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St Saviour’s Limerick
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ST. SAVIOUR, LIMERICK.

FOUNDED in 1227. According to the ancient calendar of the abbey, from which Father Quirke, prior of the community, took extracts in 1627, the founder was Donough Carbreagh O’Brien, King ot Munster. On the other hand, as we shall see later on, Edward I. claimed that his own ancestors were the founders. The ancient calendar of Limerick is corroborated by the ancient Registry of the Friars Preachers of Athenry, which also states that Donough Carbreagh O’Brien was the founder of our abbey in Limerick. Father Quirke’s account, which we shall have occasion to quote several times, is embodied in two MSS. in the British Museum. It was probably written, judging from the phrase ut antea ad dominationem vestram scripsi and other internal evidence, for Sir James Ware, who was then making his researches into the monastic antiquities of Ireland. Though most of it is confessedly taken from the ancient calendar of the Dominican house in Limerick, other items of information regarding the abbeys of Tralee, Cashel, Youghal and Cork, are added, evidently from other sources.

The following is the translation of Father Quirke’s account, as far as regards Limerick :

" 1227. The first founder of the Dominican abbey in Limerick was Donough Carbreagh O’Brien, who asked St. Dominic himself for some friars for the purpose of preaching among the Irish. This Donough O’Brien, as appears from the old calendar of the martyr ology of the said abbey, died on the eighth of May, 1241.
" So that, between the confirmation of the Dominican Order (which was confirmed by Honorius III., the supreme pontiff, in 1216), and the death of the said founder, there were twenty-five years.
" Regarding the founder, the following lines were inscribed in the margin after the last day of the aforesaid month :
" Here lies Donogh Carbreagh O’Brien, a valiant Leader in arms, Prince of Thomond, made a Knight by the King of England, who built the Church of the Friars of the Order of Preachers, who died on the eighth day of March, 1241. On whose soul may the Lord have mercy. Amen. Let each devoutly say a Pater and Ave."

The assertion made by Edward I., that his ancestors were the founders may be reconciled with the foregoing, on the supposition that O’Brien built the church and the King (Henry III.), the abbey; or O’Brien may have built all and the Kingjnay have given the site. The site was probably given by the King, as O’Brien, though Lord of Thomond, had no jurisdiction within the city, which, having no charter at the time, was governed by an English provost for the King. It is also probable that the King built the abbey, both from, the use of the word "house" and also because the inscription on O’Brien’s tomb mentions merely the building of the church.

The abbey, unlike most of the other foundations, was situated within the city walls. It was to the east side, not far from King John’s Castle, adjoining the city wall.

The abbey, in ancient times, was a favourite place of burial, and, amongst others, eight bishops were buried here, viz., Hubert de Burgh, bishop of Limerick, in 1250; Donald O’Kennedy, bishop of Killaloe, in 1252; Christian, bishop of Kilfenora, in 1254; Matthew O’Hogan, bishop of Killaloe, in 1281; Simon O’Currin, bishop of Kilfenora, in 1303 ; Maurice O’Brien, bishop of Kilfenora, in 1321 ; Maurice O’Grady, archbishop of Cashel, in 1345 ; Matthew Magrath, bishop of Kilfenora, in 1391.

Six of these prelates are commemorated in the following Latin verses, inscribed on their sepulchral monument formerly existing in the church, and translated by Father Quirke from the old calendar, in which he found them placed after the Rule of St. Augustine :

Senos pontifices in se locus claudit iste,
Illis multiplices, Te posco, prsemia, Christe.
Omnes hi fuerant Fratrum Laris hujus amici ;
Hubertus de Burgo, prsesul quondam Limerici ;
Donaldus, Matthseus, pastores Laonenses ;
Christianus, Mauritius, Simon quoque Fenaborenses.
Ergo, benigne Pater, locus hos non comprimat ater.
Qui legas ista, PATER dicas et AVE reboa ter,
Centum namque dies quisquis rogitando meretur
Detur ut his requies, si pura mente precetur.
Qui legis hos versus, ad te quandoque reversus,
Quid sis et quid eris animo vigili mediteris ;
Si minor his fueris seu major eorumve sodalis,
Tandem pulvis eris, nee fallit regula talis.

