While the vast majority of peasants in the west of Ireland were nominally Catholic, they often did not practice Catholicism in the traditional way. Especially in the West where priest were few, most people did not attend mass or confession regularly. Until the beginning of the twentieth century, many people expressed their devotion through religious customs outside the Church.

The belief in fairies, leprechauns, pookas, and banshees was common. Pilgrimages to holy wells were frequent. Fairies were generally considered malevolent, although they sometimes performed beneficial functions. The leprechauns (little corp body) was small mischievous male spirit. A pooka was actually a farie who generally took the form of a dark horse with yellow eyes and a long wild mane. The Banshees (bean sidhe woman of the fairies) warned of approaching death with unearthly wails.

In the 1861 census, which was the first to ask about religion, 89% of the population was Catholic.

The Church became more of a presence in western Ireland in the mid to latter part of the 1800s. The relaxation of the Penal Laws enabled the Church to build new churches and establish schools. Starting in the mid to late 1800s, priests and nuns controlled the education of most of the Catholic population. The priests condemned traditional wakes, fairy believes, crossroads dancing, and other ancient practices, and encouraged devotions such as the Way of the Cross, novenas, the veneration of the Sacred Heart, parish altar societies, sodalities, confraternities, and temperance associations.

Until Catholic emancipation the predominately Catholic population paid tithes to support the clergy of the Church of Ireland (Protestant).

Many people in Ireland lived far from the parish church. A practice sprang up whereby the priest went to local villages to say mass and hear confessions. It was a day-long event with a gathering in the evening for tea, singing, story telling, music, step dancing. Called, The Stations, this practice went on at least until the 1880s and later is some areas.

The Penal Laws were established in Ireland in the late 1600s by the Protestant government in order to disenfranchise the native majority who were at least nominally Roman Catholic. There is a lot of information on the Internet about the Penal Laws which were in effect until the late 1700s. Among other things, The Mass was forbidden during the Penal days. However, Masses were held in secret in old quarries, abandoned buildings, etc. Notice the man on the left who is looking away from the Mass. He is keeping an eye out for the authorities.

AN IRISH "PATERN" AT BALLA, COUNTY MAYO — THE "LONG STATION"

THE GRAPHIC JAN 23,1875

Not dated

This picture actually represents a boycott issue. The young woman kneeling with her head bowed (who most of the congregation is looking at) was Norah Fitzmaurice. Her father had been murdered and Norah had testified in the trial. For reasons that are not explained in the accompanying article she was boycotted for her testimony. See Land Issues

Notice the parishioners are leaving while the priest is still saying the Mass.

The Illustrated London News November 26, 1881

OPENING OF THE NEW IRISH LAND COURT IN CONNAUGHT

CONSULTING THE PRIEST; A SKETCH AT CLAREMORRIS, COUNTY MAYO

The priest depicted here is clearly involved in assisting his parishioners in interpreting the actions of the new court. Notice his attire as compared to his parishioners.

June 11, 1860 Graphic

Good images of the fairies, banshees, and leprechauns seem to be hard to come by. Most of them are very corny.

BLACK IRISH by Paula R. W. Langevin '93

Leprechawn

Irish Wonders Popular Tales as told by the People by D. R. McAnally, Jr. Illustrated by H. R. Heaton, 1888

The Illustrated London News, March 19, 1853

While these may look like children, notice at least two are smoking pipes and there is a bottle, presumably of liqueur, under the foot of one of the leprechauns.

Fairie

Fairies

Irish Wonders Popular Tales as told by the People by D. R. McAnally, Jr. Illustrated by H. R. Heaton, 1888

The Friendly Banshee

The Banshee is a female spirit who sings of an impending death "giving notice to the family she attends that one of its members is soon to be called to the spirit world".

" "The Banshee is really a disembodied soul, that of one who, in life, was strongly attached to the family, or who had good reason to hate all its members. Thus in different instances, the Banshee's song may be inspired by different motives. When the Banshee loves those whom she calls, the song is a low, soft chant, giving notice, indeed, of the close proximity of the angel of death, but with tenderness of tone that reassures the one destined to die and comforts the survivors; rather a welcome than a warning......."

