A file relating to army chaplains. Includes letters and memoranda relating to the non-payment of their salaries to the Hong Kong mission. Includes extracts from letters by Fr Matthias Bodkin SJ, a naval chaplain concerning news of the Irish Jesuits in Hong Kong.

Comment on a memorandum concerning 'Sheaf'.

Pamphlet entitled 'The Irish Jesuits in China'.

A file relating to an article by Fr Gerald Kennedy SJ on China. Includes the MS of the article (92pp) and censor's reports on the article - relates to Fr Kennesy's voyage to Hong Kong,and travelogue about Rotterdam, Germany, Colombo and Manila.

Booklet published by the Irish Messenger entitled 'The Irish Jesuits in China'.

Newspaper cutting reporting on a lecture delivered by FrRobert Nash SJ in support of the Irish Jesuit mission to China.

A file relating to the publication 'The Rock'. Includes financial details of the publication and letters relating to the political nature of some of the articles.

A file of correspondence between Fr Eddie Bourke SJ, Wah Yan College, Hong Kong and Bishop Valtorta concerning the issuing of an order that the Irish Jesuit Fathers are to wear a soutane in public. Fr Bourke's letters urge the Bishop to reconsider. Outlines his reasons for this request (1946). Question already arose in 1935.

Note relating to contacts for air and sea passages to Hong Kong.

Photograph of a Chinese woman holding a baby.

Photograph depicting a view of Hong Kong harbour and Kowloon.

Plan of a building belonging to the Jesuit mission in Hong Kong.

Letter from Br Philip G Sullivan SJ, Borgo S. Spirito, Rome to Irish Fr Provincial Laurence Kieran SJ concerning Mgr. Gee Piu's visit to Rome and Ireland.

Letter from Mgr. Yu Pin, Catholic Mission, Yunnanfu, China to Fr John J Coyne SJ concerning his trip to Europe and the landing of the Japanese army near Canton.

Letter from Fr John F. Hurley SJ, Superior, The Philippine Mission of the Society of Jesus PO Box 272, Manila, Philippines to Fr Cooney SJ concerning praise for the Irish Jesuits and their hospitality.

Copy of picture from the Daily Mail newspaper depicting a view overlooking Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong.

Copy of a letter from Irish Fr Provincial John R MacMahon SJ, St Francis Xavier's, Upper Gardiner Street, Dublin to Rev James E. Walsh MM, Bishop of [ ], Superior General, Catholic Foreign Mission, Society of America sympathising over the death of the Vicar General of Maryknoll.

Letter from Fr Thomas R Fitzgerald SJ, Sarahville, Corbally, Limerick to Irish Fr Provincial John R. MacMahon SJ concerning a document from the Canossian Sisters in Hong Kong that was sent to Rome in the diplomatic mail bag.

A file relating to correspondence of bequests made to Irish Fr Provincial regarding the Hong Kong and China missions.

• Perpetual burse in memory of Fr WM. Doyle SJ in the new seminary in Hong Kong (1936);
• Perpetual burse in memory of Fr Walsh SJ in Hong Kong (1936);
• Memorial burse in memory of Fr Fegan SJ in China (1936);
• List of burse money for the education of Chinese Jesuits (13 September 1940);
• Statement of accounts for quarter the Ricci Mission Unit (1 July - 30 September 1943).

File of material relating to Fr Henry O'Brien SJ, Includes passport, personal record and correspondence between Fr Henry O'Brien SJ and Fr Thomas J. Martin SJ, Mission Office, Upper Gardiner Street, Dublin, Ireland.

Extracts from a letter from Fr John O'Meara SJ, Canton to Superior (Fr Richard Harris SJ) concerning his work and life in Canton.

A file relating to Fr Francis Chan SJ and his qualifications and suitability to take a course in Education in Manresa College, Roehampton, London.

A file of letters from Rev. John Moyersoen SJ, 32 Park Street, Calcutta to Irish Fr Provincial John R. MacMahon SJ concerning the Irish Jesuits who took up positions in the Indian mission following their temporary departure from Hong Kong during the war.

A file of letters sent by the house consultors of St Ignatius House, Canton to Irish Fr Provincial.

