History

In the closing years of the nineteenth century, Ireland was a land marked by memory, resilience, and quiet determination. Rural communities carried the weight of centuries of hardship while holding fast to faith, learning, and hope for renewal. It was into this landscape, both physical and spiritual, that a small group of Franciscan friars arrived with a vision that far exceeded their modest means. Their mission was not simply to erect buildings, but to plant the seeds of education, discipline, and opportunity in a place shaped by endurance rather than ease.

This account traces the remarkable beginnings and gradual growth of the Franciscan college at Multyfarnham, a story rooted in prayer, perseverance, and deep collaboration between friars and local people. It reveals how faith-inspired leadership, careful planning, and communal effort transformed a bleak winter arrival into a flourishing centre of learning. From the laying of the foundation stone to the steady expansion of its walls and purpose, the narrative reflects a shared belief in education as a force for lasting change.

Paschal Sweeney recounts a story that is a testament to vision made tangible; where stone, labour, and learning combined to shape generations and leave an enduring legacy.

Our historian, Paschal Sweeney, updates us in this latest installment of the history of Multy.

The history of Multyfarnham Friary is a story of faith, endurance, and renewal. By the 19th century, only a small number of friars lived there, their way of life little changed from earlier times. Though they no longer administered the parish, they continued their ministry of charity and spiritual guidance, earning deep affection and respect from the community.

Amid the broader revival of Catholic life in post-Emancipation Ireland, the friars of Multyfarnham remained steadfast in their vocation. Their peaceful existence reflected both the endurance of faith and the resilience of the Franciscan spirit in a changing world. The story of the friary’s lands, seized in the 16th century, passing through many hands, and finally restored to the Franciscans in 1904, symbolises the persistence of that same spirit through hardship and renewal.

As the 19th century gave way to a new era, a renewed vision for Franciscan life in Ireland emerged. The friars’ quiet perseverance through centuries of challenge laid the foundation for a vibrant revival, restoring to Multyfarnham not only its lands but also its place at the heart of Ireland’s enduring religious heritage.

The year 1827 marked a profound turning point for the Franciscan community in Multyfarnham, County Westmeath. After 176 years of worship in exile, living in a modest cottage across the River Gaine, the friars finally returned to their spiritual home. The ruined friary and church, long silent since the Cromwellian onslaught of 1651, began to stir once more with the echoes of liturgy and the toll of the bell.

Thanks to the vision and perseverance of Fr. Conway, Guardian of the community, a partial restoration of the ancient structure was completed. Though modest in material terms, the revival of the friary was rich in symbolic and spiritual meaning. It brought the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass back to the very altar from which the friars had been violently driven centuries earlier.

This act not only marked a renewal of Franciscan life in Multyfarnham but also stood as a powerful testament to the resilience of Irish Catholicism. In an age finally giving way to religious tolerance, the friars reclaimed their rightful place—on the same hallowed ground where their predecessors had prayed, served, and endured. 1827 thus stands not just as a date in history, but as a beacon of hope and continuity.

Our historian, Paschal Sweeney, shares with us the story of this time.

In his recounting of the history of Multyfarnham Friary, Paschal Sweeney takes us to the period between 1730 and 1852, which marked a time of transition and quiet resilience for Multyfarnham Friary.

Amid political unrest and religious suppression, the friary’s ownership shifted, and its religious community struggled to maintain its presence. Despite these challenges, key figures such as Fr Francis Dease and Fr Thomas Conway played vital roles in securing the friary’s lands, restoring its church, and laying the groundwork for the gradual revival of Franciscan life.

Here, Paschal sets out the key developments during this transformative era in the friary’s history.

In this segment, Paschal Sweeney tells us more of the history of the Friary at Multyfarnham, looking particularly at the time of the Rebellion of 1798.

In 1798, political unrest in Ireland reached Multyfarnham, Co. Westmeath. United Irishmen, seeking to support General Humbert, attacked Wilson’s Hospital for weapons. The Warden, initially hostile, was taken prisoner but spared after Fr. Moran intervened.

By 1799, relations between the Church and government improved. The Franciscan friars of Multyfarnham faced declining numbers, with only three in 1800. Despite this, they maintained their traditions.

In 1813, traveler Atkinson described the friary’s humble, simple life, reflecting the enduring faith and poverty of the friars, which survived despite the challenges of the era.

Paschal Sweeney takes us another part along the historical journey of the friary at Multyfarnham, its people and priests, and those who interacted with it, for good or otherwise!

In this segment, he considers the roles of some of the friars at the time, who carried the responsibility for Multyfarnham and the nearby church in Leney – which still exists today.

HISTORY SEGMENT

During the first half of the 18th century Franciscan life at Multyfarnham was as uneventful as the friars could make it.  The friars could never forget that they had no legal status.

As far as parliamentary legislation could make them such, they were outcasts, declared enemies of the state.  Consequently they had to move about quietly, performing their priestly duties as unobtrusively as possible.

Yet there is no evidence of open persecution.  The friars had, of course, moments of extreme uneasiness.  Sometimes a threatened descent of Jacobite’s, or an unaccountable paroxysm of anti-Catholic fury, would lead to a sudden enforcement of penal legislation and a renewed vigilance on the part of the authorities.

HISTORY SEGMENT

Among the Guardians of Multyfarnham friary in the first quarter of the 18th century were two friars who filled the office of Provincial in challenging times.  Fr Peter Warren came from a family distinguished since the early days of the Norman occupation, when they received generous grants of land and fixed their principal seat at Warrenstown, Co Meath.

During the English Civil War (1642 – 1651), the family consistently supported the Royalist cause and as a result suffered severely under Cromwell.  At the Restoration they were singled out under the Act of Settlement for special treatment as ‘innocent papists’ and obtained lands at Castleknock.  In later years they stood by the Stuarts and the soldier members of the family followed James II into exile.

Paschal Sweeney has completed the next phase in telling the history of the Franciscan Friary in Multyfarnham.

In this chapter, Paschal outlines the life of the friars during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Although still not free from oppression, nonetheless, they continued their service, preaching the Gospel at all times, and sometimes, using words!