Harris, the historian, gives the following translation : "
Six prelates here do lie, and in their favour, I beg your friendly prayers to Christ our Saviour ; Who in their lifetime for this House did work, The first of whom I name was Hubert Burke Who graced the See of Limerick, and Matthew, With Donald, bishops both of Killaloe ; Christian and Maurice I should name before, And Simon, bishops late of Fenabore. Therefore, kind Father, let not any soul Of these good men be lodged in the Black Hole. You, who read this, kneel down in humble posture, Bellow three AVES, say one PATER NOSTER. Whoever for their souls sincerely prays, Merits indulgence for an hundred days ; And you, who read the verses on this stone, Bethink yourself and make the case your own. Then seriously reflect on what you see, And think what you are now and what you’ll be. Whether you’re greater, equal, less, you must, As well as these, be crumbled into dust."

The absence of any mention in the verses, of the last two bishops who were buried in St. Saviour’s, leads us to conclude that the inscription belonged to the early part of the fourteenth century. Father Quirke shows from the old calendar that the O’Briens had their place of sepulture in the abbey, as well as several other families, such as the Macnamaras, the Ryans and the Roches. Many also of the Geraldines were buried here, and the friars were bound to an anniversary mass for James Fitz-John, earl of Desmond, who died in 1462 and was buried here, and whom they regarded as their second founder.

Provincial chapters were held here in 1279, 1294, an d 1310.

1285, June 30. The King to his Justiciary of Ireland and the treasurer of Dublin for the time being.
Having, ere he assumed the reins of government, granted to the Dominican friars of Dublin, Cork, Waterford, Limerick and Drogheda, 25 marks a year, at the exchequer of Dublin, the King, for the affection which he bears to the friars of Limerick, which house was founded by the King’s ancestors, wishes himself to amplify this grace to them and to the friars aforesaid of Dublin, Cork, Waterford and Drogheda. He therefore grants to the use of the friars of Limerick 10 marks (a year), beyond the 25 marks a year, to be received at the exchequer, etc.

These royal alms were made from this time forward for the next two centuries, and " liberates" were issued from time to time when they got into arrears.

About the middle of the fourteenth century, Martin Arthur built a splendid peristyle of marble to the church. -Arthur MSS.

In 1369, the city of Limerick was burnt by the Men of Thomond (Annals of Ulster}, and in the following year, great efforts were made by the citizens to rebuild the city. For this purpose 1,050 ash-trees were bought by the Corporation from the friars. Payment, however, was delayed and, in 1385, a "liberate" was issued for /i7 us. 8d., arrears due to the friars for " 1,050 ash-trees, for repair ing and rebuilding the city of Limerick, after it had been burnt by McFinan and his accomplices." Close Rolls, 8 Ric. II. Not long after the fire, the Corporation received from Edward III. the lands of Moyneter, Corbally, for the purpose of putting the fortifi cations of the city in repair. Now although the abbey, which adjoined the city walls, forming in fact a part of the encircling fortifi cation, was then almost in ruins, the Corporation were unwilling to allow them any part of the grant. The friars thereupon appealed to Parliament with the result that on Feb. i, 1377, Edward III. issued a mandate to the mayor and bailiffs of the city, enjoining them to pay the friars forty shillings yearly out of the grant.

1399. In the month of September, an annual pension of thirty marks was granted to the friars.

In 1504, this community accepted the Regular Observance and in 1509, was formed with the communities of Youghal, Cork and Cole raine, into a "Congregation of Regular Observance." From this time forward they were usually known by the name of the "Black Friars Observant of Limerick."

1541. Father Edmond was prior at the time of the general suppress ion, when he was found in possession of a church, steeple, dormitory, three chambers, a cemetery, sundry closes containing an acre and a half, etc., etc. The site was valued at two shillings and the garden and land at five and twopence, yearly.

1542, Feb. 13. There was taken from the Black Friars of Limerick, three showes [reliquaries], weighing ten ounces, with divers stones, the value of which the Commissioners state they could not tell, four stones of crystal, bound with silver, weighing ten ounces, and four score pound weight of wax, being in the said church, and iron to the sum of twenty stone and above.

1543, June 7. Grant to James Fitzgerald, earl of Desmond, of the site of the monastery of Friars Preachers Observant, or Black Friars of Limerick, with land called Corlbrekke and other appurtenances. The abbey at the time of the suppression was in possession of the fishery of the salmon-weir, and St. Thomas’s Island and the land near Parteen, called Monabrahir, belonged to it.

