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Isle of Man Mission

The Isle of Man Mission material details the building of chapels and schools in Douglas and Castletown by Fr Matthew Gahan SJ (1782-1837) and his work on the island. Born in Dublin, he entered the Society at Hodder, Lancashire, England in 1805 and left for the Isle of Man in 1826. He had previously spent 3 months on the island in 1817 and 1825. When he died there in February 1837, the Jesuit mission to the island ended.

Irish Vice-Province of the Society of Jesus, 1830-

Irish College, Santiago de Compostela

The Irish Jesuit College at Santiago de Compostela was established in 1605. Fr Thomas White SJ (1558-1622) founded Salamanca and went on to become Vice-Rector (for diplomatic reasons the title of Rector was held by a Spanish Jesuit) successively at Santiago (1612) and Seville (1619).

Br John Maguire SJ

Catalogue available 2050.

Maguire, John, 1933-2020, Jesuit brother

Irish Jesuit Chaplains in the Second World War

Twenty-one Irish Jesuit chaplains served as chaplains in the Second World War in the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. Fr John Hayes SJ, who died of typhus on 28th December 1944, was the single casualty to the Irish Jesuit Province.

The papers of the Irish Jesuit Chaplains in the Second World War consist mainly of letters and telegrams from individual chaplains to the Irish Jesuit Provincial - Fr Laurence J. Kieran SJ was the Irish Provincial at the outbreak of the War and on 8 September 1941, Fr John R MacMahon SJ became Provincial. Also includes letters to Irish Father Provincial Laurence J. Kieran SJ from various Jesuits volunteering to become military chaplains (1 September 1939-7 April 1941); letters and telegrams from Monsignor John M. Coghlan (Principal Chaplain (R.C.) and Vicar General, British Army, War Office) seeking chaplains to serve in the forces and thanking Father Provincial for those he has offered (1941-1944); memoranda and lists (1942); volunteers’ letters (April 1941-July 1942); correspondence with the Royal Air Force (1941-1945); letters from newly appointed chaplains (1941); miscellaneous letters to Provincial (1941-1945).

1st four left Dublin, 26 May 1941: Richard Kennedy (Tertian); Michael Morrison (Tertian); Conor Naughton (Tertian); Cyril Perrott.
2nd batch, left 1 September 1941: John Burden; Leo Donnelly; John Hayes; Sydney Lennon; Conal Murphy.
9 September 1941: Fr Gerard Guinane.
29 December 1941: Fr Maurice Dowling.

Michael O’Mahoney (1905-1981), County Tipperary, part of the Australian province of the Society of Jesus, served as chaplain in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

Irish Vice-Province of the Society of Jesus, 1830-

Australian Mission

The Irish Jesuit Mission to Australia was initiated due to the will of Fr John Joseph Therry (1790-1864), who named the Irish Jesuits as beneficiaries to his property in Australia, and by an invitation to the Irish Province by James Alipius Goold, Bishop of Melbourne (later Archbishop) (1812-1886) to set-up a mission in his diocese. The first two Irish Jesuits, Frs William Lentaigne (1805-1884) and William Kelly (1823-1909), arrived in Melbourne in September 1865. Previously, two Austrian Jesuits, Frs. Kranewitter (1817-1880) and Klinkowstroem (1819-1896) had arrived in 1848 after Jesuit expulsion from Austria. The Austrian Mission centred on South Australia and the Northern Territory. In 1901, the Austrian and Irish missions amalgamated. Australia was made a Vice-Province in 1931 and Fr Austin Kelly SJ (1891-1978) was named the first Provincial of the Australian Province in 1950.

The papers of the Australian Mission provide a comprehensive history of the Irish Jesuit Mission, concentrating on the years 1865-1931. The Irish Jesuits worked as missionaries, educators, writers, chaplains, theologians, scientists, pastors and directors of retreats, mainly in the urban communities of eastern Australia.

