27 April, 2013

Pallaskenry RC Church – II

Not less important than the building of the St Mary’s Catholic Church in Pallaskenry was the collection of money to pay for it. Moreover, many would contend that the collection of money to defray to cost of the building was even more onerous and took great determination on the part of the clergy and parishioners. Though in these pages, we will note only those benefactors whose donations are on record, especially in the newspapers, we readily acknowledge the generosity of many other people, news of whose donations did not get into the newspapers. I will also give short biographies below of some of the major benefactors.

         It will be immediately evident that members of the landed gentry, most of whom did not belong to the Catholic church, were extremely generous in their donations. Thus, Mountiford Westropp of Mellon gave a donation of £10 (MN, 27/6/1863), while Richard Russell, who was a large landowner in Ballinacarriga, gave two donations of £5 (MN, 7/12/1867). In estimating the purchasing power of donations, one must remember that the figure would need to be multiplied by a figure of about 300, to get an idea of its purchasing power today. A strategy much used at the time was to make an appeal, sometimes by means of a sermon or address, in the churches of the city of Limerick. Thus, in the case of Pallaskenry, special collections were made for the Pallaskenry church building fund in city parishes, such as St Munchin’s and Meelick. In St Munchin’s, the Parish Priest, Fr O’Kennedy, gave £1, while Fr John Conway and Fr Martin Slattery each gave £1. One is surprised by the large number of people from Limerick city who made donations to this cause.

Another group whose members were notably generous were the politicians, members of both Parliament and town/ city councils. In fact, when one reads the of the number of donations the Limerick City councillors made to the building funds of different churches, one gets the impression that, at that period, it was mainly wealthy people who became involved in local and national politics. Thus, Edward J Synan, an MP for Limerick, gave two donations of £3, while Dr Richard O’Shaughnessy, later an MP, gave £1. Several Limerick city councillors gave donations, including Laurence Kelly (£1), Laurence Quinlivan (£1), Former Mayor of Limerick, John T McSheehy (£1), James Harris (£1), William Phayer (10s), Michael Kelly (5s) and Alderman Patrick Hogan (£1) (MN, 7/12/1867).

Several business people are also listed among the donors to the church building fund in Pallaskenry, including John Quin & Co. (gunsmiths), Cannock, Tait & Co. (two donations of £1), Wm Todd & Co. (£1). At least two donations came from business firms in Cork, one for £3 from whiskey distiller, Francis Wise (£3), and one from Murphys, South Mall, Cork. (MN, 7/12/1867)

Marble Altar

In 1875, Fr John Burke PP, had a new marble altar installed. Though compared to the church itself, the marble altar was a relatively minor part, it has some historical importance because it was designed and executed by an important firm of ecclesiastical ‘embellishers’, namely, Earley and Powell. Both the Earley brothers and Powell were apprenticed to Hardiman, one of the most famous manufacturers of stained glass windows in these islands. Their apprenticeship was supervised by the founder of the Gothic architectural movement, AWN Pugin, who is most famous for his work in the interior of Westminster Palace, home of the British Houses of Parliament. Thomas Earley and his brother, John Farrington Earley, both Irish born, together with JH Powell, set up the firm, Earley & Powell, in Dublin in 1864. Though Earley & Powell did notable work in churches in Dublin, as well as for the Earl of Dunraven in Adare and in the estate church for the Knight of Glin, the marble altar commissioned by Fr Burke for Pallaskenry was one of the few commissions this firm undertook in rural Catholic churches. (D Laurence)

         A notice in The Muster News of 29/1/1875 acknowledges several contributions towards the cost of the Pallaskenry marble altar, some of the contributions being from members of the clergy (Frs James O’Shea, John Halpin, John Conway, each £1). Parishioners who contributed towards the cost of the marble altar included, John F Sheehy, Court (1); Michael O’Donnell, Summerville (£1), Thomas Slattery, Carheeny (£1), O’Shea, Kildimo (£1), John Hayes, Ashgrove, Kildimo (£1); Michael O’Brien, Ballyculhane, Kildimo (7s6d); John Madigan, Carheeny, Kildimo (10s); Maurice Walsh, Ballycasey, Kildimo (5s); Mr McCreedy, Pallaskenry (5s).  

