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Servant of God Willie Doyle SJ

William Joseph Gabriel Doyle was born (1873) at Melrose, Dalkey Avenue, Dalkey, county Dublin. Known as Willie, Billie or Sloper (a comic book hero of the time), he was the youngest of seven children of Hugh Doyle, registrar of the insolvency court, and Christine Doyle (née Byrne). Growing up, Willie was devout, caring and cheerful. Educated at Ratcliffe College, Leicestershire, in 1891 Willie followed his older brother Charles into the Jesuits. After two years as a novice, he taught at Clongowes Wood College, where he produced The Mikado and founded the school magazine, The Clongownian. His Jesuit formation included periods in Belgium and England, and further teaching at Clongowes and Belvedere Colleges. After ordination at Milltown Park on 28th July 1907, Willie began work as an urban missionary and retreat giver in Ireland. His positive attitude made him a great success, and he travelled all around the British Isles. He was also the author of best-selling pamphlets on retreats and vocations.

Volunteering as a military chaplain in First World War, Fr Doyle was sent to France with the Royal Irish Fusiliers in early 1916. Within days of his arrival at the Front, he showed himself outstanding in the work of a chaplain. Lt Col HR Stirke noted that Fr Doyle was ‘one of the finest fellows that I ever met, utterly fearless, always with a cheery word on his lips and ever ready to go out and attend the wounded and the dying under the heaviest fire’. Present at the battles of the Somme and Messines, Fr Doyle was killed during the third battle of Ypres on 16th August 1917, while going to the aid of a wounded man near Frezenberg. He is commemorated on the Tyne Cot memorial, Belgium. Fr Doyle was awarded the Military Cross, and he was put forward for the Victoria Cross posthumously but did not receive it. Writing to Willie’s father, Hugh, in December 1917, Major General WB Hickie remarks that: ‘I could not say too much about your son. He was loved and reverenced by us all. His gallantry, self sacrifice and devotion to duty were all so well known and recognized. I think that his was the most wonderful character that I have ever known.’

Doyle, Willie, 1873-1917, Servant of God, Jesuit priest and chaplain

Killiney Castle, Dublin

In 1873 the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) purchased Killiney Castle to be used as a villa house (holiday). The events leading up to the purchase of this property were quite long and protracted. In a memorandum written by Fr William Delany SJ (1835-1924), CM/KILL/3, he describes how the Society came across Killiney Castle and the negotiations that took place to secure its purchase. After viewing the property the Jesuit Fathers were very inclined towards it and decided to make an offer of £11,000 for the Castle and its estate. However, before the deal was finally settled Fr Nicolas Walsh SJ (1826-1914) Provincial, insisted, despite grave objections by some of the other priests, on telling the Cardinal (Paul Cullen).

This action proved to be a mistake with the Cardinal reacting negatively to the property deal (permission from the Cardinal was necessary for the establishment of a new religious house but not for the purchase of a property). Fr Delany describes how it was now too late to back out of the deal and insisted on informing the owner of Killiney Castle (Mr. Warren) of the difficulty that had arisen. Fr Delany was also delegated to pay a visit to the Cardinal to plead the case on behalf of the Society and to outline their plans for the property. Again the Cardinal was not supportive, particularly when it was mentioned that the Society of Jesus were thinking of opening a school for boys. Eventually an agreement was reached that the property could be bought but that a decision as to how it would be utilised would have to be deferred. Because of the delay Fr Delany discovered, after his meeting with the Cardinal, that another offer had been made and accepted. This second obstacle made it necessary for Fr Delany to enter another set of negotiations to purchase the property from Mr. Richard Martin for the sum of £12,250.

Following the purchase of the property in 1873 by the Society of Jesus a good deal of structural and maintenance work was carried out e.g. CM/KILL/4 and CM/KILL/8 - CM/KILL/13. Despite the work carried out and the outlay of money on improving the Castle and grounds the Society made a decision to sell the property only six years later in 1879 to Mr. Chippindale Higgin CM/KILL/33. It would appear that the Castle and estate were sold at a loss to the Society. The collection does not reveal why the Society decided to sell Killiney Castle. However, the collection does reveal that a number of different parties were interested in purchasing the property e.g. the Brothers of St. John of God in France (CM/KILL/1, CM/KILL/35 and CM/KILL/37), an American gentleman (CM/KILL/36) and Mr. Chippendale Higgin (CM/KILL/33), the eventual purchaser.

It should be noted that the Society of Jesus had two residences in Killiney. In 1853 the Catalogue names the following as residing in Killiney; Robert St. Leger (1788-1856), John St. Leger (1798-1868), William Moloney (1796-1886) and James Reardon (1799-l.1856). This residence was known as Druid Lodge. The preceding Catalogue (1850) makes no mention of a Killiney residence and similarly the succeeding Catalogue (1855) does not refer to a residence in Killiney. It would appear that Druid Lodge was given up by the Society because the Archbishop opposed the construction of a church (CM/KILL/1). The second residence in Killiney was Killiney Castle (1873-1879), the papers of which are represented in this collection.

