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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.

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

Obituaries of Fr Richard Gallagher SJ taken from an Irish newspaper, a Hong Kong Jesuit publication and online obituary, taken from the Hong Kong Catholic Diocesan Archives, accessed 14 August 2009. https://archives.catholic.org.hk/

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

Text of a MS by Fr Harold Naylor SJ on the Jesuits in Hong Kong 1926-2000. Includes a floppy disc containing the text.

Cassette tape of reminiscences of Fr Albert Cooney SJ concerning the attack on Singapore and surrender, the Japanese attack on Hong Kong, life under the Japanese, journey to China and life in a Chinese village, journey to Hanoi, North Vietnam, recall to Macau and the Jesuit school in Macau (1943 - 1945).

Irish Jesuits Go East - Part 1

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.

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 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.

A file relating to the death of Fr Paul Jenkins SJ (British Province). Includes an obituary and details of a mass held for him at Milltown Park.

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 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.

Mission office material relating to Fr Gerard Casey SJ. Includes photographs, photographic plate, announcement of death and correspondence between Fr Casey and Fr Thomas J Martin SJ, Mission Office, Dublin.

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.

Correspondence between Thomas Fleming and his Irish Fr Provincials during his professional life in China and in Australia.

Material relating to Fr John J Neary SJ, including catalogue entry, correspondence regarding his time in Hong Kong and biographical information.

File of material relating to Fr Martin Cryan SJ taken from the Mission Office, 28 Upper Sherrard St (12 July 2011). Includes passport photographs; menology; personal record; announcement of death; obituary; and correspondence between Fr Cryan and Fr Thomas J. Martin SJ, Mission Office, Upper Gardiner Street, Dublin.

A file relating to the Regional Seminary, Aberdeen, Hong Kong. Includes documents relating to the establishment of the Regional Seminary, finances, annual report detailing the opening of the Seminary in 1931 (24 January 1933, 6pp). Includes letters relating to the Terna for the Rector of the Seminary (12 - 15 April 1937, 5 items and 30 June 1937 - 2 July 1937, 7 items).

Wah Yan College Kowloon 50th anniversary magazine.

Mission material relating to Fr Patrick Howatson SJ. Includes passport; mortuary card; announcement of death; requiem; and correspondence between Fr Howatson and Frs. Thomas J. Martin and Vincent Murphy, Mission Office, Upper Gardiner Street, Dublin and his sister, Helen Clarke, Tralee, County Kerry and Fr Martin.

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.

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

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.

Photocopy map depicting eastern China (newspaper cutting).

Notes by [ ] on the invitation of the Bishop of Singapore to open a University hostel in Singapore and notes on Irish Jesuits working in Singapore and Hong Kong.

Letter from Fr Eddie Bourke SJ, Xavier Retreat House, 27 Cheung Chau, Hong Kong to Fr Joe [ ] SJ concerning news from Hong Kong. Remarks that Fr Joy has been unwell. Refers to MacGreedy who wishes to join the Irish Province but will need to obtain a release from the RAF.

Catholic Guide to Hong Kong
Catholic Truth Society, Hong Kong, 1962

A file of letters sent by the house consultors and Rector and Vice-Rector of Wah Yan College, Hong Kong and Wah Yan College, Kowloon, to Irish Fr Provincial.

A file of letters sent by the house consultors, Rector and Vice-Rector of Ricci Hall, Hong Kong to Irish Fr Provincial.

A file of letters sent by the consultors of the Hong Kong mission to Irish Fr Provincial. The letters contain information on the mission and the opinions of the consultors regarding the mission and its work.

A file of letters from the Superior of the mission, Fr Herbert Dargan SJ to Irish Fr Provincial.

A file of letters sent by the house consultors, Prefect of Studies and Rector of the Regional Seminary to Irish Fr Provincial.

House consultor's letter from Frs John Collins, Donal Taylor, John O'Meara, Francis McGaley, James Hurley and Joseph Mallin, and John Gannon, St Francis Xavier's, (Language School, Novitiate and Retreat House) 27 Cheung Chau Island, Hong Kong.

A file of copies of letters from Irish Fr Provincial to the Superior of the Hong Kong Mission concerning the administration of the mission and men destined for work in Hong Kong.

A file relating to the Irish Jesuit Mission Office (The Ricci Mission Unit) based in Ireland. The file contains financial information (accounts, donations and burses) relating to the Hong Kong mission, letters by Fr Thomas Martin SJ, relating to the administration of the Hong Kong mission and personnel/volunteers for the mission.

A file relating to the Church of St Francis Xavier, Jalan Gasing, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Federation of Malaya. Includes documents relating to the proposed contract between the Society and the Bishop of Kuala Lumpur.