Tradition was that the banshee only sang for certain ancient Irish families and not all the Irish can hear the Banshee.

"The MacCarthys, Magraths, O'Neils, O'Reily, O'S ullivans, O'Readons, O'Flahertys, and almost all other old families of Ireland have Banshees, though many representatives of these names are in abject poverty"

The "friendly Banshee" is young and beautiful with long flowing hair.

"The Hateful Banchee" is someone who was grievously wronged in life and in deaths seeks revenge on the wrong doer. She emits shrill cries and wails. She is an old hag with "angry, distorted features; maledictions are written in every line of her wrinkled face, and her outstretched arms call down curses on the doomed member of the hated race." The Banshee does not follow Irishmen to a foreign country. But she will notify the folks who remain in Ireland of the death of their loved one across the seas.

Irish Wonders Popular Tales as told by the People by D. R. McAnally, Jr. Illustrated by H. R. Heaton, 1888

The Pooka is a shape shifter described in Irish Wonders as a wild black horse with "eyes of fire, breathing blue flames with a smell of sulfur".

The pooka likes to roam at night causing mischief. If a human manages to get on the pooka's back it will take him (or her) for a wild ride. The only man who was able to ride the Pooka was the High King of Ireland, Brian Boru.

Irish Wonders Popular Tales as told by the People by D. R. McAnally, Jr. Illustrated by H. R. Heaton, 1888

There was a holy well in Mochara in Shrule near where the Langan/Byrnes lived.

HOLY WELL - Pinted by F Goodall, February 1847 (based on the death of the artist William Collins, RA, at age 59 reported on the reverse side of the image) publication unknown.

UN SORCIER IRLANDAIS, apres le croquis d'un voyaguer [AN IRISH SORCIER, after the sketch of a voyaguer] — L'UNIVERS ILLUSTRE

Not dated

"Half-christened Irish

"In some corners of Connaught, the people leave the right arms of their infants male unchristened (as the terme it) to the end that at any time afterwards, they might give a more deadly and ungracious blow when they strike; which things doe not only show how palpably they are carried away by traditious obscurities, but do also intimate how full their hearts be of inveterate revenge. Ibid"

'Southey's Commonplace Book', published 1851. The Ibid refers to Southey's source for the piece,'A Prospect of the most famous Parts of the World', 1646.

Kindly sent by John Doherty, May 2010

Most of the information in this section is taken from an article in The Bridge circa 1970 written by Timothy Gunnigan from the manuscript notes of the late Monsignor Gunnigan P. P. Ballinrobe and sent to me by John Doherty in October 2005.

A mission was led by two Italian priests, Father Rinolfi and Father Vilas, who preached in the Ballinrobe area from July 2 to July 16 1854.

Father Rinolfi gave missions all over the west of Ireland until 1857. He was a member of the Rosminians (After Father Rosmini) Institute of Charity which was founded 1830ish. They were a group of Italian priests who studied at the Irish College in Rome, learned English, and were joined by some Irish and Englishmen priests, notably Fathers Furlong and Hutton. Their mission in Ireland was to bring religion to the peasant who was at least nominally Catholic but had either never practiced Catholicism or had fallen away from the church from lassitude or because they had been wooed away by the Protestant "soupers" (Protestant missionaries who gave out free soup in an effort to convert the local Catholic population).

A few days into the mission, on the night of July 6, someone broke into the parish church and stole the sacred vessels including the ciborium, which contained the Sacrament. Such a sacrilege was horrifying to the local Catholic population.

In response Fr. Rinolfi preached a sermon on the Magdalen finding the empty tomb of Christ. After the address of Fr. Rinolfi, the Rev. Fr. Hardiman (the parish priest) addressed the crowd in Irish.

On the following Sunday

"they commenced the solemn devotion of the Forty Hours and they celebrated in the grandest possible manner. 15,000 people took part in the procession. They came from far and near to make public reparation to J. Christ on the vary spot where His Divine Majesty had been so sacrilegiously insulted a few days before."

A collection was made to enable the afflicted to replace the sacred vessels and to restore the beauty of God's house; and the people contributed on the spot the handsome sum of £ 60."