File of correspondence between Fr William Merritt SJ (Limerick and Hong Kong) and Fr Thomas J Martin SJ, Mission Office, Dublin.

Booklets 'A report on a priest's work in a remote Chinese village' (Holy Family Chapel, Chek Keng, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong). Signed by Fr Joseph McAsey SJ.

Centre for Catholic Studies, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Signed by Fr James Hurley SJ.

Annual accounts for the Hong Kong Mission. Includes accounts for the Wah Yah Colleges in Hong Kong and Kowloon, the Language School in Cheung Chau and Kingsmead Hall Singapore and the Revisor’s report.

Plans, elevations cross-sections and brochure of the proposed new building for Wah Yah College, Kowloon.

File of correspondence between Fr Cyril J Barrett SJ and his Irish Provincials.

File of material relating to Fr Cyril J Barrett SJ. Includes passport photograph of Fr Barrett, announcement of his death and obituaries, and correspondence between Fr Barrett and Frs Thomas J. Martin and Vincent Murphy, Mission Office, Upper Gardiner Street Dublin (31 July 1957 - 11 April 1975).

File of correspondence between Fr Alan Birmingham SJ and his Irish Provincials.

File of material relating to Fr Alan Birmingham SJ. Includes photograph, announcement of his death and obituaries, letter from Rosie Birmingham, 16 Roebuck Road, Clonskeagh, Dublin to Fr O'Brien, upon Fr Birmingham's death and letters from Fr Thomas J. Martin SJ, Mission Office, Upper Gardiner Street Dublin to Fr Birmingham.

Article entitled ‘Missionary endeavour of the Irish Province of the Society of Jesus from 1915 to 1940’ which gives a history of the mission in Hong Kong and China.

Panoramic postcard containing views of the harbour at Hong Kong. Annotations on reverse by Fr John Neary SJ pointing out significant features.

Two letters written by Fr John Neary SJ to Irish Provincial John Fahy SJ relating to arrangements for his journey to Hong Kong.

File of telegrams concerning the Hong Kong mission and departure to and arrival of Jesuits in Hong Kong.

File of mission material relating to Fr Fergus Cronin SJ. Includes passport photograph and photograph on 75th birthday; announcement of death; homily; personal record; and correspondence between Fr Cronin and Frs Thomas J. Martin, Vincent Murphy and Thomas O'Brien, Mission Office, Upper Gardiner Street, Dublin.

Series of letters from Fr Richard Gallagher SJ to various family members, mainly Frank, Cecilia, Ann and Mary Gallagher. Material written from Hong Kong, the letters describe the way of life, the weather, schools and holiday greetings.

File of correspondence between Fr Charles Daly SJ and his Irish Provincials.

File of mission material relating to Fr Charles Daly SJ. Includes announcement of his death, appreciations; personal record; scriptural texts annotated by Fr Daly; and correspondence between Fr Daly and Fr Thomas J. Martin, Mission Office, Upper Gardiner Street, Dublin.

Photographic album with original and copy inserts of scenes from Hong Kong, Canton and China. The copy photographs (seem to be mass-produced and touristic) have numbers in the bottom left hand corner, with white handwritten captions, for example, 'A chair at Hong Kong', while original photographs are often described on reverse with pencil, 'The Seminarians 1926', and underneath in light pencil. The first number of photogrpahs are missing. The album appears to contain a large number of photographs of Franciscans in China and of Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America, Inc. (Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers), and some Jesuits. Includes: the consecration of Bishop Valtorta [with the] Band from the Salesian Industrial School, Macao (1926); Fr Crochet SJ and his Chinese flock; Bishop Wittner OFM and his Chinese priests; seminarians of the regional seminary at Tatungtu, Shansi; Fr Netto; Fr Pradel with lepers at Sheklung; Fr Nugent (Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America), Ningpo, Fr Gleeson, Frs Driscoll, Malone and Murphy (Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America). The Irish element to the album may perhaps why it ended up with the Irish Jesuits.