Subjects touched upon include: agreements with Archbishops in establishing Jesuit houses in a particular diocese; reflections on the journey to and from Australia; administration of schools, colleges, universities and Jesuit residences - (St Patrick’s, Melbourne; St Francis Xavier College, Kew, Melbourne; St Aloysius, Dunedin (NZ); St Aloysius College, Sydney ; St Ignatius College, Riverview, Sydney; St Louis, Claremont, Western Australia; Newman College, University of Melbourne); parishes - (Norwood and Sevenhills in South Australia; Invercargill (NZ); Melbourne; Sydney; Toowong and Indooroopilly in Queensland); financial documents; expansion of the Mission; and correspondence between Father Provincial in Ireland and Jesuits in Australia. By far the greatest number of letters sent to Father Provincial in Ireland was from Fr John Ryan SJ (1849-1922) (Superior of the Mission from 11 February 1901-14 June 1908; 9 April 1913-24 October 1917). Until the creation of the Australian Mission as a Vice-Province, the Irish Provincial was kept informed of every minor detail about the Mission and often decision making in Australia was delayed until approval from Dublin was given.

Although this collection provides a comprehensive history of the Australian Mission, there are some gaps. For example, the collection does not contain any deeds or other legal documents relating to property obtained by the Society of Jesus in Australia and it is presumed that these documents would have been kept by the Superior of the Mission and later the Vice-Provincial of the Vice-Province in Australia, where they remain today.

Superiors of the Irish Jesuit Mission to Australia (1865-1931)
Fr Joseph Lentaigne SJ 1865-1866
Fr Joseph Dalton SJ 1866-1872
Fr Thomas Cahill SJ 1872-1879
Fr Joseph Dalton SJ 1879-2 September 1883
Fr Aloysius Sturzo SJ 2 September 1883-5 April 1890
Fr Patrick Keating SJ 5 April 1890-1 February 1895
Fr Timothy Kenny SJ 1 February 1895-11 February 1901
Fr John Ryan SJ 11 February 1901-14 June 1908
Fr Thomas Brown SJ 14 June 1908-9 April 1913
Fr John Ryan SJ 9 April 1913-24 October 1917
Fr William Lockington SJ 24 October 1917-20 June 1923
Fr Jeremiah Sullivan SJ 20 June 1923-19 March 1931

Vice-Provincials of the Vice-Province of Australian (1931-1950)
Fr John Fahy SJ 19 March 1931-25 August 1939
Fr John Meagher SJ 25 August 1939-1 October 1947
Fr Austin Kelly SJ 1 October 1947-1 November 1950

Irish Vice-Province of the Society of Jesus, 1830-

Jesuit Chaplains to Irish emigrants in Britain

In the late 1940s, Fr Leonard Sheil SJ (1897-1968) travelled to Britain in an effort to serve Irish emigrants. Fr Sheil was a familiar sight on his motorbike visiting building sites, construction camps, mines, steel works, oil refineries and industrial hostels. Frs Matthew Meade (1912-1992) and Kevin Laheen (1919-2019) also provided missions.

General papers on Irish Jesuit missions;

  • Letters to the Provincial from Irish Jesuit missioners which give their opinions and impression of mission work in England (1960-1961);
  • Irish Episcopal Commission for Emigrants Easter conferences (1960-1977) which concerns the attendance of the Jesuit Provincial (1960-1972) and reports of proceedings, minutes and addresses (1962; 1977);
  • Working Party on the Irish Emigrant Missions in England and Wales (1973);
  • Mission reports and statistics (1966-1975) including Jesuit missions (1966-1970) and Irish Catholic missions in England and Wales (1968; 1974-1975);
  • Jesuit Chaplains in Westminster and Birmingham Archdioceses (1966-1969);
  • Irish Chaplaincy Scheme (1971-1979) including conference reports (1978-1979), details of chaplains and services (1971; 1976-1977) and Jesuit appointments (1974-1979);
  • Irish Centre Advisory Service, Liverpool (1976) and
  • Lillie Road Centre London (1978).

Irish Vice-Province of the Society of Jesus, 1830-

Fr Lambert McKenna SJ

McKenna, Lambert, 1870-1956, Jesuit priest, Irish language scholar and Catholic social thinker

Fr John Errington SJ

The papers represented in this collection relate to an estate in Counties Kildare and Westmeath inherited by Fr John Errington SJ. Although Fr Errington was a member of the English Province, it was decided that the estate he inherited should be administered by the Irish Province who should also benefit from the income (J38/61 and J38/62).

