Information object browse - Irish Jesuit Archives

The present community house at Manresa was originally known as Granby Hall and then as Baymount Castle, being at one time the residence of Dr Traill, a northern Church of Ireland Bishop. Renovated in 1838 by Robert Warren, it was later owned by the Irish Loreto Sisters who had a school there. Gutted by fire in 1851, the Sisters had it renovated again, sold it, and moved to Balbriggan.
In 1898 it became the property of Lord Ardilaun, a member of the Guinness family and owner of the adjoining St Anne’s estate. About the beginning of the First World War, William Lucas Scott opened a preparatory school for boys which continued until 1936, when it was acquired by John T Gwynn, of the well-known literary family (relative of Jesuit Aubrey Gwynn). In 1948 the Archbishop of Dublin asked the Jesuits to establish a northside retreat house, and Baymount Castle, with its 17 acres, was bought by them.

Retreats began in 1949. Construction of a new retreat house began in 1966 to the design of architect Andrew Devane of the firm Robinson, Keefe and Devane; it was opened in 1967. In 1969, the Irish Jesuit novitiate moved from St Mary's, Emo Court, County Laois to Manresa, where it was situated until 1991.

The papers of Manresa House, Dollymount, Dublin concern the early history of the house, financial issues, building and development, retreat work and the horse show at Manresa (1963-1973). There are references to the artworks of Richard Enda King and Evie Hone. Material is in the form of letters, ledgers, architectural plans, maps and photographs.

Edward Boyd Barrett

IE IJA N/5
Subfonds
1883-1995

Part of Non-Irish Jesuit material

Boyd Barrett, Edward J, 1883-1966, former Jesuit priest

O'Hagan Family

IE IJA N/11
Subfonds
1842-1908

Part of Non-Irish Jesuit material

The contents of this collection represent the papers of the O'Hagan family. Thomas O'Hagan (1812-1885), was the first Lord O'Hagan and twice Lord Chancellor of Ireland. His daughter from his first marriage Frances Mary O'Hagan married Judge John O'Hagan (1822-1890), in 1865. John O'Hagan was the chief commissioner of the Land Court in Ireland. A few years after his death in 1897, his wife, Frances O'Hagan, joined an enclosed order - the Franciscan Convent of the Perpetual Adoration, Drumshambo, County Leitrim. She died in 1910. The archives contains a separate collection of papers belonging to Judge John O'Hagan, please see N4.

Sir Charles Gavan Duffy

IE IJA N/12
Subfonds
1892 - 1899

Part of Non-Irish Jesuit material

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

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

Visitation Memorials

IE IJA ADMN/5
Subfonds
1831 - 1983

Part of Administration of the Irish Jesuits

Zambian Mission

IE IJA MSSN/ZAM
Subfonds
1905-2020

Part of Irish Jesuit Missions

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

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

Hong Kong Mission

IE IJA MSSN/HONG
Subfonds
1900-2020

Part of Irish Jesuit Missions

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

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

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

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

Irish Jesuit Mission to Hong Kong, 1926-1966

Loyola House, Dromore, County Down

IE IJA FM/DROM
Subfonds
1883-1918

Part of Irish Jesuit houses of formation

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

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

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

Visitations of Province