Religion and Folklore in Ireland |
WALSH/LANGAN INTRODUCTION - HOME |
Religion 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 faire 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.
Secret Masses During the Penal Days
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Postcard collection of Maggie Land Blanck 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. So I will not go into detail about that aspect of Irish history. Among other things, 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. | |
Mass on the mountain in penal days (Christmas Morning) | |
Print collection of Maggie Land Blanck
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Patterns and/or Stations
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Print collection of Maggie Land Blanck AN IRISH "PATERN" AT BALLA, COUNTY MAYO — THE "LONG STATION" THE GRAPHIC JAN 23,1875 A pattern (patern) was a religious festival held near some holy place (mountain, well, or lake) in honor of a local patron saint. The name pattern apparently comes from "patron". In 1812 a pattern of about 20,000 persons to Crough Patrick was described as follows: The great season is about the latter end of September. At that time there are seen for several days, the great roads leading to it, crowded: day and night they proceed, with anxious looks and hasty steps. There is at this time a pattern, or sort of fair, held at its foot, chiefly for food and drink; at which, after the performance, the pilgrims indulge in every excess and debauchery.In 1835 the Dublin Penny Press described a pattern tas follows: THE PATTERN OF THE LOUGH. "Old times are changed, eld manners gone." - Scott. "The patthern," as it is pronounced by the peasantry, is the remnant of an ancient and religious custom which is now very much on the decline, or nearly extinct. At least, it is so changed and deformed from its original design, as scarcely to retain any marks of what it once was intended for. In the early ages of Christianity in Ireland, it signified a festival or holiday, instituted in honor of the patron saint of the parish or district, and hence called a pattern or patron saint's day. Formerly the people assembled at sun-rise, at a certain place, and performed certain kind of prayers, called stations, which occupied some time, and consisted of certain forms of prayer, recited on the knees, and in companies - one person giving out, and all the rest responding; and this is repeated at several places, fourteen being the usual number. The pattern was usually held in the vicinity of a holy well, near a chapel, on a hill side, where grew a lonely tree, or such other place, consecrated by custom from times long past uway: but now the good intention and the prayers are all forgotten and "divarshin and dhrinkin" are the only ostensible motives for which old and young assemble. Tents are pitched around the scite, as in a fair, for the sale of whiskey, and all the pipers and fiddlers, for miles around, are collected and courting, dancing, drinking, and fighting prevail until the close of the day. This custom, I have said, is on the decline through Ireland; and, during a few years back, several patterns, in different places, have ceased altogether.William Makepeace Thackery wrote about the pattern to Croagh Patrick, a holy mountain in Mayo, in 1833. He did not climb the mountain himself but a friend described the event to him. The first station was a heap of stones around which each pilgrim walked seven times while praying and "casting a stone on the heap each time". The second station at the top of the mountain was an altar shaped from a heap of rocks. The pilgrims arrived at this station on their knees. Surrounding the area were venders selling: "great coarse damp-looking bannocks of bread" pigs feet, confectionaries, ginger beer, tea, and legs of mutton. In A Journey Throughout Ireland, During the Spring, Summer, and Autumn of 1834 Henry David Inglis described the event thus:
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Going to Mass
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Print collection of Maggie Land Blanck Not dated | |
The Priests The priests were frequently from the farming or merchant classes. It was a distinction to have a priest in the family. Many families made sacrifices so their son could get the necessary schooling and clothing to enter the ecclesiastical college. The priest was the best educated person with whom most peasant Irish had any real contact. Many of his parishioners sought the priest's advise on legal and other matters. Several priest in the Ballinrobe area were politically active in the 1880s. See Peter Conway and John O'Malley below.
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Magazine collection of Maggie Land Blanck, 2012, Bay View Magazine, April 1901 A Wayward Daughter Brought to the Priest |
The Graphic 1880, collection of Maggie Land Blanck | |
The Graphic May 19, 1888, collection of Maggie Land Blanck
This picture actually represents a boycott issue in County Kerry. The young woman kneeling with her head bowed (who most of the congregation is looking at) was Norah Fitzmaurice. Her father had been been boycotted because he had agreed to pay a reduced rent on a farm from which his brother had been evicted. Fitzmaurice had been protected by a police escort. Having sent the escort away he was traveling with his daughter, Norah, when they were approached by two men who shot Fitzmaurice dead. The sole witness was Norah who testified against the men at the trial. She was subsequently intimidated and boycotted. See Land Issues Notice the parishioners are leaving while the priest is still saying the Mass. It would seem that the boycotting was more important then attending mass.
