Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Bishop Delany archive goes online

One of the most famous Diocesan archives in the country has this week gone on line.  

The Bishop Delany archives, which care for the archival collections of the diocese of Kildare & Leighlin, The Patrician Brothers, The Brigidine Sisters and Carlow College now has its own website.

The collections are called after Bishop Delany, who served as Bishop of the diocese from 1787 until his death in 1814, because of his intrinsic link to all four collections. 

He was Bishop of the diocese of Kildare and Leighlin when Carlow College was completed and he was also involved in the founding of both the Patrician Brothers and the Brigidine Sisters.

Included in the online archive, which is housed at Carlow College, is information on the papers of the various Bishops of the diocese from 1726 until 1967.  

The collection on the Brigidine Sisters dates back to 1807 and relates to the work of the sisters in places such as Ireland, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Mexico and Papua New Guinea. 

The collection from the Patrician Brothers dates back from 1808 and also includes information on the formation of the congregation as well as detailing its work abroad in such countries as Britain, Australia, India, USA , New Zealand and Kenya. 

The information on Carlow College dates back to 1792 when the College first opened as a priest training seminary and continued to do so for more than 200 years. 

The collection also holds smaller collections such as the papers of individual priests and members of both the Patrician and Brigidine Congregations.

Bishop Daniel Delany was born in 1747 at Paddock, Castletown parish, Co Laois into a wealthy farming family. 

In 1763, at the age of 16, Daniel Delany went to France and studied for the priesthood at both Paris and St Omer.  He was ordained in 1770.  He taught in Paris for a number of years before returning to Ireland in 1777 when he was appointed curate at Tullow, Co. Carlow.  

The Penal Laws were still in force in Ireland and life was difficult was Catholics. 

Education was denied them and there was widespread agrarian unrest.  Delany despaired of the widespread poverty and lawlessness.  

He was tempted to return to France but his mother persuaded him to stay in Ireland.

In 1783, Delany was appointed Coadjutor Bishop, and in 1787, became Bishop of Kildare & Leighlin.  During his episcopacy, the circumstances of Catholics improved.

His predecessor, Bishop James Keeffe, had founded Carlow College in 1782, and Bishop Delany brought this project to fruition.

In 1807 and 1808, he founded the Brigidine Sisters and Patrician Brothers respectively.  He died on July 9 1814.

The new website can be viewed at www.delanyarchive.ie.