Galway Notes
The Tuam Herald, Saturday, April 14, 1923.
(From our Correspondent)
The Franciscans in Galway are one of its most ancient communities and in point of antiquity the oldest religious order established there. Through centuries they have held their place high in the esteem of the Catholics and indeed of all creeds. They are a singularly hard working zealous and devoted body of men. The community of this city reside in the historic spot close to where their old monastery stood and in the graveyard at the rear are the resting places of some of the oldest families in Galway. Here repose most of the old tribal families. The Head of this zealous order is the Very Rev. Fr. Dillion, O. F. M., son of the late John Blake Dillion, Esq., B.L., the celebrated Irish Patriot of the imperishable '48 Movement, and brother of John Dillion, for so many years member for Mayo, his native county, and one of the most prominent political personalities in Ireland for nearly 40 years. In 1848 John Blake Dillion was 'on the run' and his description given is what was then "The Hue and Cry". He was hunted but never captured. The people were too faithful. He came to Tuam, spent a night with the Archbishop (Dr. MacHale), slept at the college and dressed in a clerical suit lent him by its then President, Fr. Patrick J. O'Brien, afterwards Canon O'Brien and P.P., of Glenamaddy. He was driven one early morning in his own car to Galway by the late Mr. Richard Kelly, founder of the Tuam Herald, and grandfather of Mr. R. J. Kelly, K. O.
They went along the road to Galway chatting familiarly, for they were old friends, passed through police barracks, and ultimately Mr. Dillion arriving safely at Galway, took an open boat to Aran, and from that classic spot went to America. Disguised until he arrived and got a change of clothes, for he had no luggage as a priest. It is a curious coincidence that his son should be now a hard working missionary priest in the city from which his father sailed to the States. With him in New York while he was there was the late Martin A. O' Flaherty of Lisdona, but then a solicitor and partner with Mr. Dillion's brother in the then well known solicitor firm O'Flaherty & Dillion practicing in Dublin and doing a good business until politics smashed up the partnership and made one of them a wanderer. Mr. John B. Dillon, was a barrister in good business on the famous Connacht Circuit in those days, upon which with him were James Henry Monaghan, afterwards the distinguished Chief Justice, Michael Morris, after an equally distinguished Chief Justice and the notorious William Keogh, Mr. Dillon's eldest son, John, spent some months in Galway gaol as a political prisoner under the Balfour regime and with him was William O'Brien. Mr. Dillon's eldest son, John or Shaun, will be ordained as a priest of the Arch diocese of Dublin in a few weeks time.
Mr. Dillon's illustrious father in law, Chief Justice Matthew, resided one year at the then beautiful residence of the Lynch Stauntons at Clydagh. The spacious and splendid mansion like so many others of its kind in this sorely afflicted country is now a mass of ruins, deliberately destroyed by the people either of the place or by those coming from a distance, locally sympathized with owing to that awful land hunger that stoops to such crimes to satiate itself. Clydagh was a most picturesquely situated house, and its original owner George Lynch Staunton laid out thousands upon its construction; his son now lives to contemplate the place a sad ruin.
Near it is Ballycurran Castle also a ruin. It's owner Col. Beddington, laid out thousands upon its improvement, spend hundreds a week and thousands a year in giving employment. But all this is now stopped. He has been driven from the spot and desolation reigns where destruction abounded.
The Very Rev. Canon Doorley, P. P., Cliffoney, Sligo, has been appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Elphin. He was born about 53 years ago in the historic parish of Oran, which is in the neighbourhood of the town of Roscommon. His father, who was an extensive and well—to—do farmer, was a member of an old and highly respected family in that county. In his early days he had the advantage of a sound religious and primary education from the Franciscan Brothers at Farragher, near his paternal home. His preliminary studies for the priesthood were pursued in the dioceses College of Elphin at Summerhill.
It is an interesting fact worth mentioning that not only the present saintly Bishop of Elphin, but the Most Rev. Dr. Gillooley, another of the great ecclesiastics who ruled over the religious destinies of this historic See, were also born in the immediate vicinity of the town of Roscommon.