Early in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, the earl forfeited the abbey to the Crown, on account of having given it back to the friars in Queen Mary’s time, as shown by the following :

1569 " Also to entitle the Queen to St. Dominick’s Abbey, in the city of Limerick, there being no ground belonging to it but garden rooms. It was given to the Earl of Desmond, but he gave it to the friars in Queen Mary’s time, and therefore to be now entituled to the Queen’s Majesty’s use. It is the only meet place for the Lord President in that city.
This suggested forfeiture was evidently made soon after, for, in 1572, when a list was made out of Desmond’s lands and possessions, the abbey itself was excepted from them, though its appurtenances were still considered part of his inheritance.

1589. Oct. 22. Grant to Robert Ansley, Esq., of the Dominican Friary in Limerick.

1600. James Gould, who died this year, was in possession of the abbey.

It is difficult to form an opinion from the scant records that remain as to whether the succession of fathers was kept up in Limerick, after the suppression in the sixteenth century. The possession by the fathers in 1627 of the old calendar of the abbey inclines us to the opinion that it was. Father Quirke speaks of a Father David Browne, doctor of divinity, in this convent, who had been sent by Henry VIII. to Italy as his envoy on State affairs, and he adds that after the suppression he returned to Limerick and peacefully ended his life amongst his brethren. We know from the registers of the Order that he was Provincial in 1548, for in that year he received faculties from the General for receiving apostates back to the Order.

We have no record from this time till the beginning of the seventeenth century, when we find that Sir John Bourke of Brittas, who was executed for the faith in 1607, had been received into the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary by a Father Halaghan and that the feast of Rosary Sunday was kept at his castle. In 1622, there were six fathers living in community under Father Bernard O’Brien, the prior, uncle of Dr. Terence Albert O’Brien, the martyr. In 1629, there were three fathers there, with four students and two laybrothers.

In 1644, it was ordered by the provincial chapter, that this house should be made into a general house of studies. Terence Albert O’Brien, who was martyred in 1651, after the siege of Limerick, was twice prior of the community. During the Cromwellian regime, we find that the fathers still remained in the city, for, in 1652, Father Thadeus O’Cahessy and Fathers William and John Fitzgerald died of the plague there. In the same year, Father John Cullen, O.P., according to the White MSS., was put to death for the faith in Limerick, and we learn from the Rinuccini MSS. that Father David Roche was sent as a slave to the Barbadoes. An inscription on a chalice .of this period still in use runs thus : Orate, fro anima Patritii Sarsfield et Elenora White qui hunc calicem fieri fecerunt 1640. Spectat ad conventum Sti. Salvatoris Lims. Ord. Praed.

Some of the fathers remained in Limerick after 1698, in spite of the edict of expulsion, and in the early part of the eighteenth century began to form a community. Local tradition says that they used a large room in a house as an oratory.

Some Augustinians came to Limerick later on and opened a chapel, but the Dominicans and Franciscans, previously established there, were displeased with the admission of a new Order, which deprived themselves of their scanty means of support. On Jan. 14, 1734, they besought Dr. O’Keeffe, the bishop, to institute an inquiry to ascertain if the Augustinians could prove they had ever had formerly an establishment in the city.

There is a great discrepancy between Ferrar and Dr. Carbery, regarding the date of the opening of the Dominican chapel in Fish Lane. The former gives the date in his History of Limerick, pub lished a few years later, as 1780, while Dr. Carberry in his Chrono logical Account, etc., puts the opening of the chapel as far back as 1735

We take the following entries from the Chronological Account of the Dominican Convent, Limerick, compiled by Dr. Carbery, O.P., late bishop of Hamilton, Canada :
" About 1735, they settled down immediately at the refe of a house belonging to the Roche family, in Mary Street. Here they built a chapel, over which they made a dwelling, or small convent, the entrance to which was in Fish Lane. It was called the Friary of Fish Lane. This chapel was erected immediately behind Mr. Roche’s house, and as it were, under cover of the same, as can be seen at the present day. Doubtless this was arranged for the purpose of escaping the rigour of the penal laws, at that time in full force. The chapel was a parallelogram about sixty feet long, and thirty broad. It was decorated in rather good taste. There were galleries all round, supported by accurately elaborated Corinthian pillars. The altar consisted of an entablature supported by columns of the same style. The painting over the altar was a crucifixion.

