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Irish Jesuit houses of formation Emo
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Account of the funeral of the Countess of Portarlington

Account of the funeral of the Countess of Portarlington, taken from the 'Leinster Express'. Lady Portarlington was buried at Emo Park, Queen’s County (Laois). Includes references to Frs Robert Carbery and William Delaney.

The Countess was buried in the graveyard beside the church, and a memorial to her was also erected in Coolbanagher church by her sister the Duchess of Marlborough.

Beadle's journal for St Mary's, Emo

Beadle's journal for St Mary's, Emo. The Beadle was the head novice and kept a record of the daily activities of the novices. The Beadle was normally appointed for a three month period. A list of beadles is given on inside page. In the English Province the Beadle was known as the Novice's Porter.

Letter from Fr Charles O'Connor SJ to Fr Rector, St Mary's, Emo describing how the Society became beneficiaries in the will of Rebecca Codd

Letter from Fr Charles O'Connor SJ, Clongowes Wood College, Naas, County Kildare to Fr Joseph Dargan SJ, Rector, St Mary's, Emo describing how the Society became beneficiaries in the will of Rebecca Codd and the items that were left to the Society in her will.

O'Connor, Charles E, 1920-2014, Jesuit priest

Letter from Irish Fr Provincial to Fr Joseph Dargan SJ, Rector, St Mary's, Emo thanking him for sending Fr O'Connor's letter regarding the Codd bequest

Letter from Irish Fr Provincial Cecil McGarry SJ to Fr Joseph Dargan SJ, Rector, St Mary's, Emo thanking him for sending Fr O'Connor's letter regarding the Codd bequest. Remarks that he is going to offer the library, the portraits and the bust to Clongowes Wood College.

McGarry, Cecil, 1929-2009, Jesuit priest

Letter from Irish Fr Provincial to Rector [St Mary's, Emo] concerning books needed by the Australian Province for five scholastics from Hong Kong

Letter from Irish Fr Provincial Laurence Kieran SJ St Francis Xavier's, Upper Gardiner Street, Dublin to Rector [St Mary's, Emo] concerning books needed by the Australian Province for five scholastics from Hong Kong. Refers also to a Scholastic who wishes now to be a Brother. Asks if the individual must do the Noviceship again. Includes a page with pencil notations.

Kieran, Laurence J, 1881-1945, Jesuit priest

Letter from J. A. Kenny and Partners, Consulting Engineers to Rev. William Dargan SJ concerning the account for the centralisation of the boiler plant at Emo

Letter from Eoin Kenny, J. A. Kenny and Partners, Consulting Engineers, 44 Kildare Street, Dublin 2 to Rev. William Dargan SJ, 84 Eglinton Road, Dublin 4 concerning the account for the centralisation of the boiler plant at Emo. Includes a detailed account of the cost of the work carried out.

J. A. Kenny and Partners, Consulting Engineers

Letter from Laurence J. McCabe, Jackson-Stops and McCabe, to Fr William Dargan SJ concerning items to be included in the sale of Emo

Letter from Laurence J. McCabe, Jackson-Stops and McCabe, Auctioneers, Valuers and Estate Agents, 8 Dawson Street, Dublin 2 to Fr William Dargan SJ, 85 Eglinton Road, Dublin 4 concerning items to be included in the sale of Emo. Includes the list of items.

Jackson, Stops and McCabe, auctioneers

Letter from the Bishop of Ferns concerning the Society of Jesus' desire to establish a community house in the Diocese of Ferns

Letter from William Codd, Bishop of Ferns, Summerhill, County Wexford to Irish Fr Provincial John Fahy SJ concerning the Society of Jesus' desire to establish a community house in the Diocese of Ferns. Remarks 'They have about a score of applications from Religious Congregations and Orders for permission to take up property here within the past few years...they made an exhaustive inquiry as to whether the needs of any part of the diocese or of the whole would admit the introduction of a new congregation...they came to the unanimous conclusion that they could see no need at all for this.'