House consultors letters regarding the Church of St. Francis Xavier, Jalan Gasing, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Federation of Malaya to Irish Fr Provincial.

Reasons for requesting that the Hong Kong mission should revert to the normal government of the Society, under the Irish Fr Provincial.

Black and white photographs of Fr Richard Gallagher SJ on his voyage to China and photographs of China.

• 'Shadow of 'Mongolia' on bank of Canal (Suez) about 7.30', 5 October 1927;
• 'Monsoon in China Sea', 20 October 1927;
• 'Cecilia, Two [ ] The Coolie is wearing a mackintosh D' [1928] - [1938];
• Fr Richard Gallagher SJ at his desk [1928] - [1938];
• Fr Richard Gallagher SJ in Ireland [1945]-[1947];
• 'Left to right standing - Father H. Morris, Con Lynch, M O'Flanagan, Mosignir Collins, Monsignir Crowley. Seated Fr Michael Sheehy, Fr Tom Lynch';
• 'At a party given for Fr Dick by two lawyer friends' [1950] - [1962];

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

File of material relating to Fr Richard Gallagher SJ, including photographs, passport, announcement of death, personal recor,; obituaries, and letters from Fr Gallagher to Fr Thomas J Martin, Mission Office, Dublin and Fr Eddie Bourke SJ 19 Kickham Street, Carrick-on-Suir, county Tipperary.

Letter from Fr Thomas Fitzgerald SJ, Catholic Cathedral, 3 Farquhar Street, Penang to Fr Pat [ ] SJ concerning a questionnaire about Chinese Rites. Asks for Pat [ ], SJ's opinion on some points relating to Chinese Rites.

A file of letters from the Superior of the mission, Fr Thomas Byrne SJ to Irish Fr Provincial.

A Priest in a Japanese Jail.
Dublin : Office of the "Irish Messenger", 1948.

A file relating to Ricci Hall, Hong Kong. Includes documents relating to the finances of the hall, visitation memorials, Historia Domus.

Memorandum on social work by Jesuits in Hong Kong.

Copy of a letter from the Internuncio Apostolic in China concerning the possibility of establishing a Catholic University in Canton under the direction of the Jesuit Fathers. Expresses his pleasure at the enlargement of the Jesuit Language School in Hong Kong.

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.

Memoranda on Chinese post-secondary colleges in Hong Kong and on the problem of staffing a Catholic post-secondary college.

Copy of a letter from Irish Fr Provincial Michael A. O'Grady SJ, 85 Eglinton Road, Donnybrook, Dublin to Fr General J B Janssens SJ, 5 Borgo Santo Spirito, Rome outlining the reasons why he feels the novitiate for candidates of the Society of Jesus in the far East should be transferred from Formosa to Hong Kong.

Summary of the Annual Letters from the Hong Kong mission, including a summary of the Apostolates in each house in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaya.

Copies of documents sent to the Province entitled 'China. Secretive Directives on how to Destroy the Church' from International Fides Service.

A file of letters from the Superior of the mission, Fr Richard Harris SJ to Irish Fr Provincial.

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).

A file relating to visitors to the Chinese/Hong Kong mission. The letters relate to the administration of the mission and the Jesuits working in the mission. Includes a copy of a letter from the Superior of the mission Fr Thomas F Ryan SJ to Fr Visitor, Fr Burkhardt SJ concerning the mission in light of the communist occupation of the neighbouring provinces of China. Describes the effects of this occupation on the work of the mission (15 January 1950, 11pp).

Copy of a draft of a letter from Irish Fr Provincial Michael A O'Grady SJ to Fr General J. B. Janssens SJ concerning the question whether the Irish Jesuit Mission of Hong Kong (including Singapore and Malaya) should be constituted a dependent Vice-Province or retain its status as a mission under the jurisdiction of the Irish Provincial. Outlines the opinions of the consultors of the Irish Province the Superior and consultors of the Hong Kong mission and the Provincial of the Irish Province.

A report by John Gannon SJ sent to Irish Fr Provincial on Chinese education and a proposal to establish a centre for Chinese students. Includes a covering letter.

A file of letters from various individuals living and working in Hong Kong to Irish Fr Provincial concerning their work in the Hong Kong mission.

A file relating to Wah Yan College, Hong Kong and Wah Yan College, Kowloon. Includes minutes relating to the salaries of lay masters and the purchase of school buildings in Wah Yan, finances of the college. Includes a relatio as to the advisability or otherwise of admitting Portuguese or European students in to Wah Yan College by Fr Richard Gallagher SJ, Vice-Rector ([1933], 6pp). Includes a general memorial of visitation (1936, 3pp).

Letter from Fr Patrick Joy SJ, Kingsmead Hall, Victoria Park Road, Singapore to Miss Joy, 41 Adelaide Road, Dublin concerning his work in the Far East and family news.

