Matthew Russell SJ (1834–1912) was an Irish Jesuit, known as a writer, poet and editor.[1]
He was born at Ballybot,County Down, into a Catholic family, the son of Arthur Russell and his wife Margaret Hamill, née Mullan; he was the brother ofCharles Russell, Baron Russell of Killowen and nephew ofCharles William Russell. After education atCastleknock College and time as a seminarian atSt Patrick's College, Maynooth, he joined theSociety of Jesus in 1857.[1]
Ordained priest in 1864, Russell then taught atCrescent College, outsideLimerick, to 1873.[1][2] From 1873 he was inDublin, from 1877 a priest atSaint Francis Xavier Church.[1]
The Irish Monthly was founded by Russell in 1873.[1] The initial title wasCatholic Ireland.[3] The magazine in this form was founded by Russell withThomas Aloysius Finlay.[4] Finlay taught at Crescent College from 1873 to 1876, and was co-editor with Russell at the outset.[5]
A memoir of Russell byRosa Mulholland (as Lady Gilbert) records a conversation of Richard O'Kennedy with him, around 1871, in which the phrase "Catholic Ireland" and a religious periodical were linked.[6] Russell's conception was tied up with theCatholic devotion of theSacred Heart.[7] Around 1864 he had been interested in theMessenger of the Sacred Heart and had contacted the editor of its English version, William Meagher (or Maher, another anglicisation ofÓ Meachair, 1823–1877).[8] In the first issue (July 1873) it was made clear the importance laid on 30 March 1873, when a consecration of Ireland to the Sacred Heart was performed. Russell renewed contact with Meagher, asking for permission to launch an Irish version of theMessenger, but was rebuffed. He continued under theCatholic Ireland title, with the support of the Jesuit Provincial Nicholas Walsh.[9][10]
Declan O'Keeffe considers that the contributions received dictated a change in editorial policy away from the devotional.[11] The change of title toIrish Monthly has been attributed to persuasion from friends and supporters, who included Lady Monteagle, daughter of the Protestant bishopSamuel Butcher.[7] It occurred in 1875.[12]
From 1875 Russell had some editorial assistance given byEdmund Joseph O'Reilly.[13] Staples of the magazine were novelists such asMargaret Brew andM. E. Francis in serial publication.[14] An example from 1875–6 wasThe Chances of War, Finlay's novel onOwen Roe O'Neill, under the pseudonym Thomas Whitelock.[4][15]
William Delany, a friend of Russell's, noted the work he did in bringing young writers to notice.Katharine Tynan considered he provided a unique literary focal point in Dublin.[16]