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Print collection of Maggie Land Blanck 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 in the top hat is clearly involved in assisting his parishioners in interpreting the actions of the new court. Notice his attire as compared to his parishioners. | |
Print collection of Maggie Land Blanck June 11, 1860 Graphic | |
St. Patrick, St Bridget and St. Columba
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St Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland.
Ledgend says that St Patrick was seized by pirates as a young boy. He was sold into slavery to
an Irish chieftain.
He escaped and returned to the mainland were he became a bishop. Eventually he returned to Ireland
and converted the Irish to Christianity. It is said that Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland.
His feast day in March 17.
St. Patrick Other important saints in Ireland are St. Bridget and St. Columba. Bridget may be a Christianization of a Irish pagan goddess.
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Collection of Maggie Land Blanck | |
Alternative Believes Quality images of fairies, banshees, and leprechauns are hard to come by. Most of them are very corny and trite. | |
A leprechaun of Ireland, with his pot of gold. | |
Postcard collection of Maggie Land Blanck | |
Print collection of Maggie Land Blanck BLACK IRISH by Paula R. W. Langevin '93
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Collection of Maggie Land Blanck
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Collection of Maggie Land Blanck Leprechaun Irish Wonders Popular Tales as told by the People by D. R. McAnally, Jr. Illustrated by H. R. Heaton, 1888
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Print collection of Maggie Land Blanck 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. | |
Print collection of Maggie Land Blanck Faire
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In the public domain, 2012
The Fairy's Funeral by John Anster Fitzgerald Fitzgerald was born in England in in 1819 of Irish ancestry. | |
Collection of Maggie Land Blanck Fairies Irish Wonders Popular Tales as told by the People by D. R. McAnally, Jr. Illustrated by H. R. Heaton, 1888
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Collection of Maggie Land Blanck 1923/5 Print, Sir William Orpen (1878-1931), Fairy Ring
Fairy lore in Ireland is manifold. Fairies were said to love music, singing, dancing and general frolicking. Humans were strongly discouraged from building over a fairly circle, spying on fairies when the combed their hair, and eating fairly food. | |
Collection of Maggie Land Blanck
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'Sullivans, 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 Banshee usually sings alone. The honor of being warned by more than one Banshee is very great and very rare. The "friendly Banshee" is young and beautiful with long flowing hair. | |
Collection of Maggie Land Blanck
"The Hateful Banshee" 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)
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In the public domain, 2012
THE WAKE by John Anster Fitzgerald
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Collection of Maggie Land Blanck
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)
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The Western Highlands, Connemara- Pilgrims to the Holy Well, Galway.