"The only article of furniture belonging to the original church of St. Saviour that was to be found in this chapel, was the oak statue of the Virgin and Child, which was made in Flanders in the early part of the seventeenth century, and which, after the final destruction of that church, was buried in the ground for nearly a century. As soon as the fathers had their new place of worship completed, they brought in their dear old statue of our Lady, and set it up in a shrine prepared at the Epistle side of the altar, where it continued to be an object of tender devotion to the faithful, who were ever alive to the pious traditions of the Fathers of the Rosary, as the Dominicans were then frequently called. It is said that many great graces were obtained from God by the pious clients of Mary, who made their devotions before this shrine.

" 1765. Father M. P. M-cMahon, master in theology, and a son of this house, made his studies in Lisbon, and having returned to Ireland, discharged the duties of Apostolic Missionary for many years with great fruit in his native city. He had been prior frequently. He was appointed by Pope Clement XIII. to the bishopric of Killaloe, in place of Right Rev. William O’Meara, lately deceased. Dr. McMahon was consecrated in the parish chapel of Thurles, on the 4th of August, 1765, by the Most Rev. James Butler, archbishop of Cashel, assisted by Dr. O’Kearney, of Limerick, and Dr. de Burgo, O.P., of Ossory.

" 1814. Father Joseph Harrigan was made prior at this time. The new prior, finding the old chapel in Fish Lane insufficient for the ‘wants of the increasing congregation, and at the same time showing great signs of decaj’, got from Edmond Henry, Earl of Limerick, on a lease of lives, renewable for ever, at the yearly rent of 54 173. 8d., the plot of ground on which the present church is built, and which in those days was called South Prior Lands. Here Father Harrigan began the work of building the present church, which at that time was considered a marvel of architectural splendour.

" 1815. On the 27th of March (Easter Monday), the first stone of the new church was blessed and placed by the Right Rev. Dr. Tuohy, bishop of Limerick, attended by the clergy, and by the Mayor, John Vereker, Esq., with Sheriffs and Corporation in’ regalia.

" 1816. The church was solemnly consecrated by the Right Rev. Dr. Tuohy, on the 6th of July this year, with the unctions and blessings of the Pontifical, He was assisted in the solemn rite by the bishops of the province, the warden of Galway, Dr. French, O.P., afterwards bishop of Kilfenora, and a vast number of the clergy. The consecration sermon was preached by the Very Rev. Father John A. Ryan, prior of Cork. Father Ryan was a native of Limerick, and a son of this convent.

" The anniversary of this solemn consecration is celebrated each year on the 6th of July by an office and Mass and Octave. Father Harrigan and his community brought their dear old statue of our Lady to the new church, where it still remains, to the great delight of the faithful.

" 1837. On the 27th of August, of this year, the Rev. Father P. R. Griffith, a son of this convent, was consecrated as vicar-apostolic of the Cape of Good Hope, by the Most Rev. Dr. Murray, arch bishop of Dublin. The consecration took place in Townsend Street chapel, Dublin. Father Griffith was born in Limerick, on the 18th October, 1798 ; at the age of sixteen he went to the novitiate in Lisbon ; after making his profession, he proceeded to Rome, where he made his studies at San Clemente. Being ordained priest, he returned to his native convent where he soon became distinguished as a preacher, and after some time was assigned to Dublin, where he remained until his consecration. His zeal was specially remark able in the awful years of the cholera, 1830 and 1831. He arrived in Cape Town in April, 1,838. He was accompanied by two priests, Father Bourke, O.S.F , and Father Connolly, O.P., good and zealous missionaries, who did much in the cause of religion in the infant church of South Africa."

1859. Father James Joseph Carbery, from whose annals we have taken the preceding entries was elected prior this year, and soon after his installation began the work of improvement in the church which was almost equivalent to rebuilding.,

1874. Father William O’Carroll, formerly a member of this community, was appointed coadjutor to the archbishop of Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, where he died in 1880.

1883. Dr. Carbery, who did so much for the improvement of the church, was appointed bishop of Hamilton, Canada. While paying a visit to Ireland in 1887, he died in Cork on December 19th, and was buried in the little convent cemetery in Limerick.

St Saviour’s Limerick (4)
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ST. SAVIOUR, LIMERICK.