Fr. Rinolfi preached in the open from a platform and after him Fr. Hardiman in Irish; for hundreds of people understood Irish and some indeed nothing but Irish."

One day Archbishop John MacHale of Tuam confirmed over 1,000 postulates, addressing them in both English and Irish.

The next day he confirmed another 500.

On Sunday the 16th the mission ended with a procession of the Blessed Sacrament from the church to the new convent in Ballinrobe with 12,000 to 13,000 in attendance.

Questions: I find the size of the crowds more than impressive; in fact quite unbelievable. Where did they come from? The population of Ballinrobe in 1841 was only 1,722 and it was the biggest town around. The total population of Mayo in 1851 was 274,499. This means that about 18% of the total population of the county attended the mission. What did they eat? Where did they sleep between July 6 and 16? July is a lean month. The potatoes are almost gone from the previous year and have not come in for the new crop. Did this huge number of people go back and forth to their homes each day? What was the sanitation situation? How could the speakers make themselves heard to a crowd of that size? In 1880 the town of Ballinrobe was "completely overrun" when 1,000 soldiers, newsmen and others were in town for the Boycott affair. How could it have accommodated a crowd of 15,000 in 1854 even if they all slept out of doors?

Nothing is said about the second Italian priest, Father Vilas, except that he left early to open a mission in Roundstone.

On Monday after the 8 o'clock mass in the church, Fr Hardiman (the Parish priest), Fr. Moylette and a "large concourse of people" which included a band accompanied Father Rinolfi to the Neale and "some even as far a Cong'. (Perhaps people going home?) Fr. Moylette went as far as Roundstone where another 150 Catholics were "reconciled to the Church". The Archbishop showed up in Roundstone later in the week and confirmed another 300 people.

There is reference to 15 or 16 clergymen, however, only ten are named. In addition to the two Italian priests, Archbishop MacHale, Fr Hardiman and Fr. Moylette there were: Fr Coyne of Tuam, Fathers Gibbons, King and Moore of Connemara, and Fr. Mc Manus (no place given)

Archbishop John Mac Hale

John MacHale was born in 1791 in Tubbernavine Co. Mayo and died in Tuam in 1881.

He entered the Irish seminary at Maynooth at age 16. He was ordained at the age of 24.

He was made the Archbishop of Tuam in 1834.

Although he purported to be for education for the Irish Catholic peasant child he wanted it on his own terms and rejected the National Schools as an option because he regarded it as and agent of Anglicization. He found his own schools with boys being taught by brothers and monks and girls being taught by nuns. Since money was limited this did not provide the best educational opportunities for the Irish peasant.

MacHale translated the Iliad into Irish.

See John MacHale

Obituary of Archbishop Mac Hale of Tuam November 12, 1881 The Illustrated London News

"The Most Rev. John MacHale, D.D. Roman Catholic Archbishop of Tuam, died at St Jarlath's on the 7th inst,. In his ninetieth year, the fifty-sixth year of his episcopacy and the sixty-seventh year of his priesthood. He was born at Tubbernavine, county Mayo, and, after receiving the rudiments of education at a school in Castlebar, was sent to Maynooth College, where he was ordained and became Lecturer and Professor of Dogmatic Theology. During his residence the he published, under the signature of "Hierophilus" a series of controversial letters, which gained considerable reputation. In 1826 he was nominated Coadjutor Bishop of Killala, with the title of Bishop of Moronia, in partibus infedelium; and in 1834 succeeded Dr. Kelly in the archiepiscopal See of Tuam. This distinguished prelate of a past generation, popularly known as "the Archbishop of the West" and designated by O'Connell as "the Lion of the fold of Judah" took for many years a very prominent part in Irish national politics, and was, besides, esteemed as a preacher, not only in Ireland and England but also in Italy. His sermons delivered in Rome in 1832 were translated into Italian by the Abate de Lucca, Apostolic Nucio at Vienna. A finished Irish scholar, Dr. MacHale translated into Irish a great portion of Moore's "Irish Melodies;" and Celtic scholars speak with high commendation of this effort to preserve for the Irish-speaking people the sentiment and poetic feeling of the original. In 1861 he produced a volume comprising six books of the Iliad, with a corresponding Irish translation in heroic metre, and subsequently issued the Pentateuch in English and Irish translations. Of late years, Bishop M'Evilly, elected Coadjutor with right of succession, relieved his Grace of the onerous duties of his high office."