Photographic album of the (the new) Wah Yan College, Hong Kong. The photographs have typewritten captions. Includes: various buildings, exteriors, interiors and landscape photographs of Wah Yan College, Queen's Road East, Hong Kong: opening day ceremonies of the new college (27 September 1955); Irish Jesuits Frs John Carroll, Richard Harris, Matthew Corbally, Richard Gallagher, Donald Lawler, Thomas Ryan, Timothy Doody, James McAsey, Herbert Dargan, Patrick Toner, Edmund Sullivan and Cyril Barrett; Monsignor Lorenzo Bianchi, Bishop of Hong Kong; Governor, Sir Alexander Grantham and Lady Grantham; Professor Gordon Brown.
Includes photographs of Fr Gallagher's jubilee dinner ar Ricci Hall.

File of correspondence between Fr Timothy Doody SJ and his Irish Provincials.

File of mission material relating to Fr Timothy Doody SJ. Includes passport photograph; identity papers; personal record; announcement of death; obituary; Ten Yuan Held Bank Note - The Bank of Ming Tung - Currency for the Other World (1941); ‘residence and identity card issued by puppet government in Shanghai’; invitations to weddings; and correspondence between Fr Doody and Frs Thomas J. Martin, Vincent Murphy and Thomas O'Brien, Mission Office, Upper Gardiner Street, Dublin.

File of correspondence between Fr Seamus Doris SJ and his Irish Provincials.

File of mission material relating to Fr Seamus Doris SJ. Includes passport photograph; personal record; announcement of death; homily; and correspondence between Fr Doris and Frs Thomas J. Martin and Thomas O'Brien, Mission Office, Upper Gardiner Street, Dublin.

File of correspondence between Fr Liam Egan SJ and his Irish Provincials.

File of mission material relating to Fr Liam Egan SJ. Includes announcement of death; funeral mass pamphlet; and correspondence between Fr Egan and Frs Thomas J. Martin, Vincent Murphy, Thomas O'Brien and Francis Keenan, Mission Office, Dublin.

Series of letters written by Fr John Neary SJ to Irish Provincial John Fahy SJ concerning his arrival to Hong Kong and the development of the Mission there

5 December 1926, 3pp
9 December 1926, 3pp
12 December 1926, 4pp
18 December 1926, 5pp
21 December 1926, 3pp
29 December 1926, 3pp
17 February 1927, 1p
26 February 1927, 2pp
1 March 1927, 1p
11 April 1927, 3pp
2 June 1927, 1p

Group photograph taken on the occasion of His Excellency Mgr Zanin's (Apostolic Delegate to China) visit to the Regional Seminary.

Group photograph of the retreat group at the Regional Seminary, Hong Kong.

Group photograph of the first year of Aberdeen Seminary, Hong Kong. The photograph includes Bishop Valtorta and Fr Thomas Cooney SJ (Rector) and other Irish Jesuits.

Group photograph of the first seminarians and their professors taken at the Regional Seminary.

File of mission material relating to Fr Patrick Finneran SJ. Includes passport photographs; announcement of death; death notice; mortuary card; personal record; correspondence between Fr Finneran and Frs Vincent Murphy, Thomas O'Brien and Thomas J. Martin, Mission Office, Dublin.

Correspondence between Fr John Foley SJ and his Irish Provincials.

File of mission material relating to Fr John Foley SJ. Includes announcement of death; personal record; obituary; sermons, articles and correspondence between Fr Foley and Frs. Thomas O'Brien, Vincent Murphy and Thomas J. Martin, Mission Office, Dublin.

File of mission material relating to Fr Patrick Grogan SJ. Includes photographs; announcement of death; personal record; and correspondence between Fr Grogan and Fr Thomas J. Martin, Mission Office, Dublin.

The Star - War Yan College Hong Kong magazine.

Ricci: Souvenir record of the silver jubilee of Ricci Hall, Hong Kong University 1929-1954.

File of correspondence between Fr John Moran SJ and his Irish Provincials.

File of mission material relating to Fr John Moran SJ. Includes passports; passport photographs of Fr Moran; announcement of death; obituary; personal record; and mainly correspondence between Fr Moran and Frs. Vincent Murphy and Thomas J. Martin, Mission Office, Upper Gardiner Street, Dublin.

Wah Yan College Kowloon 50th anniversary magazine.