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.

Advertisement leaflet for a sale of work in aid of the Irish Jesuit mission to China.

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.

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

Photographs of the Hong Kong mission. Includes group photos of the community at Loyola House. Included in those present are Fr Donald Lawler SJ, Fr Chambers OFM, Fr D’yalla (Milan Mission) and Mr Basto (Architect of “Loyola”). Also includes group photos of schoolboys.

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

A file relating to the Language School, Loyola, Tai Lam, Ch'ung, Un Long, Hong Kong.

Revisors reports of the Chinese mission.

Personal record (1953) and letter from Fr Herbert J Dargan SJ , Xavier House, 27 Cheung Chau, Hong Kong to Fr Thomas J Martin SJ, Milltown Park, Dublin in which he describes his journey, clothes bought, advice for future preparations for journeys and masses said (26 September 1953).

Letters sent by the house consultors of the Language School, 1 Battery Path, Hong Kong.

A file of letters from Fr Patrick Joy SJ to Irish Fr Provincial concerning the Hong Kong mission.

A file relating to Irish Jesuits working and living in China and Hong Kong during the rise in communism after the Second World War. Includes newspaper cuttings and descriptions by the Irish Jesuits of their experiences.

Letter from Fr Edmund Sullivan SJ, Wah Yan College, Waterloo Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong to Fr Socius thanking him for his sympathy following the death of his mother. Discusses his work in the college.

Catalogus of the Hong Kong mission for 1953.

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

Map of Victoria and Kowloon.

Copy of the a preliminary report on the construction of new buildings at Wah Yan College, Hong Kong by Philip Will Jr.

Letter from Fr Albert Chan SJ, Boston College High School, 761 Harrison Avenue, Boston to Irish Fr Provincial Thomas Byrne SJ concerning his studies.

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

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

Article entitled ‘Cross-roads in China’ by Fr Thomas Ryan SJ, which discusses the transformation in Chinese society, pre and post war, missionaries, Catholicism and schools.

Irish Jesuit Mission bequest from Fr William M. Farrell (P.P.).

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

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

Photograph depicting a view of Hong Kong harbour and Kowloon.

Photograph of a Chinese woman holding a baby.

A file containing financial accounts of the Chinese mission.

A file of medical reports for candidates for the Chinese mission.

A file of letters from the Superior of the mission, Fr Thomas F Ryan SJ to Irish Fr Provincial.

Mission bulletin No.2 entitled ‘Irish Jesuits in China’, which mentions the work and demand for the services of Fr Gallagher. Gives brief background information on Fr Gallagher.

Visitation memorials by the Superior of the Mission, Fr Thomas F. Ryan SJ for St Ignatius House, Canton.

Letter book containing copies of letters and cables sent to the Hong Kong Mission by the Irish Province.

Letters to the Irish Provincial on various matters. Includes letters concerning:

• Polish scholastics coming to Ireland to study;
• the censuring individual scholastics;
• financial matters of the late Fr Henry Browne SJ;
• the taking of villas during wartime;
• a report on Irish theologians in Hong Kong;
• the question of censorship of various publications (See also ADMN/3/1 and 23);
• the question of Jesuit support for the Catholic Association for International Relations;
• a proposal by Fr Patrick J Connolly SJ to open a Jesuit school in Dartry;
• the Secret Instruction of the Holy See: Normae Quaedam De Agendi Ratione Confessariorum Circa VI Decalogi Praeceptum;
• the prohibition of female characters in plays produced by scholastics;
• comments on Director’s Service from Sodality reports of summer 1944 (See also ADMN/3/65 and 74);
• the publication of a book entitled Selected Writings of Father Ledochowski (See also ADMN/3/44);
• an invitation to the Irish Fr Provincial to the inauguration of President Seán T. Ó Ceallaigh (see also ADMN/3/43 and 76) in June 1945, signed by Taoiseach Éamon de Valera;
• relations with the Confederación Nacional de Congregaciones Marians;
• the proposal to purchase Crawfordsburn Estate, County Down (see also ADMN/3/6);
• the Chair of Education in University College, Dublin and
• some suggestions about choirs in the Province.

Map of Hong Kong and the new territories. Scale 1: 80,000.

Letter from Fr Thomas F Ryan SJ, Superior of the mission, Wah Yan College, Hong Kong to Irish Fr Provincial Thomas Byrne SJ concerning documents associated with the Seminary Commission. Includes the report of the Commission.

A file of letters from Fr Daniel Donnelly SJ to Irish Fr Provincial.

Comment on a memorandum concerning 'Sheaf'.

General Memoriale and Memoriale for Fr Superior of the visitation by Fr Thomas Ryan SJ to St Ignatius’ House, Canton.