The papers of Killiney Castle, Dublin deal with the purchase of Killiney Castle by the Society of Jesus, accounts, changes to the exterior and interior, the letting of the Killiney Castle and the eventually sale of Killiney Castle by the Society of Jesus.

'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)

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

Fr Michael Bergin SJ

Catalogue online late 2022.

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

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).

Loyola House, Dromore, County Down

In 1883, the Jesuits (Society of Jesus) purchased from Edward and James Quinn, Dromore house and estate in County Down. It had been the former palace of the Church of Ireland bishop of Dromore. The Jesuits renamed it Loyola House, and ran it as a novitiate house (house of first formation for Jesuits). The decision to move to Dromore from Milltown Park, Dublin was twofold. Firstly, Jesuits from University College at Temple Street had moved to Milltown Park, meaning that the building occupied by the novices was required. As a result, Milltown Park was overcrowded and deemed unsuitable as a novitiate. Secondly, Monsignor William McCartan, parish priest of Dromore made an offer of Dromore house and estate to the Jesuits. McCartan had been entrusted in the will of the late Miss Anna Magennis to oversee the establishment of a religious order in Dromore and he encouraged the Jesuits to establish a house in Dromore. In 1887, Fr Gerard Manley Hopkins SJ (1844-1889) wrote two sonnets while staying there. The novitiate house operated for four years and closed in 1888 when the Jesuits novices moved to St Stanislaus College, Tullabeg, King’s County. The Jesuits retained possession of the property until January 1918, when it was sold.

The papers of Loyola House, Dromore, Down concern its purchase (1883-1889), legal and rental matters (1883 -1917), finances (1885-1917) and accounts (1883-1887), maintenance (1890-1918) and sale (1896-1918). Includes some historical notes on Dromore. Material is in the form of letters, deeds, plans and maps.

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

Fr Denis Murphy SJ

Catalogue available 2023.

Murphy, Denis, 1833-1896, Jesuit priest and historian

Fr Michael McGrath SJ

Irish manuscripts
Material relating to the lives of saints and scholars
Material relating to the Life of St. Aloysius Gonzaga
Lecture notes and articles
Miscellaneous prose
Poetry

McGrath, Michael P, 1872-1946, Jesuit priest and Irish language scholar

Sir Charles Gavan Duffy

The papers represented in this collection are made up of, for the most part, copies of letters sent by Charles Gavan Duffy. It would appear that they were copied with the purpose of publishing them, probably in the Irish Monthly. Charles Gavan Duffy also corresponded with Fr Matthew Russell SJ, editor of the Irish Monthly, please see J27/47.

Duffy, Sir, Charles Gavan, 1816-1903, politician and journalist

Irish Jesuit Chaplains in the First World War

Thirty-two Jesuit chaplains of the Irish Province served in the First World War. They served on the battlefields of France, Belgium, Egypt and Mesopotamia. Four Jesuits were killed: Frs John Gwynn (12 October 1915), William Doyle (17 August 1917), Michael Bergin (12 October 1917) and John Fitzgibbon (18 September 1918). Two Jesuits died from illness: Frs Austin Hartigan (16 July 1916) and Edward Sydes (15 November 1918).

Approximately eleven Irish-born Jesuit chaplains of the English Province served in in the First World War. They included Frs Timothy Carey (Cork) and Walter Montagu (Cromore, Portstewart, County Derry) who both died on active service. Fr William Keary SJ (Woodford, Galway) initially joined the Irish Province but transferred to the English Province.

The majority of letters are from individual chaplains to the Irish Jesuit Provincial Fr Thomas V. Nolan SJ, (1914-1919). There are some postcards, photographs and medals. Some are rich in details (Fr Daniel Roche SJ, 43 items) others have but an obituary. Includes letters to the Irish Jesuit Provincial from Archbishop’s House, Westminster, England concerning the nomination of various Irish Jesuits as chaplains to the forces and their demobilisation, letters on wages and expenditures of chaplains and the appeal for chaplains. Six Jesuits served with the Australian army.

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

Hong Kong Mission

Many Jesuit Provinces had missions in China before 1926 when the Vicar Apostolic of Hong Kong, Fr Henry Valtorta (1883-1953), invited the Irish Jesuits to his vicariate. In October 1926, Frs George Byrne (1879-1962) and John Neary (1889-1983) left Dublin for Hong Kong, which became a Mission for the Irish Province. They were joined, in early 1927, by Fr Daniel Finn (1886-1936) from Australia and later by Frs Richard Gallagher (1887-1960), Patrick Joy (1892-1970) and Daniel MacDonald (1891-1957).