Father Conway was the "minister" to both Ballinrobe and Partry for a number of years. He was responsible, after long negotiations with a local landlord, Colonel Knox, in obtaining permission to build St. Mary's Catholic church on Main Street in Ballinrobe. Construction of the church stated in 1853.

Peter Conway was born c. 1814, place unknown but most likely near Westport or Ballinrobe. He went to Maynooth College in 1835 and was ordained in 1841. During the famine years he was in Partry where he became friendly with George Henry Moore who was a local landlord and lived at Moorehall. Conway and Moore built a monastery at Tourmakeady.

Father Peter Conway came to Ballinrobe as a curate in 1847 when he was 28 years old. He had already overseen the building of three churches at: Partry (where he was from 1843-1847), Ballinfad and Carna (He had been curate at Roundstone in Connamarra).

Less than a year after his arrival in Ballinrobe he negotiated the lease of the land for the site of the present St Mary's church .

Conway was a committed church builder who later built churches in Claran and Headford. All the churches he built were dedicated to St Mary.

When Conway set about to build the church in Ballinrobe there was already a church on Partry road that dated from 1828 to 1848. Why was a new church necessary in Ballinrobe? Some have suggested that Conway though the Catholic Church should be in the center of town for greater physiological impact. One wonders why something was not done with another church structure that already existed, namely to rebuild the old Augustine Chapel on Abbey Street.

The fact that he built a church in every parish he was connected to regardless of need seems a little obsessive. With indications of his concern for education, why did he not turn his energies to schools instead of churches?

The records for the parish start with the with the arrival of Father Conway. The records appear to have been poorly kept in the first few years. There is a four-year break in the records from 1856 and 1860.

Father Conway made several notations in the margins and end pages of the parish record between 1848 and 1854. Among the notations in the parish register is a list of famine victims. The one page entry is very hard to read and the left margin, which includes the names of the townlands, is torn so only the end of the names of the two hamlets can be read. The entry reads,

Registry , a list of those who
died since the famine
started in Ballinrobe
taken by me at me the
stations of confession 1848.

--loimermine Village
Bridget Flanely
W. MacCia
Patt Conwey
James Conduday
Mary Conduday
James Walsh
Bridget Walsh
David Walsh
Wm Henely
Catherine Henely
Catherine Hession

--ern and Thane (?) Park
James Walsh
Mary Walsh
Thomas Walsh, junior
Bridget Nally
William Meghan
Mary Meghan
John Murphy
Patt (cant read)
Thomas Do (this stands for ditto)
Cath Mac Hugh, poor
James Horan
Mary Gibbons
Teachy Malloy
Margaret Do
Owen Sweeney
Mary Do
James Henley
Margaret Do."

Another notation in the records was entered in 1849. It reads

"Left home for England and France today, the 4th of October 1849 not having settled my accounts the (can't read) Morris being in my debt"

An entry in 1850 reads,

"The Rev. W Hardiman entered Ballinrobe Sunday the 13th of October the feast of the dedication of the Church of Ireland 1850".

An entry in 1854 signed Conway reads,

"Regreted (sic) very much being under the harmful of necessity of disobeying the orders of the Revd Hardiman who directed me a few day since not to baptize unle--- the font I could not do so in the present instance as had no key- no candle- no basin-sent a messenger over the town for the girl who keeps the key of the sacristy font. Conway

The Bridge article puts forth the idea that Father Conway was a great friend of Archbishop John McHale and that the idea of building the new churches was most likely McHale's. Rumor had it that in parishes where McHale could not control the parish priest he sent in young curates to push his own agenda.

Conway was concerned with uplifting Catholics socially and in giving them self-confidence. There are indications that he regarded himself as the people's social leader. He liked the idea of being on an equal footing with the Protestants and sought to emulate their life styles. Among other things Father Conway had his own monogrammed silver. He maintained his own residence, as did Father Hardiman, the parish priest.