Irish Jesuits Go East - Part 1

Death notice, newspaper articles, correspondence and online obituary taken from the Hong Kong Catholic Diocesan. https://archives.catholic.org.hk/In%20Memoriam/Clergy-Brother/D-Reid.htm

Letter from Fr Derek Reid SJ to Irish Fr Provincial Paddy Doyle SJ relating to his summer return to Ireland and his plans.

File of mission material relating to Fr Derek Reid SJ. Includes announcement of death and newspaper articles; obituaries; personal record; and correspondence between Fr Reid and Fr Thomas J. Martin SJ, Mission Office, Dublin.

A file relating to the fate of the Irish Jesuit priests working in Hong Kong during the Second World War and the Japanese occupation of the city. Includes returned letters to Irish Fr Provincial marked 'No Service Return to Sender'. Includes letters from family members asking for news or reporting to Irish Fr Provincial on letters received by them. Includes letters from other individuals seeking news about non Jesuit family members. Includes a copy of a request by Irish Fr Provincial John R. MacMahon SJ to Joseph P. Walshe, Department of External Affairs seeking help in assisting four Jesuit students to return home to Ireland (23 March 1943, 1p). Includes a reply stating that a proposed scheme to exchange civilian internees applies only to British or Allied subjects (12 May 1943, 1p). Includes a memorandum written by Fr Joy on Irish nationals in Hong Kong. The memorandum was sent by Irish Fr Provincial to the Irish Red Cross (24 October 1942, 2pp). Includes letters concerning Irish Jesuits who left Hong Kong to live and work in India during the war and subsequent return to Hong Kong when the war was over. Includes 'A Priest in a Japanese Jail' by Fr Gerard Casey SJ (1948)

Jesuits under fire in the siege of Hong Kong, 1941. Burns Oates & Washbourne, London, 1944.

File of mission material relating to Fr Edmund Sullivan SJ. Includes passport; passport photographs; personal record; obituary; accounts of the trial of Canadian Sisters in Canton (2 December 1951); the Communists in Canton (1949); Fr Sullivan’s experiences 1942 - 1945 ; and correspondence between Fr Edmund Sullivan and Fr. Thomas J. Martin, Mission Office, Upper Gardiner Street, Dublin.

File of material relating to Fr Edmund Sullivan SJ includes identity card, catalogue entry, correspondence between Fr Sullivan and Irish Fr Provincial Laurence Kieran, and Frs Lawrence Andrew, Joseph Garland and Robert Tyndall, and Selvaraju Selvam.

File of mission material relating to Fr Roger Maguire SJ. Includes photograph; personal record; and correspondence between Fr Maguire and Fr Thomas Martin SJ, Irish Jesuit Mission Office, Upper Gardiner Street, Dublin.

Jesuits in Hong Kong, South China and Beyond. Irish Jesuit Mission-its development 1926-2006. Hong Kong: Xavier Publishing, 2008.

Telegram announcing the death of Fr Seán (John) Turner SJ and online obituary taken from the Hong Kong Catholic Diocesan Archives, accessed 10 July 2009. https://archives.catholic.org.hk/In%20Memoriam/Clergy-Brother/J-Turner.htm

File relating to Fr Thomas F Ryan SJ, including correspondence with Irish Fr Provincials, catalogue entries, and photographs.

Ricci Hall: a decade 1929-1939

Irish Jesuits in South China: a record of twenty five years
The Local Printing Press, Ltd, Hong Kong

In Xavier's footsteps: the Irish Jesuit mission to South China.
Office of the Irish Messenger, [Dublin], 1934

South China Morning Post, Hong Kong, [1939]

Wah Yan College, H.K, 75th anniversary album 1919-1994.

The Shield, Wah Yan College, Kowloon magazine.
Volume 9 - July 1961;
Volume 29 - 1980-1981;
Volume 42 - 1993-1994;

Thomas F. Ryan SJ : from Cork to China and Windsor Castle 1889-1971.
Columba Press, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, 2010

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.

Biographical notes of the Jesuits in Hong Kong, 1926-2000 - Frederick Hok-ming Cheung
Wonder Press Company, Hong Kong.