The Diocese of Killaloe
“Shortly, before 1735 John O'Kennedy of Lacken Castle near Lorrha (County Tipperary) made a very unusual discovery. While reconstructing his house at the time he found an ancient vellum book enclosed in a casket which had been built onto the wall of the house. The book, now known as The Stowe Missal , is one of the surviving treasures from the golden age of Irish monasticism and all the evidence points to a connection with the nearby monastery of Lorrha. Lorrha was just one of a number of great monastic foundations in the area which later became the diocese of Killaloe.”
(Ignatius Murphy, Diocesan Historian).
The diocese of Killaloe emerged from the diocesan system established by the Synods of Rathbreasail (1111) and Kells (1152). Territorially, it is one of the largest dioceses in Ireland. It includes most of County Clare, a large part of North Tipperary, some parishes near Birr in Offaly, a parish in Limerick, half a parish in Laois and a small part of County Galway.
The diocese has 58 parishes.
The present bishop is Most Rev.Willie Walsh who was consecrated in 1994.
The Archives
The Killaoe Diocesan Archives is located in a purposely renovated high-ceilinged room at Bishop's House, Westbourne, Ennis, Co. Clare. The room is well lit, heated and ventilated. The floor space is seventeen by eighteen feet wide. Steel shelving units dominate the floor space with good aisles of access.
Work has begun on cataloguing the main collections and it is hoped in time to have a properly processed archives in line with accepted archival standards. Expert advice and supervision of the work is ongoing. Access to the collections is limited during cataloguing and is at the discretion of the Archivist.
Contact:
Fr. Gerry Kenny, Diocesan Secretary, Killaloe Diocesan Office, Westbourne, Ennis, Co. Clare
Tel: 065-6828638
E-mail: cildalua@iol.ie
The Collections
There are four main collections in Killaloe Diocesan Archives:
- The Fogarty Collection (1904-1955): papers of Archbishop Michael Fogarty.
- The Rodgers Collection (1955-1967): papers of Bishop Joseph Rodgers.
- The Harty Collection (1967-1994): papers of Bishop Michael Harty.
- The Murphy Collection: papers of Mons. Ignatius Murphy, Diocesan Historian died1993
(Above dates 1-3 refer to length of episcopacy)
The papers of Harty and Murphy are fairly extensive, but those of Fogarty and Rodgers are not so extensive. Fogarty is of particular interest as his long episcopacy (51 years) spanned the years of the birth and growth of the Irish nation. He was a strong nationalist and had contact with the leading figures of the emerging state. An interesting aspect of the Fogarty Collection is a file of personal letters between Fogarty and W.T. Cosgrave.
The Rodgers Collection contains some interesting letters he wrote while in Rome for the Second Vatican Council. In one letter extolling the progress of the Council, he inquires about the progress of the Bingo in his local parish hall.
These few letters are reminiscent of letters written by Bishop Nicholas Power while he was attending the First Vatican Council in 1869 (copies in archives).
The Harty Collection represents the thorough saving of Bishop Michael Harty. He was a former member of the staff at the national seminary of Maynooth and a keen liturgist. There is an abundance of documentation concerning his involvement with the International Commission On English in the Liturgy (I.C.E.L).
A comprehensive history of the diocese from the eighteenth century to 1904 is published in three volumes (published by Four Courts Press).
The author is Monsignor Ignatius Murphy whose research materials and personal library form a significant Collection in the diocesan Archives .
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The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
Sotto Voce
(Source: DK)