Father Conway considered himself a political activist. Among other things, he wrote letters to local papers protesting the treatment of tenants who were evicted by Lord Lucan.

The foundation stone for St. Mary's Catholic Church in Ballinrobe was laid by Archbishop John Mc Hale in May 1849 in the middle of the worst years of the famine. Was this perhaps an effort to give employment to the local population?

"a reference in 1849 says that £ 25 a week in all was paid to workmen at the church and favorable comparison is made with the money available on the famine relief work"

Clearly the community was not up to such a project when there were so many hardships facing the local population due to the famine and its after effects.

The actual building of the church took 15 years. There are indications that there were several changes in plans: "The present church is built partly on the lands obtained by the 1848 lease and partly on the land not obtained until 1853".

The church was dedicated on Pentecost Sunday 24th May 1863.

Father Conway had left the parish five years before and gone to be the parish priest in Headford where he proceeded to build a parish church which was dedicated in June 1863 just a short while after the Ballinrobe church.

The Ballinrobe church as dedicated in 1863 did not contain the transepts and the spire and was smaller than the current size.

The stone of the older part of the church is smooth and the additions are rough cut.

Much of the above information was taken from an article written by James Kierans in The Bridge, circa 1977. Copies of pages 1 through 47 were emailed to me by John Doherty in October 2005.

Peter Conway's Accusations against the Ballinrobe Workhouse, 1849 January 24, 1849

While curate in Ballinrobe Peter Conway swore several charges of murder and misconduct against Mr. Murphy, the master of the Ballinrobe workhouse.

One case was of a seven year old pauper child who was "seized suddenly, on the 31 of May last, with bronchitis and was taken to hospital, and died same night". In his defense Murphy "met this imputation in the most practical and unanswerable manner- he produced the murdered boy in question "in rude health'".

Next Conway took up the case of Martin Casey. Casey had spent a few days in the workhouse and then apparently tired to escape with a new shirt that belonged to the Poor Union. His attempt to scale the walls of the workhouse was thwarted by some fellow inmates and he was put in the refractory cell, which he called the black hole. He then claimed that someone threw a rock in the widow and hit him on the head. Casey somehow made his getaway from the workhouse and found Patrick Conway. Conway led

"an infuriated mob against the workhouse, are-in-arm with one Martin Casey, a pauper, who was covered with blood, said to be welling from wounds inflicted on him in the cells of the Ballinrobe workhouse from which he had just escaped.

The military were turned out, the riot quelled; Martin Casey caught and examined by a medical man"

Dempster concluded that Casey was lying because among other things there was no way a rock could have been thrown into the refractory window and stated further

"I saw that there was no blood on the shirt collar of Casey, not any on his coat when he was brought into my office; and being suspicious of the case altogether I thought he was not injured at all, and having heard him say it was in the black-hole he got the blow from the stone confirmed me that I was correct. I had his head examined in presence of Mr. Maytyn, by a medical officer of the army who came into my office, who washed of the blood, and there was not even an abrasion of the skin-no wound- nor cut or mark even- the man's face had been smeared with blood for effect before the mob."

The English press stated that Conway made this accusations in opposition to the New Poor Law whose agent, Murphy, did his duty

"so firmly, so intelligently, so honestly and so humanely that he secured to himself the enmity of all who were oppose to the success of the New Poor Law, and amongst them, the Rev. P. Conway"

If the events reported in the English press are correct, why did Conway take on these cases? The situation with Casey is almost farcical. Was Conway duped? Did he take on other cases that had actual merit and only these (which could be easily ridiculed) received press coverage? How bad was the Ballinrobe workhouse? Was this an attempt to reform the workhouse? Was this a personal vendetta against Murphy?

Information from Palmer's Full Text Online sent to me courtesy of John Dohery, January 2006.

Disruption of the Mass by Military Officers and Conway's Response, October 5, 1852

While still the Curate of Ballinrobe, Peter Conway had a confrontation in church and later in the press with officers from the local military barracks.

Some of the servicemen stationed in Ballinrobe were Roman Catholic. When they attended mass they were accompanied by a superior officer who was not Roman Catholic. There were several instances when officers rounded up their troops in the middle of mass and made them leave the church causing disruption to the service.

