Viewing History

To commemorate 800 years of the Franciscan Order, President Mary McAleese visited the Mícheál Ó Cléirigh Institute at University College Dublin on 20th October. In 1997 the Irish OFM Province entered into a partnership with the university to preserve an archive collection of great historical interest and make it available to others. The archival partnership is an innovative model of collaboration between a university and a religious Order. The Institute houses manuscripts, documents and early books, including the earliest books published in the Irish language on the initiative of the friars. In addition to a collection of thousands of manuscripts and documents relating to the history of the Irish Franciscans, including papers relating to the Irish Franciscan colleges on the continent (St Anthony’s Louvain, St Isidore’s Rome and the Immaculate Conception Prague), the archive also traces 1,000 years of Irish history, and tells the story of Ireland and its identity over the centuries. Dr John McCafferty, Director of the Institute, states: “The collection is a national treasure. It contains significant historical documents relating to the history of the Irish people both at home and abroad. The archival materials tell us how notions of Irishness, which last to the present day, were created in the 17th century, and they also demonstrate the important contribution made by the Irish to European culture and thought.” Among the items viewed by the President was the Psalter of Caimín, a unique fragment of an illuminated 12th century Irish manuscript from Co. Clare saved by Mícheál Ó Cléirigh, the Irish Franciscan who directed the compilation of the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of Irish history from prehistory to 1616 AD.

Papal Honour

Mary Meaney was presented with a Papal Blessing on Wednesday 7th October because of the great service that she has given the Franciscans in Clonmel. Mary was professed into the Secular Franciscan Order on 6th September 1951. In the years since then, she has served as President, Secretary, Vice- President, Assistant Treasurer, Director of Formation and PRO. She has also served as a member of the Franciscan Missionary Union Committee since it was inaugurated. She has served as Treasurer for many years and has organised many functions and events to help raise funds for the missions. In addition, she has been commissioned as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion and a Minister of the Word in the Franciscan Church, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary. Mary has devoted her life to supporting the Franciscan friars in their life and ministry in Clonmel, giving them unfailing support for the best part of sixty years. The friars of the Province of Ireland, many of whom have experienced Mary's kindness first hand, were more than pleased to express their gratitude to her. At a public Mass in the Friary Fr Ulic Troy, Director of the Franciscan Missionary Union, and Fr John Harty presented Mary with the Papal Blessing and thanked her for the great service that she has given down through the years.