Codd, William, 1864-1938, Roman Catholic Bishop of Ferns

Photocopy of 'Irish Province News', which describes the death on 27 June 1950 of postulant Mr John Callaghan

Photocopy of entry in the Irish Province News, October 1950, which describes the death on 27 June 1950 of postulant Mr John Callaghan, who fell on the scullery stairs.

In course of conversation in 2015, between Damien Burke and Jim McCabe, ascertained that John Callaghan carrying delph down the stairs to the basement when he slipped and hit his head.

Sketch map of the Clochar, Emo

Sketch map of the Clochar. Shows the layout of the gardens and the species of trees and plants. The Clochar (or Clucker) comes from the Irish word for convent. 'There is also a story that this part of the garden was where the maids in the house were allowed to come to gossip and relax – hens clucking!'

St Mary's, Emo, County Laois

Emo Court, County Laois was under Jesuit ownership from 1930 until 1969. Now in the hands of the Office of Public Works, the history of Emo dates back to the Earls of Portarlington in the eighteenth century. The first earl, John Dawson, commissioned the building of Emo Court in 1790; it is one of only a few private houses designed by the architect James Gandon. The Portarlington’s sold Emo in 1920 to the Land Commission and the Jesuits purchased the property in 1930, to be used as a novitiate (house of first formation). The Jesuits found Emo in a dilapidated state, with grass growing up through the floorboards. They made significant structural changes in order for it to function as a novitiate rather than as a family home. Many items were removed however they were stored in the basement (fireplace wrapped in blankets). Renowned photographer, Fr Frank Browne SJ, was one of the first Jesuits to take up residence there and he took many photographs of Emo Court.

In 1969, the Jesuits sold Emo to Major Cholmeley Dering Cholmeley-Harrison. He restored the house, sparing no expense, and donated it to the Irish State in 1995. In 2012 the Office of Public Works opened a permanent exhibition on Fr Frank Browne SJ at Emo Court.

The papers of St Mary’s, Emo concern the management of the Emo estate (1900-1995), establishment of the Jesuit community (1928-1930), maintenance, upkeep and expenditure (1931-1970), forestry and the sale of Emo (1969-1970; 1995). There is some material on the Jesuit community (1934-1962) and novitiate (1930-1969) however there is very little in the way of information on individual novices. Material is in the form of handwritten letters, ledgers, architectural plans, maps and photographs.

Rector/Superior of St Mary's, Emo:
Patrick Kenny, Vice-Superior, 31 July 1930;
John Deevy, Vice-Superior, 29 July 1932;
John Deevy, Rector, 7 October 1937;
John Neary, Vice-Rector, 30 July 1944;
Jerome Mahony, Vice-Rector, 30 July 1945;
Thomas Byrne, Rector, 2 June 1947;
Donal O'Sullivan, Rector, 15 August 1947;
Timothy Mulcahy, Rector, 10 October 1959;
Patrick Cusack, Rector, 21 November 1961;
Joseph Dargan, Rector, 26 June 1968;
The noviceship changes to Manresa House, Dollymount, 12 September 1969.

Master of Novices, St Mary's, Emo:
Martin Maher; July 1930;
John Coyne;
John Neary; October 1934
Donal O'Sullivan
Paddy Cusack
Joseph Dargan, 1968-1969

St Mary's, Emo, Laois, 1930-1969

'There was an Ancient House' by Benedict Kiely

Book entitled 'There was an Ancient House' by Benedict Kiely, Methusen and Co Ltd, London. A novel where ‘in a country house thirty novices of a religious order are learning a new, strange life, some failing, others succeeding in conforming to the pattern laid down by rule’. Benedict Kiely was a novice at St Mary's, Emo

Kiely, Benedict, 1919-2007, writer, critic, journalist and former Jesuit novice