Conway viewed this as harassment.

However, part of the issue appears to have been that Conway sometimes spoke in Irish which the English officers did not understand. The officers suspected that Conway may have been using Irish to expound on issues of a political nature (Priests were not allowed to preach politics from the pulpit.).

Conway wrote a letter to the Tuam Herald complaining of the situation and stating that in the future some restrictions would be placed on the officer who accompanied the men to mass. Some posturing occurred on both sides and then the matter appears to have settled down.

As part of testimony taken from one of the officers in The Calvary Barracks the following statement was made,

(Mr. Conway) announced to the congregation that if there should be any dying calls during the ensuing week from the poor house or the town, the people should call early in the day, as he would be among the country portion of the flock getting their offerings"

Information from Palmer's Full Text Online sent to me courtesy of John Dohery, January 2006.

Trial of Father Peter Conway on five counts connected with the parliamentary elections of 1757, 22 February 1858

In the 1857 Parliamentary election in Mayo there were three candidates for two positions: Colonel Higgins of Glencorrib, George Henry Moore of Ballinrobe and Captain Palmer.

Moore was already a member of the parliament and was the most popular candidate with the people.

Higgins had also already served in parliament. However, both clergy and laity of Mayo accused him of betraying his pledge to the people.

Captain Palmer was new to politics and although his father had a bad reputation during the famine he was not unpopular.

Moore and Palmer won.

Higgins lodged an objection based on intimidation and interference from the clergy. A parliamentary committee found in favor of Higgins.

George Moore was forced to give up his seat. It took eleven years before Moore could regain his seat. This was a severe blow to the peasants of County Mayo.

Peter Conway was one of the clergy accused of intimidating his flock. He was accused on five counts of events relating to the election :

1. Intimidating his parishioners in the chapel by bringing a curse from God on those who would vote for Colonel Higgins
2. Inciting the crowd to riot
3. Abduction of voters
4. Assault on Colonel Higgins where Conway was among the assailants
5. Intimidation of Mister Burke of Ower

Testimony on three of the charges was covered in the article.

1. Intimidation of voters

   On Palm Sunday 1857 Conway told the congregation that it was necessary to keep the peace and be "careful" of Captain Higgins (who was then high Sheriff) as the keeper of the law. He then referred to the fact that some Roman Catholic landlords kept their Catholic tenants from mass that day. This was a serious matter and he hoped the curse of God did not fall on them for "acting so". He spoke of "voters who were locked up like slaves and prevented from attending mass". The discrepancy was, did he state that he hoped "the curse of God would not fall upon the men who kept the people away from mass" or that he hoped that the curse of God would fall on those who voted for Colonel Higgins.

2. Inciting to Riot

   After the service Conway spoke to the crowds in a lane where he begged them not to break the peace because to so would only strengthen "the hands of the enemy". Witnesses said that Conway told the crowd that they could show their displeasure by shouting but advised them not to throw stones or "commit a breach of the peace". Conway apparently spoke in English and Irish.

3. Assault on Colonel Higgins

   A mob met Colonel Higgins carriage near Cong. Witnesses for Conway testified that he said "Stop, be easy boys" and "Boys be quite and peaceable". Witnesses against stated that he said "At them, boys".

No real mentions was made in the article about the abduction of voters. It sounds like the landlords who would not permit their tenants from going to mass were more the abductors than Conway.

Mr. Burke is mentioned several times but there is not enough real information to determine what the story was in connection to the intimidation of Mr. Burke. It sound like Burke pointed a pistol at Conway not the other way round.

By the time the case came to trial "A comparatively thin attendance" showed that the "interest in the result of this famous case" was dying out.

There was much conflict of testimony and in the end the jury could not agree on anything as so were dismissed.

Information from Palmer's Full Text Online sent to me courtesy of John Dohery, January 2006.

Peter Conway, Parish Priest Headford, Co. Galway

Headford is located south of Shrule between Ballinrobe and Galway city.

The following information on Peter Conway is from Headford, County Galway 1775-1901, by Gerardine Candon (2003).

