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(TUAMENSIS).
The Archdiocese of Tuam, themetropolitansee of Connacht, extends, roughly speaking, from the Shannon westwards to the sea, and comprises half of CountyGalway, and nearly half of Mayo, with a small portion of south Roscommon. It is territorially the largest diocese inIreland, including in itself about one-fourteenth of the entire area of the country. At the census of 1901 theCatholic population was 193,768; the entire non-Catholic population was 4,194. There are severalparishes in which all the inhabitants areCatholics. The mainland portion of the archdiocese is divided by a chain of lakes extending from the city ofGalway to the Pontoon, near Foxford, Mayo. The largest of these lakes — Corrib, Mask, and Carra — form a magnificent and continuous watercourse, but are not connected by navigable rivers or canals. The country east of these lakes is a great undulating plain, mostly of arable land, interspersed here and there with bogs and smaller lakes. The country west of the great lakes is of entirely different character. It is nearly all rugged and heathery, with ranges of hills rising steeply from the lakes, especially from the shores of Lough Mask on one side, and from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean on the other, forming many lofty peaks with long-drawn valleys where the streams rushing down widen into deep and fishful lakes, which, especially in Connemara, attract fishermen from all parts of the United Kingdom. The population of this rugged lakeland is sparse and poor, but the scenery very picturesque, especially towards the west, where the bays of the ocean penetrate far in between the mountains, as at the beautiful Killary Bay. This western coast is bordered by many wind-swept islands, affording a precarious sustenance to the inhabitants. Of these the chief are the Isles of Aran inGalway Bay, and farther off, on the northwestern coast, Inishark, Inisboffin, and Inisturk, Clare Island and Achill Island — all of which are inhabited and haveschools and churches. There are threepriests on the Aran Islands, one on Inisboffin, one on Clare Island, and three on Achill, which has a population of about 6000souls.
The archdiocese comprises seven rural deaneries — Tuam, Dunmore, Claremorris, Ballinrobe, Castlebar, Westport, and Clifden. There are three vicars-general who preside over three divisions of the archdiocese which from time immemorial have been historically distinct, that isGalway east of the Corrib; WestGalway, or the Kingdom of Connemara, and the Mayo portion. There are 143secular priests, of whom eight are usually employed in theseminary. There are only two regulars, properly so called, who reside in the Augustinianmonastery of Ballyhaunis; twopriests of the order of St. Camillus have charge of the hospice for infirmclergy, Moyne Park, Ballyglunin,Galway, and foursecular clergy of a preparatory college for the African Missions in the Co. Mayo, generously given for the purpose by Count Blake of Cloughballymore. There are four houses of theChristian Brothers, and one of theBrothers of the Christian schools. There are elevenmonasteries of theThird Order Regular of St. Francis, who were formed byArchbishop MacHale to counteract the efforts of proselytizing institutions and to teach agriculture to their pupils. Of theseschools the most successful has been the Agriculture College of Mount Bellew, which is working under the Agricultural Department. There are three Presentationconvents, and tenconvents of theSisters of Mercy withschools.St. Jarlath's Diocesan Seminary has more than a hundred resident students.
St. Patrick in Tuam.St. Patrick came into the Diocese of Tuam from Airtech in northwest Roscommon most likely in A.D. 440, and thence travelled almost due west from Aghamore, where he founded his first church, on the summit of Croaghpatrick. We have the names of some twelve churches which he established in this district; it is expressly stated that he placedbishops over several of these churches — at Cella Senes near Ballyhaunis; at Kilbenin, where he placedSt. Benignus; at Donaghpatrick, which he gave to Bishop Felartus; at Aghagower, where he placed St. Senach, whom he called Agnus Dei on account of his meekness. His sojourn for forty days on the summit of Croaghpatrick has been described in the article CROAGH PATRICK. During the subsequent centuries the successors of Patrick often visited the Patrician churches in Connacht and received both homage and tribute from the clergy and the people. They claimed a special jurisdiction over the twelve or fourteen Patrician churches in Tuam, even over the oratory on the summit of the holy mountain. Later these claims became exorbitant and were resisted by the archbishops of Tuam, especially after the Synod of Kells (1152), and the controversy was carried toRome and finally decided in their favour. Theprimates, however, were allowed the rents of certain church lands in Tuam, but these claims they afterwards remitted in exchange for lands in the north ofIreland.