The initial work of the mission concentrated in Hong Kong, with some teaching in Canton and Macao. Their works involved: reviving the Catholic journal, ‘The Rock’; the opening of a hostel (Ricci Hall) for Chinese Catholic students at the University of Hong Kong (1929-); their involvement in the Regional Seminary, Aberdeen, Hong Kong (1931-1964), Wah Yan College, Hong Kong (1932-) and Wah Yan College, Kowloon (1952-). Some lecturing occurred in the university, in areas such as archaeology, education, engineering, and geography. In Canton, Frs Michael Saul (1884-1932) and Joseph McCullough (1892-1932) died from cholera. Hong Kong was under Japanese occupation 1941 - 1945. The Irish Jesuits organised a school for refugees from Hong Kong in Macao and the Regional Seminary was also moved to Macao. Wah Yan College was closed in 1941 and reopened in 1945. Fr Thomas Ryan’s account “Jesuits under Fire in the siege of Hong Kong 1941” deals fully with this time.

After World War Two, the Irish Jesuits established a language school, student centre and parish in Canton. They were expelled by the Communists in [1953]. Wah Yan College grew and developed and further works included the foundation of a university hostel at Kingsmead Hall, Singapore and at Xavier Hall, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. Other works of note that Irish Jesuits had a hand in establishing and running in Hong Kong include: the Hong Kong Housing Society (1938); Wah Yan Relief Association (1938); Shoeshine Boys Club (1952-1962); the Credit Union Movement (1962); Rehabilitation Centre for the Handicapped (1962); Catholic Marriage Advisory Council (1963); Road Safety Association for Schools (1964); Industrial Relations Institute (1968); Chinese Opera in English (1960s); Fisherman’s Children School (1960s) and Welfare for Police in the Training School. In 1966, Hong Kong became a Jesuit Vice-Province and in 1985, the Province of Macau-Hong Kong was established. Today, Hong Kong is a unit within the Chinese Jesuit Province.

Over a hundred Irish Jesuits have served in Hong Kong, China, Malaysia and Singapore - 30 of whom are buried in St. Michael’s Cemetery in Hong Kong and two in mainland China.

Irish Jesuit Mission to Hong Kong, 1926-1966

Fr Martin Hanley SJ

Information of the Novices and obituaries for Fr Martin Hanley SJ.

Hanley, Martin, 1885-1921, Jesuit priest

Irish Jesuit Provincials’ Correspondence

Father Provincial of the Irish Province of the Society of Jesus:

Joseph Lentaigne 1860-1863
Edmund O'Reilly 1863-1870
Nicholas Walsh 1870-1877
Aloysius Sturzo 1877-1880
James Tuite 1880-1883
Thomas Browne 1883-1888
Timothy Kenny 1888-1894
Patrick Keating 1894-1900
James Murphy 12 November 1900-1905
John Conmee 11 August 1905-1909
William Delany 5 August 1909-1912
Thomas V. Nolan 22 October 1912-1922
John Fahy 22 February 1922-1931
(John Keane was Vice Provincial for [six] months while Fr. Fahy was in Rome from Sep. 1923 – [Feb.] 1924)
Laurence Kieran 2 March 1931-1941
John McMahon 8 September 1941-14 August 1947
Thomas Byrne 15 August 1947-1953
Michael O'Grady 31 July 1953-1959
Charlie O'Conor 20 July 1959-1965
Brendan Barry 5 August 1965-1968
Cecil McGarry 25 July 1968-1975
Paddy Doyle 9 March 1975-31 August 1980
Joseph Dargan 1 September 1980-1986
Philip Hartnett 31 July 1986-1992
Laurence Murphy 31 July 1992-1998
Gerry O'Hanlon 31 July 1998-2004
John Dardis 31 July 2004-2010
Tom Layden 31 July 2010-5 January 2017
Leonard Moloney 6 January 2017-

Zambian Mission

Since the formation of the Irish Province in 1860, Irish Jesuits have undertaken three main overseas missions (Australia, Hong Kong and Zambia). More than 120 Irish Jesuits have worked in Zambia. The Vice-Province of Zambia was formed in 1969 and the Province of Zambia and Malawi was established in 1992. The Irish Jesuits' work in Zambia is complemented by other Jesuit Provinces such as: Canada; Croatia; Oregon; Poland and Slovenia. The papers of the Zambian Mission chronicle the life and work of Irish Jesuits since their arrival, in what was then Northern Rhodesia, in 1946. The files of correspondence between Irish Jesuits working in Zambia and their Irish Provincials in Dublin illustrate the areas of work that they laboured in: parish work, education and development. Geographically, this took place in the southern part of the country and in the capital, Lusaka. The impact of the Irish presence is seen especially in Canisius High School and Charles Lwanga College of Education in Chikuni, the parishes in the Monze Diocese, and development projects around the diocese.

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

Fr John Hyde SJ

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

An Timire

Box 15, 2
Documents relating to An Timire and FAS (1990-2005), including letter from Fr Alan McGuckian SJ, Belfast to Irish Fr Provincial John Dardis SJ outlining the current situation with the Irish language apostolate, An Timire and FAS (3pp, 04 October 2010), finance and budgets re: and An Timire and FAS letters from Eilis Ni Tharnaigh, Editor, FAS (2005).

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