By 1861 (when he applied to the Commission of Education for aid to build a local school) Fr. Conway was the parish priest in Headford, County Galway.

A new Catholic church was build in Headford on land donated by the St George family (the leading landlords in the area) The foundation stone was lain on June 7, 1863. There was an imposing opening ceremony attended by Archbishop McHale and other dignitaries and crowds of people from, Taum, Galway town and Ballinrobe. Mc Hale spoke in Irish. "A sumptuous dinner was laid on for Fr Conway's guests."

"The role of hero is reserved for Fr Conway. His journey to America to raise money for the church turns out to be his opportunity to save his fellow passengers lives from mortal danger"

"[He]....is well known to be an active, zealous, and benevolent man. His charity is unbounded, but his best friends are of the opinion that his zeal sometimes outruns his discretion. His strong feeling and fervid imagination have led him to make statements as t the extent of distress in Headford, which he undoubtedly believes to be accurate, but which persons equally well informed and equally truthful regard as exaggerated. (Henry Coulter)"

On October 23 1865 Peter Conway who was then the parish priest at Claran, Headford wrote his last will and testament. I find it a very interesting document for a number of reasons not the least to which is the disparity between his "effects" and those of his parishioners.

The bulk of his estate were left to the Arch-bishop, John Mc Hale of Tuam and his nephew, the Reverent Thomas Mc Hale, D. D., Irish College, Paris for the purpose of building a convent school in Headford "to educate the poor children".

The "effects" to be left for the building of the convent were: a house in Claran, furniture, crops, fifty-one sheep, six head of cattle, one horse, and three young horses, three pigs, a house in Ballinrobe (with an income of £10 per annum) a house in Partry Ballinrobe (with an income of £5 per annum).

Out of this estate the nuns were to take £50 for a memorial to

"commemorate the life and reign of one of the greatest of priests, and the most zealous and humble of Bishops, namely John McHale, which monument is to be erected on the ground of the Ballinrobe church".

He left his silver plate to Richard St George of Headford Castle who he respected and esteemed dearly. In the event that St George did not want the silver plate he had the option of taking two of the young horses. In which case the plate would be given to Conway's sister, Mrs. Regan of Ballinrobe and the third young horse was to be given to the Arch Bishop of Tuam for his personal use.

Mrs. Regan may have sincerely hoped that St George did not take the silver plate option as otherwise she got nothing but prayers and blessings as Conway designated:

"To all my brothers and sisters, and other relatives, I leave my blessing and pray they may work out their salvation and an honest industrious livelihood by the sweat of their brows with perseverance, energy, and industry, never forgetting their duties to God, and their oppressed country, namely Ireland."

Peter Conway died June 22, 1872 age 58 of an illness he may have contracted while visiting the sick.

Some Thoughts and Questions

While he was called an activist priest, from today's vantage point is very hard to understand some of his actions.

When so many were dying of hunger and suffering from extreme poverty, why was one of his major aims to keep building churches? Ballinrobe already had a church when he arrived and proposed building another.

While so many Roman Catholic children were illiterate with little or no chance of social advancement, he would rather see them remain so than be taught by Protestant Mission Schools and/or the National Schools, because the Catholic Church could not support their own schools.

When tenants were evicted by Lord Lucan at least 80 families went to Conway seeking aid in finding shelter. He told them to return to their houses and "endeavour to shelter themselves and bear patiently with their cruel treatment".

While he did leave money in his will for a school for the "poor children" what was the purpose of giving watches, horses, and silverplate to those who certainly did not need it?

Along the same lines, if Mc Hale was indeed a man worthy to be remembered by his deeds might the £50 been better spent on the education of the "poor children" that on a piece of stone?

The poor labour and other servants who most likely could have used some cash, got only used clothes and blessings.

His siblings, who may have made their own sacrifices so that Peter could go to school to become a priest, were told to work out their salvation by the sweat of their brow.

Even more to the point, what was a curate (the assistant to the parish priest) in a desperately poor part of the world doing with silverplate? How did he come by the money for three houses and a gentleman's allotment of livestock?

The will of Peter Conway was in The Bridge, December 1772. A copy of which were emailed to me by John Doherty in December 2005. The thoughts are mine.