The Archdiocese of Tuam now comprises the territories of five of those ancientdioceses which at different periods were united to the original Diocese of Tuam. This original diocese, which may be taken as corresponding roughly with the modern deanery of Tuam, comprised the ancient territory known as the Conmaicne of Dunmore, and also the Ciarraigi of Loch nan-Airneadh, as well as a portion of Corcamogha and the Sodan territory. When the O'Conor kings of the twelfth century came to be the chief rulers of Connacht, and for a time of allIreland, they resided mostly at Tuam and sought to control the spiritual as they did the temporal rulers of their principality. There can be nodoubt that it was the influence of Turlough Mor, then King ofIreland, which induced theprelates andpapal legate atKells in 1152 to make his own Diocese of Tuam thearchiepiscopal andmetropolitansee of the province. This original See of Tuam was founded about A.D. 520 bySt. Jarlath, son of Loga, the disciple of St. Benin of Kilbannon, and the preceptor for a time at Cloonfush near Tuam ofSt. Brendan the Navigator. The originalcathedral known as Tempull Jarlath stood on the site of the presentProtestantcathedral. After Jarlath's death his remains were enshrined and preserved in a church built for the purpose and called Tempull na Scrine, close to the spot on which theCatholiccathedral now stands. Around thiscathedral, which was begun by Dr. Oliver Kelly in 1826, are grouped in a circle all the otherecclesiastical buildings — the college, the Presentationconvent andschools, the Mercyconvent andschools of theSisters of Mercy, theChristian Brothers' House andschools, and the recently-erectedarchiepiscopal residence.
The ancientSee of Annaghdown grew out of themonastery founded bySt. Brendan for his sister St. Briga. Itsjurisdiction extended over O'Flaherty's country around Lough Corrib and comprised in all some seventeenparishes. Thesee was independent down to the death of Thomas O'Mellaigh in 1250, when Archbishop MacFlionn seized and held it with the consent of the king. For the next 250 years a prolonged and unseemly conflict was carried on between thearchbishops andabbots, the former declaring that Annahdown had been reduced by thepope and the king to the rank of aparish church, whilst theabbots stoutly maintained their independence. In 1484 the wardenship ofGalway was established, and all theparishes on the south and west around the lake were placed under the warden's quasi-episcopaljurisdiction, Tuam still retaining eightparishes to the east of the lake. In 1830 the wardenship was abolished, and theSee of Galway established as a regularepiscopal see, suffragan to Tuam.
TheDiocese of Cong included all theparishes subject to the Abbey of Cong, which was founded by St. Fechin in 626. Theabbots seem to have exercised quasi-episcopaljurisdiction over nineteenparishes in the Baronies of Ballynahinch,Ross, and Kilmaine, which for the most part were served by themonks as vicars under theabbot. In the Synod of Rath Breasail Cong was counted as one of the fivedioceses of Connacht, but there is no mention of it at the Synod of Kells in 1152. King Rory O'Conor retired to theabbey for several years and died there.
TheDiocese of Mayo like that of Cong had its origin in Mayo Abbey, founded by St. Colman about 667 for Saxonmonks who had followed him fromLindisfarne. In 1152 it was recognized by the Synod of Kells as one of the Connacht sees, and mention is made of the death of Gilla Isu O'Mailin,Bishop of Mayo, in 1184, but on the death of Bishop Cele O'Duffy in 1209 no successor was appointed and thesee was merged in that of Tuam, probably through the influence of King Cathal O'Conor and his relative Archbishop Felix O'Ruadan of Tuam. Butbishops of Mayo reappear from time to time in the annals down to 1579 when Bishop Patrick O'Healy coming home to take possession of his See of Mayo was seized with his companion Friar O'Rourke and hanged at Kilmallock by Drury, the English President of Munster. At one time Mayo had no fewer than twenty-eightparishes under itsjurisdiction, which extended from the Dalgin River at Kilvine to Achill Head. At present this is a small ruralparish, and the "City of Mayo" comprises not more than half a dozen houses.
