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Photographic print of Mrs Belton, wife of Jack Belton, Lord Mayor of Dublin, opening the Capuchin Foreign Missions’ sale of work in Father Mathew Hall. The group includes Fr. Colman Griffin OFM Cap. and Fr. Virgilius Murtagh OFM Cap.

Flier seeking funds (£800) to complete the building of the Father Mathew Hall, Church Street. The opening paragraph affirms that ‘this Total Abstinence Hall, for one of the poorest and most crowded districts of Dublin, will cost £3,000. It will seat 1,200 people, and the building will also contain a gymnasium, reading rooms, a room for bagatelle and other games, a library, a coffee bar and a caretaker’s apartment’.

Annual reports and statements of accounts of Father Mathew Hall, Church Street. The booklets provide reports on annual general meetings, activities, speeches and events held in the Hall and provide annual accounts of receipts and expenditure. The 1901 report (pp 20-3) gives an account of a speech by Pádraig Pearse in the Hall on 2 March 1902 commending the giving of classes ‘for the study of our native language, and forms of self-culture amongst our members.’ He added ‘There is a certain bad old tradition that one cannot be a good Irishman unless he “takes a dhrop”. Now, I think you will all allow if there is one body in Ireland which is concerned more than another for the maintenance of genuine Irish traditions, that body is the Gaelic League … [and] in the ranks of no body in Ireland will you find proportionally so many total abstainers as in those of the Gaelic League’. Pearse suggested that there should be more cooperation between the Gaelic League and the temperance movement. In 1906, it was reported (p. 20) that ‘owing to several exceptional expenses, rendered necessary by the increase of membership and the extension of temperance work, we have not been able to reduce our indebtedness to the Bank’. The statement of accounts noted that £1,405 6s 5d was owed to the National Bank by December 1906. The front covers of the booklets have ink drawings of the Hall fronting onto Church Street.

An image of young performers in Father Mathew Hall on Church Street in Dublin in about 1955.

A large audience for a pantomime performance in Father Mathew Hall on Church Street in Dublin in about 1955.

The volume contains information in respect of ticket sales and cash derived from various lectures and concert performances at Father Mathew Hall, Church Street. The Hall was regularly frequented by those interested in promoting cultural revivalist activities such as storytelling and festivals of native song and dance. The volume records that Pádraig Pearse gave a lecture in the Hall entitled ‘Education in Ancient Ireland’ on 20 Nov. 1905. On 29 Jan. 1906, the Chevalier Sheeran gave a talk on subject of the ‘alleged atrocities in the Congo Free State’. Each entry is signed by a secretary or officer of the Hall Committee. The signatories include J.W. Whitmore and J. Scanlan.

Photographic print of (fourth from the right) Fr. Aloysius Travers OFM Cap. (1870-1957) on a podium with several other clerics in Father Mathew Hall.

Souvenir programme for the La Verna Fete held in the Mansion House, Dublin. The fete was held from 29 Sept. to 6 Oct. 1917 and was a fundraiser in aid of the Father Mathew Hall, Church Street. Printed by Independent Newspapers, Dublin. The programme includes photographic prints of:
Fr. Albert Mitchell OSFC, founder of the Father Mathew Temperance Association, Church Street.
Fr. Columbus Maher OSFC, founder and first President of Father Mathew Hall, 2 Feb. 1890-11 Sept. 1894.
Fr. Matthew O’Connor OSFC, President, 17 Sept. 1894-2 Dec. 1895
Fr. Nicholas Murphy OSFC, 9 Dec. 1895-27 June 1904
Fr. Aloysius Travers OSFC, 4 July 1904-18 Aug. 1913
Joseph Mooney, Vice-President and Honorary Secretary, Father Mathew Hall
Fr. Sylvester Mulligan OSFC, President ‘since 25 August 1913’

Flier for Brian Boru Fete and prize draw ‘to reduce a heavy debt of £3,800’ on Father Mathew Hall, Church Street. The first prize is a pony trap and harness, ‘a gift of a friend (the harness, a gift of J. Donnelly, North King Street)’.

A collection of mostly un-captioned and undated photographs of performances and audiences in Father Mathew Hall, Church Street, Dublin. Many of the photographs are press photographs (mainly from the 'Irish Independent', 'Evening Press' and the 'Irish Press'). They include photographs of pantomimes ('Aladdin', 1956-7) and the ‘Mai MacCartney’ troupe of dancers. The file also includes press photographs of Feis competition winners. Only a few of the prints are annotated: ‘Maria Bennett, Paddy Corr, Phyllis Bennett. Taken by the 'Herald' photographer for “Patience”, May 1956’. There is one annotated colourised print in the file showing two girls called ‘The Dominoes’, Christmas Pantomime, 1952.