At the Ballinrobe fair in 1801 calves sold for £3 to £7 pounds, milk cows for £10 to £15 and sheep for £3. Assuming prices were more of less the same in Conway's day he had at least £211 in sheep and cows. On the other hand a man's average wages were eight pence a day.

St Mary's Church, Ballinrobe, The Church Dedication Banquet

The Bridge same issue (Editor)

Extracted from the Taum Herald, Saturday 30 May 1863

Mass was celebrated in the morning and Archbishop Mc Hale gave an hour long sermon.

In the evening there was a banquet at Valkenburg's Hotel attended by Archbishop Mc Hale, (the Archbishop of Tuam), Rev. Durcan (the Bishop of Achonry), the Rev. Thomas Hardimann (the Ballinrobe parish priest) the Rev. P Conway (parish priest of Headford and former curate of Ballinrobe who instigated the building of the church), the Rev James Mc Gee (no place given), Rev. P Lavalle (parish priest of Partry), Rev. James O'Rourke (parish priest Ross), Rev. D Leyden (parish curate, Mr. Geoffrey Martyn J. P (the only lay person mentioned. He gave £10 in 1849 and another £10 in 1859). There were numerous toasts throughout the evening:

1. To the Pope, Pius IX
2. To Archbishop McHale

   In reply McHale called for the restoration of the unity of priests and people saying,

   "We are suffering from the mis-government of the country, and the apathy of its people, rather than from the sterility of its soil."

   He finished by congratulating the member of the parish on their new church,

   "wherein they would henceforth have the consolation of worshipping God; and whenever threatened with the anger of the Almighty, whey could, by offering up the all atoning sacrifice of The Mass, and by imploring His pity and protection avert the stroke of his wrath from their heads. Like the electric rods, that tender the lightning harmless, these temples will be the safe conductors that will carry away the anger of God and the vengeance of heaven"

   There was, in response, loud and prolonged cheering.
3. To Bishop of Achonry
4. Rev. James McGee (who celebrated the dedication Mass)
5. To the people "no tongue could propose the speedy mitigation of their sufferings"
6. Rev. P Lavalle (the parish priest at Partry) who also toasted the people "They should want no mitigation of their sufferings and wrongs-they should insist upon their freedom and their independence.....We are slaves but we want to be free, and we will be free" This was greeted with prolonged cheering.
7. By the Archbishop to Rev Hardiman (the parish priest of Ballinrobe)
8. By the Rev. James O'Rourke (parish priest Ross)
9. By Rev. Hardiman to Rev Conway. Rev. Conway made a speech
10. By Mr. Geoffrey Martyn J. P. to the people (the only lay person mentioned)
11. The steward of the banquet was toasted as were several others
12. The Rev. D Leyden (parish curate) was also asked to speak

There is a list of subscribers from both 1849 and 1859. Only one "Walshe" Thomas contributed, £ 1 in 1859. James "Faghragher" contributed £ 1 in 1859, but no "Farraghers". There were contributions from William Burke, Abby Street, £ 2, Richard Burke £ 1, and Mrs Joan Burke £ 1.10 all in 1859. There were no contributions from any of the other Walsh/Langan related names: no other Walshes, no Feeney, no Feerick, no Flanagan, no Goggin, no Keaffe, no Hughs, no Lagan, no Lardner (who were stone masons who worked on the church), no Malley, (one O'Malley the Rev. James C.C. 1849), no Mea (Meah, or May), no Murphy, no Meehand, and no Morahan

Officially called the Roman Catholic College of St Patrick, Maynooth College was founded in 1795 as the penal code was relaxing in Ireland. It is located about 12 miles outside Dublin. It's main purpose was the education of Roman Catholic priests who previously had to go to the continent for training. The school accepted only students studying for the priesthood until the 1960s. Most of the priests who served in Ballinrobe and West Mayo trained at Maynooth.

Father Hardiman succeeded Father Conway by at least 1863 and by Father Dean Ronayne date unknown. Father Hardiman is credited with bring the Mercy Order of Nuns to Ballinrobe in 1851 and Father Dean Ronayne is credited with bring the Christian Brothers to Ballinrobe in 1876.