Of theDiocese of Aghagower we need say little. It was founded in 441 bySt. Patrick who placed over it Bishop Senach; the "Book of Armagh" tells us thatbishops dwelt there in the time of the writer (early part of the ninth century). Thejurisdiction of Aghagower extended over the "Owles", the territory around Clew Bay, comprising the modern deanery of Westport. But at an earlydate these churches were absorbed first into theDiocese of Mayo and afterwards into that of Tuam.
Besides the greatmonasteries of Annaghdown, Cong, and Mayo, there were others in the archdiocese that deserve mention. Themonastery of St. Enda at Killeany in Aran become famous in the first quarter of the sixth century. Near it was the oratory Tempull Benain, which Benan, or Benignus, of Kilbannon, the disciple ofSt. Patrick, had built. It is very small but strikingly beautiful, and its cyclopean walls have not lost a stone for the last fourteen hundred years. There are in addition to the Aran Island many other holy islands around this wild western coast, as Island Mac Dara, which all the fishermen salute by dipping their sails, Cruach of St. Caelainn, Ardilaun of St. Fechin, St. Colman's Inisboffin, Caher of St. Patrick. TheCistercian Abbey of Knockmoy (de Colle Victoriae), six miles from Tuam, founded in 1189 by King Crovedearg, was one of the largest and the wealthiest in the West ofIreland. Mention, too, is made of aBishop of Knockmoy. The ruins are full of interest, for some of its walls were frescoed and the sculpturedtomb of King Felim O'Conor is well preserved. At its suppression in 1542 it was found to be in the possession of the rectories of several churches, and large estates inGalway, Roscommon, and Mayo. The same King Cathal of the Red Hand founded in 1215 the Abbey of Ballintubber close toSt. Patrick's holy well. It was admirably built and has been partly restored as theparochial church of the district. It contains thetomb and monument of the first Viscount Mayo, the son of Sir Richard Burke and Grania Uaile, Queen of Clew Bay. TheDominican Abbey ofAthenry was established in 1241 by Meyler De Bermingham who endowed it with ample possessions. It usually contained thirtyfriars. The "main" building was erected by Meyler; King Felim O'Conor built the refectory; Flann O'Flynn built the "Scholar House", for thefriars kept a notedschool; Owen O'Heyne built the dormitory; Con O'Kelly built the "chapter house", and so on with the guest chamber and the infirmary. InQueen Mary's reign thisconvent was selected to be auniversity college for Connacht, but the project was never realized. Buried there are many of the early Burkes of Clanrichard, who in life were benefactors and protectors of theconvent.
TheBenedictine Nuns had aconvent at Kilereevanty, situated on the Dalgin River, four miles from Tuam. It was founded in 1200 by the same King Cathal O'Conor for the royal ladies of hisfamily, and of other high chieftains by whom it was richly endowed. It held estates not only inGalway but also in Roscommpon, Mayo, Sligo, and Westmeath, and the rectories of score of differentparishes. Its inmates at one time secured atRome a curtailment of thearchbishop'srights of visitations andprocurations, but after a short experience, thepope found itnecessary to restore his fullrights to thearchbishop. It was however the greatest and wealthiestconvent in the West. There were many smallerreligious houses in the archdiocese. The Augustinians had ten; theDominicans three; theFranciscans three or four; the Cistericians two; theTemplars one, and there were also three or fournunneries.
In the long list of theArchbishops of Tuam there are many illustrious names which can be referred to here only briefly.
