by Fr Liam Kelleher

This year we commemorate the 100th anniversary of Canon Sheehan’s death. Canon Sheehan was a literary genius, renowned throughout the world, as well as writing many novels like ‘Glenanaar’, ‘My New Curate’ etc., he was a community activist addressing many of the issues that concerned the people he ministered to.

The weekend event opened on Friday evening at the Aula Maxima at UCC with a lecture entitled ‘Irish and English Catholic literature and its Czech reception’ by Professor Martin Putna of Prague. He left nobody in doubt about the rich legacy Canon Sheehan left in his country and indeed all over Europe. The opening lecture at the same venue on Saturday morning was entitled ‘Sheehan and Heuser: Collaborating for the upbuilding of the Church’ delivered by by Fr Joseph Hubbert from Niagara University in the USA. Keeping up the European connection, professor Eda Saggara from Trinity College gave a fascinating insight in a lecture entitled ‘The Canon in Germany’.

Next it was the turn of Declan O’Keefe of Clongowes Wood College whose lecture was entitled ‘An obstinate quill: Fr Mathew Russell SJ and the Irish Monthly’. After lunch, Dr Ruth Fleishmann, retired lecturer at Bielefeld University in Germany, whose family has such a long association with the University and Cork, delivered a lecture entitled ‘Canon Sheehan’s apprehensions about the Ireland of his time’. Next it was the turn of local UCC professor Dr Don O’Leary, who actually lived in Canon Sheehan’s Bridge House in Doneraile for a number of years, and his contribution was ‘Canon Sheehan’s Dystopia – Godless Science and Darwinism’. Appropriately, the day concluded with Monsignor James O’Brien, a native of Buttevant and based for many years at the Congregation for Divine Worship at Vatican City. He recently published a wonderful book entitled ‘The Collective writings of Canon Sheehan of Doneraile 1883-1913’ This is a masterpiece and gives a huge insight into the mind and thinking of Canon Sheehan, with those closely associated with his life. His talk was entitled ‘Canon Sheehan: a Literary Life’.

This wonderful weekend opportunity, afforded those fortunate enough to attend the lectures, with a mine of information. But one was left wondering how much has been lost and so much has been forgotten about this colossus of his time and undoubted literary genius. I know that I was greatly influenced by his writings which I literally devoured during my student days and I know now I must revisit with a new appreciation.

Heightened

That appreciation was heightened even more on Sunday, when the weekend continued in Doneraile. Proceedings opened with 11.30 am Mass and I must say, not wishing to be negative in any way about he weekend, that I was very surprised at the small turnout at the Mass – another reminder if one was needed, about where we have regressed in our commitment to practice of faith in recent years. Perhaps the promotion of Canon Sheehan’s works, could help redress the situation and remind people how faithful their forefathers were at a time of poverty and deprivation. In fact Canon Sheehan wrote about those from the furthest outpost in the parish who walked 7 miles to the church and were first there every Sunday morning. We were reminded of this during one of the many excerpts read during the many places associated with the Canon during our tour of the parish. After Mass, two bus loads of people were transported up the Ballyhouras to Glenanaar, the setting perhaps of Canon Sheehan’s most famous book. We paused at Ballinatslea Bridge where Edmund Connors is reputed to have encountered Nollaig in the arms of her mother on a cold dreary night. Later we went to the ruins of Connors’ ancestral home where Nollaig was found among animals in a barn on Christmas night and was taken in by the family, so you must read the book yourself for this fascinating story. Excerpts of the book were read on site by Marian Quirke and Nora O’Keefe.

After that trip we made our way to Doneraile Golf club for very welcome refreshments and were treated to a wonderful slide show of the pictures taken at the time by Mr Jones, a pharmacist in the village. Eamonn Horgan then took over the tour duties and again he gave us some brilliant insights into the history of the Church of Ireland and those interred in the adjoining cemetery.

I noticed a plaque on the wall commemorating the first recorded horse steeplechase in the world from Buttevant steeple to Doneraile in 1752 a distance of 4 and a half miles. Eamonn then gave us the history of the mill burned in 1900, threatening to destroy the village, with its many thatched houses. Canon Sheehan was one of the first to spot the fire, the bright flames illuminating his bedroom. He promptly made his way through the village alerting those who were not aware what was happening particularly the nuns in the convent. Eamonn then led us to Bridge House where the Canon resided and we spent a long time in the spacious garden which was such a peaceful setting and inspiration for Canon Sheehan. Here many excerpts from his letters were read. All in all even though, I had only learned about the event in a phone call from Exeter, I was thrilled that I had the time to be part of a weekend that certainly has me enthused about one of the greatest sons of the Diocese of Cloyne, Canon PA Sheehan of Doneraile.

Summary

Brief summary of Canon’ Sheehan’s Life. , courtesy of Monsignor James O’Brien’s book , ‘The collected letters of Canon Sheehan of Doneraile 1883-1913’: 1852 – born 17th March at New Street Mallow; 1863 – death of his father Patrick Sheehan; 1864 – death of his mother Johanna; 1866 – sent with his brother Denis to St Colman’s College, Fermoy; 1869 – entered St Patrick’s Seminary Maynooth; 1875 – on 18th of April, ordained to the priesthood; 1877 – recalled to the Diocese of Cloyne from Plymouth and appointed junior curate in Mallow; 1880 – foundation of the Catholic Young Men’s Society in Mallow; 1881 – transferred to Cobh; 1895 – appointed parish priest of Doneraile and there, completed ‘Work and wants of the Irish Church’. October – ‘Geoffrey Austin: Student’ goes on the market; 1896 – title of ‘Geoffrey Austin: Student ‘changed to the ‘Triumph of Failure’; 1899 – Herder of Freiburg and St Louis requests rights for his book ‘My New Curate’; 1901 ‘Luke Delmege’ given to Longman ’s and Green to be published; 1904 – visited Germany; 1905 – appointed Canon of Cathedral Chapter. Assigns to the Bishop Cloyne and to his trustees all of his literary property for the support of the sick and aged priests of the diocese of Cloyne; 1907 – ‘Lisheen’ appeared in book form; 1910 – September 8th diagnosed as suffering from cancer; 1912 31st March Completed novel in reserve ‘The Graves of Kilmorna’ (published posthumously in 1915), ‘Miriam Lucas’ published., 24th November returns to Doneraile; 1913 – Canon Sheehan dies at Bridge House Doneraile.