Concise Biographies of Some Benefactors

Connery, Rev William (c1818-1888)

William Connery was born in Court, Kildimo, Co. Limerick, about 1818. He was ordained on 11 July, 1850, for the diocese of Limerick. His early appointments included curate in Fedamore/ Manister (1850-1851); St Munchin’s (1851-1853); Effin (1853-1858); Kildimo/ Pallaskenry (1858-1864); Shanagolden/ Foynes (1864-1872). In 1872, he was appointed Parish Priest of Kilfinane/Ardpatrick, where he remained until his transfer to Effin as Parish Priest in 1879. He died in Effin on 28 January, 1888. He was a brother of Fr Michael Connery, also in the diocese of Limerick. In 1863, together with Fr Michael Maher, he was appointed by Bishop Butler to collect funds for the building of St Mary’s church, Pallaskenry. This appointment came to an end in 1864, when he was transferred to Shanagolden/Foynes as curate

Kelly, Laurence (1807-1887)

Laurence Kelly was a businessman and local politician who represented the Castle Ward in the Limerick City Council for many years. In his later years, he made an attempt to become a Member of Parliament, but failed to win a seat. He was a regular and generous subscriber to local charities and contributed £1 to the building fund for Pallaskenry RC Church in 1863 (MN 7/1/2/1863). He died at his home in Moylish House, Limerick, on 8 November, 1887, aged 80 years (LC, 8/11/1887)

McSheehy, John Thomas (d.1892)

John Thomas McSheehy, was a grandson of John Sheehy of Donoman Castle, Croom, Co. Limerick. He became a lawyer and was subsequently appointed a Resident Magistrate for King’s County (Offaly), a post in which he spent 23 years. He lived at Shannon Lawn, Co. Limerick. He married Mary Rosa Wall Smith, by whom he had issue, including a son, Thomas Frederick McSheehy, who entered the British Army, served as Lieutenant in the 3^rd Battalion of the Prince of Wales Leinster Regiment, subsequently serving in the Bechuanaland (today part of South Africe) Police Force. Mr John Thomas McSheehy, baptised with the surname, Sheehy, adopted the ancient family prefix (Mc) in 1849. From 1851 to 1866, he was a member of the Limerick Corporation/ Council and was Mayor of Limerick in 1861. He contributed £1 to the Pallaskenry church building fund (MN, 7/12/1867). He died suddenly of heart attack while on vacation in Blankenberghe, Belgium, in September, 1892. (LC, 8/9/1892)

O’Shaughnessy, Richard (1842-1918) MP

Richard O’Shaughnessy, son of James O’Shaughnessy, physician and surgeon, was born in Limerick in 1842. He was educated at Clongowes Wood College, Co. Kildare, and at Trinity College, Dublin, where he graduated with a BA degree. He then studied law and was called to the Irish Bar in 1866. He entered parliament in 1874 as a Home Rule member for Limerick City. Following his retirement from parliament in 1883, he held several high offices, including Registrar of Petty Sessions in Ireland (1883-1891) and Commissioner for Public Works in Ireland (1891-1903). He was twice considered for the post of Under-Secretary for Ireland. He married Ellen, daughter of James Potter, Farm Lodge, Adare, and had issue. He was rewarded for his loyalty to the British Government with several honours, including Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO) in 1900 and Companion of the Bath (CB) in 1903. He died on 17 August, 1918, leaving a large fortune. He donated the sum of £1 towards the completion of St Mary’s church, Pallaskenry (MN, 7/12/1867).