The moral state of the archdiocese is very good. Temperance is making rapid strides amongst all classes of the population. Grave public crimes of every kind have almost disappeared. Primaryeducation is now universally diffused even in the remotest mountain valleys. TheChristian Brothers'schools are remarkably efficient,St. Jarlath's College, Tuam, now holds a premier place amongst thediocesan colleges ofIreland. The social condition of the people also has been greatly improved mainly through he efforts of the Congested Districts Board. They are better housed and better fed; the land is better tilled, and much more is derived from the harvest of the seas around the coast. No part ofIreland suffered more during the famine years from starvation and proselytism than Connemara and the Island of Achill. The starving people were bribed during these years by food and money to go to theProtestant churches and send their children to the proselytizingschools. If they went they got food and money. "Silver Monday", as they called it, was the day fixed for these doles. If they refused to go to the church and to theschool they got nothing; and to theirhonour it must be said, that most of them, but not all, preferred starvation to apostasy. The proselytizers have now completely disappeared, and have quite enough to do to take care of themselves.
The presentarchbishop, Most Rev. John Healy, a native of theDiocese of Elphin, was born in 14 Nov., 1841 at Ballinafad, Co. Sligo. His earlyeducation was received at an excellent classicalschool in the town of Sligo whence, at about fifteen years of age, he proceeded to thediocesan college, in those days situated at Summerhill near Athlone. On 26 August, 1860, he entered the class of rhetoric atMaynooth, and just before the completion of his course was called out by hisbishop to be a professor in the college at Summerhill. Here he wasordained in Sept., 1867, and continued to teach for over two years. His missionary experiences were gained in theparish of Ballygar, near Roscommon, where he wascurate for two years, and then at Grange, Co. Sligo, where he spent seven years. He was then for one year in charge of a deaneryschool in the town ofElphin. In 1879, he competed simultaneously for two vacant chairs — one oftheology and the other of classics — in the national college of Maynooth, and had the uniquehonour conferred on him of being appointed to both and allowed to make his own choice between them. He naturally selected the chair oftheology, which he filled till 1883, when he succeededDr. Murray, as prefect of the Dunboyne Establishment. During his tenure of this office, Dr. Healy acted as editor of the "Irish ecclesiastical Record", but this was only for a single year, for in 1884 he was appointedtitularBishop of Maera and CoadjutorBishop ofClonfert. Here it may be interesting to note that no less than five members of Dr. Healy's class in Maynooth wear the episcopal purple inIrishsees. In 1896, on the death of the saintly Dr. Duggan, he succeeded to thesee ofClonfert. Seven years after, bypapal Brief,dated 13 Feb., 1903, he becameArchbishop of Tuam, and on the following St. Patrick's Day took possession of his ancient see. On 31 August, 1909, he celebrated the silver jubilee of his episcopate.
Thearchbishop is a member of manyIrish public bodies notably of the Agricultural Board, the Senate of the National University, the Board of Governors of University College,Galway. He is president of theCatholic Truth Society ofIreland, and a Commissioner for the publication of theBrehon Laws. He acted on the Royal Commission of 1901 to inquire into and report on condition of University Education inIreland. His principal published works are: "Ireland's Ancient Schools and Scholars", which has reached a fifth edition; "The Centenary History ofMaynooth College"; "The Record of the Maynooth Centenary Celebrations"; "The Life and Writings of St. Patrick"; "Irish Essays: Literary and Historical"; "Papers and Addresses", a jubilee collection of fugitive periodical articles and reviews.
COLGAN, Acta sanctorum Hiberniae; KNOX, Notes on the Dioceses of Tuam, etc.; IDEM, Hist. of the County Mayo; HEALY, Ireland's Ancient Schools and Scholars; Annals of the Four Masters, ed. O'DONOVAN; BRADY, Episcopal Succession; D'ALTON, History of Ireland; HARDIMAN, Hist. of Galway; O'CONOR DON, The O'Conors of Connacht.
APA citation.Healy, J.(1912).Tuam. InThe Catholic Encyclopedia.New York: Robert Appleton Company.http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15079d.htm
MLA citation.Healy, John."Tuam."The Catholic Encyclopedia.Vol. 15.New York: Robert Appleton Company,1912.<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15079d.htm>.
Transcription.This article was transcribed for New Advent by Thomas M. Barrett.Dedicated to the Christian Community of Tuam.
Ecclesiastical approbation.Nihil Obstat. October 1, 1912. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor.Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.
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