History

in this latest chapter in the history of the friars at Multyfarnham, Paschal tells of of the years during the William and Mary (Queen Mary II and her husband, the infamous King William III of Orange, famous in Irish minds, for the Battle of the Boyne) 1689 – 1702.

These were difficult times for Catholics in Ireland and especially for priests, Bishops, friars, monks, and their many associates and friends.

Here, Paschal tell us something of this time in Ireland and the effect on the Franciscan fraternity in Multyfarnham.

In this latest addition to his recounting the history of the Franciscans in Multyfarnham, Paschal Sweeney tells us the story of Bishop Patrick Tyrrell, who died in 1692.

Bishop Tyrrell joined the Franciscans in Multyfarnham in or around 1647 / 1648. Due to later persecutions of Catholics in Ireland and of the Franciscans in Multy, he was the last clothed in the brown habit of the Friars for a very long time.

Tyrell went on to become one of the most prominent members of the Irish hierarchy. He served as Bishop at the same time as now Saint Oliver Plunkett was in Armagh.

Read Paschal’s story here for the rest of the story.

Our local historian, Paschal Sweeney, takes us further along the path of Multyfarnham’s history, this time looking at the years 1669 to 1687 and at all the key events during this time.

Paschal’s insights tell us not just of the events but go beyond just the dates to what was actually happening at the time.

Enjoy this next instalment from Paschal and learn a little more of the hundreds of years of history embedded in the very stones of the Friary church!

Our history of the Friary continues in this latest segment from Paschal Sweeney.

A return to the friary at Multyfarnham wasn’t immediately possible. Restoring the Friary from the damage caused to it was an expensive task. Hence, through the generosity of Sir Thomas Nugent, the found a home at Knightswood and here, once again, the Franciscan charism and mission flourished.

In this segment, Paschal writes of the friars time in Knightswood, including a report by Saint Oliver Plunkett to Rome about the presence of the Friars in this place.

The historical story of the Friary at Multyfarnham continues when Paschal Sweeney, our ‘resident historian’ takes us through the years that followed the death of Oliver Cromwell in 1658.

With anti-Catholic sentiment easing, the friars could take tentative steps towards a return to their ministry in Multyfarnham.

In this segment, Paschal takes us through the developments in the years from 1658 through 1670.

We have another instalment from our local historian, Paschal Sweeney. This time, he writes of how the friary in Multyfarnham avoided being plundered in the immediate aftermath of the victory at Benburb in 1646 during the Irish Confederate Wars. He also introduces us to two of the illustrious people associated with the friary, viz. Giovanni Battista Rinuccini (1592–1653) Archbishop and Papal Nuncio, and Fr James Fitzsimons. Read the whole story here.

Our historian, Paschal Sweeney, offers another fascinating insight into the history of the friary and the friars here at Multyfarnham. In this piece, Paschal looks at the years in and around 1641, a time when the friary would seem to have been at the centre of so much that was going on and a centre of Franciscan influence in Ireland.

Paschal tells us about the great Brother Mícheál Ó’Cléirigh OFM and the famous Annals of the Four Masters