There was a holy well in Mochara in Shrule near where the Langan/Byrnes lived. |
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Print collection of Maggie Land Blanck
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Collection of Maggie Land Blanck
HOLY WELL - Printed 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. | |
Print collection of
Maggie Land Blanck, The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, October 18, 1879
THE HOLY WELL GOUCANE BARRA Goucane Barra Holy Well is located in County Cork. St. Finbarr's Catholic Oratory Church, Gougane Barra, Co. Cork | |
Collection of Maggie Land Blanck, 2012, The Wonderful Britain 1928
HOLY WELLS IN IRELAND VISITED BY THE FAITHFUL Glencolumbkille is in Co. Donegal, on the peninsula formed by Donegal Bay and Loughros Beg Bay, and on the road from Killbegs. It is a scattered village in a valley. Here there are various memorials to St. Colomb, among them a well, which is almost hidden by a great pile of stones, each stone brought hither by one of the "faithful". |
Collection of Maggie Land Blanck, 2012, The Wonderful Britain 1928
HOLY WELLS IN IRELAND VISITED BY THE FAITHFUL The well of the Wethers Well at Ardfert, Co. Kerry, on the railway from Listowel to Traleee. The well is decorated with votive offerings. |
Print collection of Maggie Land Blanck 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 |
Superstitions The idea that supernatural powers were ever present to do good or to do harm was a very real concept to the Irish peasant. Among these believes was the notion that the fairies were prone to kidnapping male children. In an effort to fool the fairies boys were often dresses in petticoats. See Children on the People page
St John's Bon Fires The feast of St John, June 23, occurs at the summer solstice. On St. John's Eve, many people in rural Ireland made bonfires in accordance with ancient customs. There was frequently singing and dancing. Coals from the fires were carried around the boundaries of gardens, to ward off evil. People jumped through the bon fire for good luck and the cattle were let through the dying embers for the same purpose. Thomas Flanagan in The Year of the French a book about the 1798 Irish rebellion described the ancient festival of St John's Eve. "Soon it would be Saint John's Eve. Wood for the bonfire had already been piled high upon Steeple Hill, and when the night came there would be bonfires on every hill from there to Downpatrick Head. There would be dancing and games in the open air, and young men would try their bravery leaping through the flames. There would even be young girls leaping through, for it was helpful in the search of a husband to leap through a Saint John's Eve fire, the fires of midsummer. The sun was at its highest then, and the fires spoke to it, calling it down upon the crops. It was the turning point of the year, and the air was vibrant with spirits."The Saint John's bon fire is common in other countries. We were in Oros, Brazil for a wedding on the feast of St John in 2009 and a bon fire was a featured part of the ceremony. An important aspect of that bon fire was also good luck for the crops, in this case for the corn crop. Corn was roasted in the ashes of the St John's bon fire. However, they did not know the Irish custom of jumping though the fire. They still have bon fires in the townland of Mochara in Shrule Parish near the border between Co. Mayo and Co. Galway. See Photos of Mochara |
St John's bon fire Oros Brazil, 2009 | |
Oros, Brazil June 2009 | |
The Mission of 1854 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.""15 or 16 clergymen were present everyday and some days even a larger number engaged in hearing confessions - mostly in the open air" 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 (1791-1881)
John MacHale was born in 1791 in Tubbernavine Co. Mayo and died in Tuam in 1881. | |
John Morris (1796 - 1850)
Ballinrobe Roman Catholic PP (Parish Priest) (1833 - 1850) | |
Thomas (Tom) Hardiman Ballinrobe Roman Catholic PP (Parish Priest) (served 1850 - 1875)
1851: March 1,Order of Mercy was founded at Ballinrobe. The foundation came from Westport, where there is a very flourishing convent of that Order. The Sisters, five in number, including the Mother Superioress of the Westport Convent, arrived about half-past twelve o'clock, accompanied by Rev. Thomas Hardiman, P.P., Ballinrobe; Rev. Thomas O'Dowd, and Rev. L. Rs. Although the day was most unfavourable, still the concourse of pious and enthusiastic expectants who had assembled to welcome the Sisters of Mercy was very great. The Sisters of Mercy, on their arrival in town, paid their first visit to the church, which was very neatly fitted up for the occasion. Benediction of the Most Holy Sacrament was given by the Rev. Mr. Hardiman, who afterwards made a short address to the congregation from the altar, congratulating them on the auspicious advent of the Sisters of Mercy to the town of Ballinrobe. He also, in the name of his parishioners, tendered those pious virgins a most cordial welcome, and promised them every co-operation in their glorious undertaking. Rev. James Ronayne (c 1831-) - served as Ballinrobe Parish Preist 1875 to 1903 Ballinrobe Roman Catholic PP (Parish Priest) (1850 - 1903)
1877 The Reverent James Canon Ronayne was the Parish Priest in Ballinrobe and a trustee of the deed of June 12, 1877 for the maintenance of the Christian Brothers School in Ballinrobe. (British Ruling Cases from Courts of Great Britain) James (Canon) Stephens (1842 - 1911) James Stephens was the Parish Pries in Ballinrobe from 1904 until his death in 1911.