The many legal documents contained in this collection highlight the complex nature of landed estates, particularly when the Land Commission became involved. It is difficult to trace exactly how Fr Errington came to inherit the estate in counties Kildare and Westmeath. But one document in particular, J38/27, reveals some valuable information. It would appear that a gentleman by the name of John Hyacinth Nangle (died 17 September 1865) left his estate to a number of beneficiaries, namely his wife Mary Nangle, George A. Nicolls (who was also appointed executor), Sir Percy Nugent and John Errington (later Fr Errington SJ). Following the deaths of Mary Nangle and Sir Percy Nugent (who died without issue - needs checking) the latter appointed George A. Nicolls, Walter Sweetman and Margaret Nugent executors and executrix of his will. In addition George A. Nicolls was appointed a trustee of the will of John Hyacinth Nangle instead of Sir Percy Nugent, deceased. After the death of George A. Nicolls his estate passed to his brother Archibald Dowdall Nicolls. This man died without issue and it would appear that Fr Errington inherited the Garrisker estate. Letters written by Fr Errington reveal that he had little knowledge of the property (J38/63). However, in a letter to Fr Farley he refers to a Cecil Nugent and remarks 'I was under the impression that Cecil Nugent who died lately in Canada without issue was the last in the entail...' (J38/64).

Errington, John, 1847-1925, Jesuit priest

Mr James Murphy SJ

Catalogue online late 2021.

Murphy, James, 1839-1869, Jesuit scholastic

Fr John Curtis SJ

Catalogue online late 2021.

Curtis, John, 1794-1885, Jesuit priest

Fr William Kane SJ

Catalogue online late 2021.

Kane, William V, 1856-1945, Jesuit priest

Fr Alvaro Ribeiro SJ

Print out of personal history.

Ribeiro, Alvaro, 1947-2013, Jesuit priest

Fr John Fahy SJ

Catalogue online 2023.

Fahy, John, 1874-1958, Jesuit priest

Fr Frank Doyle SJ

Available for consultation in 2041.

Doyle, Francis, 1931-2011, Jesuit priest

Triennial Documents

Most folders include a list of documents ( Triennial - recurring every three years) sent to Rome and also include documents relating to the Australian and Hong Kong Missions (and from the mid-1950s onwards documents relating to the Mission in Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) ). Later years also include statistics on various Jesuit works and associations.

Fr Michael Bergin SJ

Catalogue online late 2022.

Bergin, Michael, 1879-1917, Jesuit priest and chaplain

'The Irish Monthly'

Fr Matthew Russell SJ (1834-1912) intended to found a devotional magazine with the name Catholic Ireland in 1873, but it emerged as a literary journal named 'The Irish Monthly'. Russell, who edited the magazine until his death, had a great talent for friendship, so people of many different backgrounds and beliefs wrote for him. He treated authors as members of a family circle and encouraged many women to write. He published W.B. Yeats, Oscar Wilde, Hillaire Belloc, Katherine Tynan and Dora Sigerson Shorter, amongst many others. The success of the Irish Monthly was remarkable at a time when the average Irish magazine had a five-year life span.

Fr Lambert McKenna SJ (1870-1956) was the next Editor. He had a great interest in the Irish language, so the journal published many unpublished Irish bardic poems. He changed the emphasis from a literary journal to concentrate on Catholic social and educational thought.

By 1933, the Monthly was in financial trouble, but efforts were made to revive it. With a circulation of about 600, it was in competition with Studies, the quarterly review published by Irish Jesuits since 1912. Given Ireland's small size and, therefore, small subscription base, in 1954 the Irish Monthly ceased.

1873- 1912 Matthew Russell (1834-1912)
Based at Rathfarnham Castle, Dublin, 1913-1933
1913 - Thomas Wheeler (1848-1913)
1914 - 1916 John F.X. O'Brien (1873-1920)
1917 - Lambert McKenna (1870-1956)
1918 - Lambert McKenna (1870-1956)
1919 - John F.X. O'Brien (1873-1920)
1920 - John F.X. O'Brien (1873-1920)
1921 - Joseph Darlington (1850-1939)
1922 - Joseph Darlington (1850-1939)
1923 - 1930 Lambert McKenna (1870-1956)
1931 - 1933 John Joy (1884-1950)
1934 - 1947 Timothy Mulcahy (1898-1962) (Belvedere College)
1948 - 1950 Roland Burke Savage (1912-1998) (35 Lower Leeson Street)
1951 - Edmund Keane (1916-2000) (35 Lower Leeson Street)
1952 - Michael Moloney (1913-1984) (35 Lower Leeson Street)
1953 - Michael Moloney (35 Lower Leeson Street)

Fr John Hyde SJ

Hyde, John, 1909-1985, Jesuit priest, theologian and Irish language scholar

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