this time (See CA IR/1/8/3/8). As a consequence, most of the tracts and publicity material obtained by the Capuchins reflected a rigidity to the Sinn Féin version of the conflict and demonstrated an implacable hostility to the Treaty and its supporters.

The sub-series comprises records relating to arrest and imprisonment of Fr. Dominic O’Connor OFM Cap. during the War of Independence.

The 'Irish Bulletin' was the official daily gazette of the government of the Irish Republic. The first edition of the 'Bulletin' appeared on 11 Nov. 1919 shortly after the suppression of the entire republican press. The purpose of the 'Bulletin' was succinctly stated in the edition of 11 Nov. 1920 (Vol. 6 No. 17). ‘When it became certain that the majority party in Ireland was not to be proclaimed “illegal” the "Bulletin" had of necessity to be published secretly. It was designed to circulate principally not in Ireland but among the publicists in England and on the Continent. At its inception less than fifty copies were printed. To-day it reaches almost every country in the world and is reprinted in four European languages. It is received by the press, public men, and the leading political and other organisations of many nations’. The 'Bulletin' was published daily but weekly editions containing summaries of ‘acts of aggression committed in Ireland by the military and police of the usurping English government’ were also routinely circulated. These weekly summaries were not assigned volume or issue numbers. Daily issues consisted mainly of sometimes detailed lists of raids by British security forces and the arrests of republican suspects. Extracts from foreign publications and sometimes sympathetic English sources were also published in the 'Bulletin'. Accounts of the activities of Dáil Courts were likewise included. It was produced by the republican publicity department during the War of Independence, and its offices were located at 6 Harcourt Street, Dublin. On 26 Mar. 1921, after sixteen months of publication, the offices of the 'Bulletin' were raided. Later, forged issues of the journal were produced with printing machinery and paper captured in the offices. These fabricated issues were sent to all the usual addresses on the list of recipients, a copy of which had also been seized. Issues of these forged 'Bulletins' were subsequently circulated for over a month. The paper’s first editor was Desmond Fitzgerald, until his arrest and replacement by Robert Erskine Childers. The collection includes a chronological record of peace overtures which would eventually lead to the Treaty negotiations. The issue of 7 Dec. 1921 (Vol. 6, No. 35) carried an ‘advance copy’ of the articles of agreement between Great Britain and Ireland, more commonly known as ‘The Treaty’. Many of the issues of the 'Irish Bulletin' are stamped ‘Official Copy’.