1896: James Stephens, P.P., Crossboyne - Delegate to the Irish Race Convention Dublin Edward A. D'Alton Ballinrobe Roman Catholic parish priest of Ballinrobe from 1911 to 1941.
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Peter Conway (1814-1872) Ballinrobe Roman Catholic Curate (a member of the clergy engaged as assistant to the parish priest.)
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. |
Father John O'Malley See, Boycott
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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:
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
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Maynooth College, date unknown | |
Print collection of Maggie Land Blanck 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. | |
Interior Maynooth Chapel, date unknown | |
Print collection of Maggie Land Blanck
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Father Patrick Lavelle (1825-1886) Born Westport 1825 - Died Cong, County Mayo Nov 17, 1886. Cong Parish Priest and radical cleric who fought for the rights of the local peasants. FATHER PATRICK LAVELLE (1825-1861) - THE PATRIOT PRIEST OF PARTRY |
Courtesy of Ivor Hamrock, Castlebar Library, December 2008 -
Mayo County Library, Local History Collection
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Convent of Mercy, Ballinrobe 1854: At Ballinrobe, the same contractor, Mr. Egan, has undertaken to complete the Convent of Mercy for £2,000. The M. Rev. Dr. McHale advanced 4500 towards it. The building is already covered in and glazed. (The Metropolitan: A Monthly Magazine, Devoted to Religion ..., Volume 2 By Martin Joseph Kerney) On February 20, 1852 Miss Anne Mary Waldron entered the Convent of Mercy, Ballinrobe (Mother M. Patricia Joseph Waldron: Founder and Superior of the Philadelphia Sisters of Mercy, 1861-1916) February 15, 1907, Sister Gertrude of the Convent of Mercy in Ballinrobe died at age 91. She had come to Ballinrobe "over half a century" before when the convent was founded. December 27, 1910 Sister Alphonsus, died at the Convent of Mercy Ballinrobe at a "very advanced age". She was a niece of the "Most Rev. Dr. McHale". Sister Mary Gertrude Mulloy of the Convent of Mercy in Ballinrobe died April 16, 1910. She was the sister of two priests. The Holy Childhood Report for Ireland from January 1865 to January 1866 and January 1866 to January 1867 listed the Convent of Mercy in Ballinrobe, as well as in Tuam, Castlebar, and Westport.
Christian Brothers, Ballinrobe 1882: There is also a community of Christian Brothers, who have a school here. Their building had so much glass in front, with so many geraniums in flower, a perfect blaze of them behind the glass, that it looked like a conservatory."1883 Tuam: The great majority of children of school going age depend on National schools for their education, the girls altogether. At Tuam and Ballinrobe the Christian Brothers conduct boys' schools and there is a classical school recently opened in Claremorris; boys of the age for infants go to the Convent National schools in these towns. There are Protestant schools in Tuam, Ballinrobe, and Claremorris.1890: Then, under the inspiration of the same apostolic zeal, arose, for the Christian Brothers, the monastic schools of Tuam, Ballinrobe, and Westport.1901: Ballinrobe, Christian Brothers Schools J Valkenburg Esq, Main Street, Ballinrobe (Annual General Report of the Department, Volumes 1-2 By Ireland. Dept. of agriculture and technical instruction, 1900-1901)1902: There are various orders of Christian Brothers in the diocese; at Tuam, Westport, Ballinrobe, Letterfrack, and Castlebar. All those men are engaged in teaching. They make their living by it, and the education they give is a religious one before everything else. Is the condition of the country a credit to them and to their masters, the archbishop and his priests? There is a Presentation Convent of Nuns at Tuam. There are convents of the Sisters of Mercy at Tuam, Westport, Newport, Ballyhaunis, Ballinrobe, Castlebar, Clarcmorris, Clifden, and Rusheen, and they are all engaged in teaching, drawing endowments from the National Board, and, in many cases, from the Agricultural and Technical Instruction Department, and even from the Congested Districts Board. |
Birth, Marriage, and Death | |||
BALLINROBE | |||
JOHN WALSH | |||
MATHIAS LANGAN | |||
WALSH/LANGAN INTRODUCTION | |||
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