Quinlivan, Laurence (c1804-1876)

Laurence Quinlivan was a Councillor in Limerick city for 33 years (1842-1875) and Mayor of the city in 1850. From 1853 to 1875, he had the title, Alderman. He lived in ‘Ashbourne’, of the North Circular Road, Limerick. He was also Sheriff of Limerick in 1868. He contributed £1 to the Pallaskenry church building fund (MN, 7/12/1867). In 1850, he married Mary Ellen Kelly of Kilrush, but she died a year later (LC, 9/8/1851). He married, secondly, in 1863, Margretta Cullinan, who died in 1869. He had a brother, Edward, who predeceased him. Laurence died at his home, ‘Ashbourne’, Limerick, in April, 1876. (LC, 6/4/1876)

Russell, Richard (1803-1871)

Richard Russell, son of John Norris Russell, miller and entrepreneur, and his wife, Maria Thompson, was born in 1803 in Plassy House, Limerick, now part of the University of Limerick. He Married Mary Hickson, daughter of Stephen Dickson, and had issue, including four daughters and three sons. He acquired an estate in Ballinacarriga, Kildimo, and gave two donations of £5 for the building of St Mary’s Church, Pallaskenry, in 1863. Richard Russell became famous on 17 November, 1850, when, with his servant, he helped rescue some of the passengers of the ship, ‘The Edmund’, which foundered on the rocks off Kilkee, during a terrible storm. Despite his efforts, 98 people lost their lives. Following the example of his father, John Norris Russell and other members of his family, he held the post of Sheriff of Limerick in 1847. He died on 29 August, 1871. Limerick City Park contains a plaque to his memory.

Synan, Edward John (1817-1887) MP

Edward John Synan, son of John Synan, who owned about 2,792 acres in various parishes in county Limerick was born in Fedamore, Co. Limerick, in 1817. He also owned the townland of Ballyvaddock in Ballysteen. Though born in Fedamore, he acquired the mansion at Ashbourne, off North Circular Road, Limerick. In 1865, he was elected MP for county Limerick and held the seat until 1885. He died on 8 September 1887 and was buried in Mount St Lawrence cemetery, Limerick. A Roman Catholic, he made two donations of £3 towards the completion of St Mary’s church, Pallaskenry, the second donation was acknowledged in The Munster News of 7 December, 1867.

Westropp, Dawson (1823-1893)

Dawson Westropp, third son of Mountiford Westropp (1781-1843) and his wife, Jane Dawson, was born in Mellon, Pallaskenry, Co. Limerick, on 26 February, 1823. He served in the British Army in India with the 30^th Bengal Infantry. He married Frances Vandaleur on 12 November, 1861, and they had issue, including three sons, two of whom, Charles and Dawson, died in infancy. The third son, Mountiford, succeeded his father as owner of the Mellon estate. Dawson was High Sheriff of Limerick and also owned property at Westbury Lodge, Co. Clare. He died on 7 July, 1893, aged 70 years. He contributed £10 towards the building of the RC church, Pallaskenry (MN, 27/6/1863).

Wise, Francis (d.1882)

Francis Wise was born in Cork and, with his brother, Thomas, founded the North Mall Distillery in 1779. Duty on whiskey was reduced in 1833 in an attempt to stamp out the illegal production of whiskey (including poteen). At this time, the North Mall Distillery was producing 400,000 gallons of ‘pot still’ whiskey annually. In 1867, several of the Cork Distillers amalgamated to form the Cork Distillery Company (CDC) and, after 1920, CDC concentrated its distilling in Middleton, Co. Cork. It is now known as Irish Distillers Ltd and still operates in Middleton. There are several mementos of Francis Wise today in Cork, including his house on the North Mall, a surviving chimney of his distillery and his Maltings Complex, now owned and used by the National University of Ireland, Cork (UCC). Francis Wise died in 1882 and The Cork Herald reported that no will was found for him. It was widely reported that Mr Wise was a millionaire, having extensive assets in the UK and USA, as well as in Ireland. His assets in the USA were estimated at £200,000. He had £800,000 in Government bonds, in addition to extensive property in the UK and Ireland, together with £100,000 in cash in the bank. He was reported to have lived modesty and to have been generous to local charities, including a donation of £3 to the Pallaskenry church building fund. 

Acknowledgement: Thanks to Kay Naughton for archival research.

John M Feheney