brenan, carew, and their ecclesiastical histories

Brenan, Carew, and Their Ecclesiastical HistoriesAuthor(s): Pádraig Ó SúilleabháinSource: Archivium Hibernicum, Vol. 27 (1964), pp. 104-106Published by: Catholic Historical Society of IrelandStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25487374 .

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BRENAN, CAREW, AND THEIR ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORIES

Edited by Rev. PAdraig 6 Sijilleabhain, O.F.M.

The letter published here is to be found among the Richard Walsh

papers (E 39) in the Franciscan library, Killiney. Written in 1834 by William Kelly, who was a priest of the diocese of Ferns and professor of English and French in Maynooth College from 1830 until 1838, it contains an item or two of interest not generally known. For one thing,

we learn from it that Christopher Boylan1 began a continuation of John

Lanigan's Ecclesiastical History of Ireland but could not proceed for want of material. Lanigan's four-volume work, it may be added, only brings us down to the beginning of the thirteenth century.

Richard Walsh, the recipient of the letter, was guardian of the Franciscan friary, Wexford, at the time. It was he who in 1803 had the

present friary and library built, and it was he too who, some years later, recovered in Louvain, Brussels and elsewhere, many of the books that

belonged to St Anthony's College, but which were scattered as a result of the French occupation of the Low Countries.

Michael Brenan, whose complaint against the two professors, Kelly and Carew, was the occasion of the letter, seems to have been a difficult and wayward person. Born in Kilkenny about 1790, he entered Maynooth College in 1808, but did not finish his ecclesiastical studies there, as he was expelled during the presidency of Dr Murray (26 June 1812?10 Nov.

1813).2 His name occurs in the list of students of the third year's theology class, at the College, Maudlin St, Kilkenny, for the academic year 1813 1814. At the close of his theological course he entered the Franciscan

Order, was professed at Cork in 1816, and subsequently ordained priest. He acquired a high reputation as a preacher, but owing to vanity and a

spirit of independence, he clashed with his superiors, left the Church and became a Protestant minister. After a period of four years or so, in 1829, he repented of his folly, was readmitted into the Franciscan Order, and allocated to Wexford friary, where, with the encouragement and help of Fr Henry Hughes, afterwards vicar apostolic of Gibraltar, he wrote his Ecclesiastical History. It is believed that the writing of the History was

imposed upon him as a penance. Published by Coyne in 1840, it is, on

the whole, quite a useful work.3 Carew's Ecclesiastical History was published in 1835. It is, on the

author's own admission, based on Lanigan's. Carew was a priest of the diocese of Waterford and professor in Maynooth College from 1825

1 Boylan, a priest of the diocese of Meath, was professor in Maynooth College from

1816 until 1828. 2 The account of Brenan in the Catholic Encyclopedia, as well as that in the Irish

Book Lover xxviii (April 1941-May 1942). 90, contains a number of inaccuracies. 8 It has been objected that the earliest and best parts of it are a complete paraphrase

of Lanigan's Ecclesiastical History.



BRENAN, CAREW, AND THEIR HISTORIES 105

until 1838, when he was appointed coadjutor to the vicar apostolic of Madras. He was transferred to the archiepiscopal see of Edessa and the vicariate of West Bengal in 1840. He died in Calcutta in 1855.

Royal College Maynooth 14 April 34 Revd and dear Sir

I received a letter some weeks since from Mr Brennan of your Convent. I wrote an answer to it which circumstances prevented from sending to

you. I apprehend that some persons are amusing themselves with this

poor man at the hazard of injuring him and not serving religion. Mr Brennan wrote two other letters, one to Mr R. Coyne,4 the other to Mr

Carew, on the same subject upon which he wrote to me. In the three letters he states that during last vacation he told me that he was engaged in writing a History of the Irish Church, and had brought it down to some

period which he mentioned to me. In his letter to Mr Coyne he adds, if I mistake not, that I read some chapters of his work, or at least that I saw his manuscript. He next says that I communicated what he told me to 'one Carew'. He complains that Mr Carew and I having pilfered from him the idea or plan of an ecclesiastical History of Ireland, were so

unjust as to publish the prospectus which has appeared. In conclusion he

threatens, if we persevere in our 'unjust and ungentlemanly' conduct, 'to let the public know of us.' I think it necessary to make known to you as

guardian of the Convent the substance of Mr Brennan's letters, and to

lay before you also my answer which shall be very short. I recollect that Mr Brennan told me, and I know that he told several

others, that he was engaged in writing an Irish History. But really I

paid so little attention to what he said, because I entertained strong doubts with regard to the execution of his design, that I never burdened

my memory with it. On one occasion, in a desultory conversation about

history, what Mr Brennan had told me came into my mind and I men tioned it to a very intelligent clergyman with whom I was conversing.

The clergyman's reply was, that it was well to have Mr Brennan employed, but that it would be scarcely prudent to permit him to publish a History of the Irish Church.

The writing of an ecclesiastical History of Ireland is a matter that has been talked of in the College these last eight years. Mr Boylan com menced a continuation of Lanigan. He was unable to proceed for want of materials.

Neither I nor any body else ever informed Mr Carew of Mr Brennan's

design, in fact Mr Carew would in all probability have never known any thing about Mr Brennan's History were it not for this latter gentleman's letter. Mr Brennan can learn from his friend Mr Coyne that Mr Carew

was occupied about the History now preparing for the press long before

4 Doubtless the well-known Dublin printer.



106 BRENAN, CAREW, AND THEIR HISTORIES

I knew or saw Mr Brennan. And the truth is the whole of Mr Carew's

History, with the exception of the last chapter, was complete before I went home last vacation.

I perceive that instead of confining myself to a short answer I have run over the heads of a lengthened vindication.

Mr Brennan says that he will appeal to the public. As a friend of Mr Brennan I would suggest that the less the public hear of him the better, or if the concealment of a convent be too obscure for his labours I would recommend him to appear in some more suitable character than that

which he threatens to assume. I hope that the injury you sustained by the fall was not serious. I had

many things to say, but I am at present so pressed with business that it is with difficulty and after many interruptions that I have finished this letter. What would you think of a universal History of the Church down to the present time? We have materials enough for an Irish Ecclesiastical

History, I mean for the continuation of Lanigan, if it were to form but a

part [of] the History of the Universal Church. I wrote several letters to John St and got no answer.

I am sorry to inform you that one of our professors, Mr Anglade, the last of the venerable French-men, will be buried to morrow. With many

apologies for troubling you so long?I remain Rev and dear Sir Your obliged sert.,

William Kelly



brenan, carew, and their ecclesiastical histories

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