pages 555 to 683 (4602 Kb) - Limerick City Council

624 BISTORY OF LIMERICK.
. .
a proper person to fill the vacant bishopric, when they unmimously chose
the Very Rev. John Creagh, Dean of the diocese, above mentioned, to be
eligible primo loco ; the Rev. David Bourke in sccundo loco, and the Rev.
Rowland KirbY in tertio loco, when an act to that effect was solemnly
drawn up and duly signed by the canons and parish priests, and countersigned
by the Rev. John De Lacy, Prothonotary Apostolic, and the Rev.
Jameg White, Notary Apostolic. Though, as we have stated, the postulation
was unanimous, the court of Rome, nevertheless, in consequence of
an attestation signcd b four bishops in fiivour of Dr. Daniel O'Kearney,
a native of the city o B Limerick, a Doctor of the Sorbonne, and parish
priest of St. Patrick's, chose Dr. O'ICearncy, on the 21st of November,
fbr the mitre of Limerick. At this period there were great troubles and
apprehensions entertained by the govcrnmcnt respectinf a threatened
French invasion of England and Ircland. The Duke o Bedford, lord
lieutenant, signified, in consequence, to the Irish Catholics, the king's wish
that they should manifest a perfcct seal and loyalty ; and in obedience to
the proclamation o; the viceroy, ninety of the principal Catholics of
Limerick signed a most loyal and dutiful addrcss to the throne, but many
others refused signing it.' In Cork, onc hundred and thirty Catholics
signed the address, and in Waterford a very large number did the same. It
may be observed as a strangc fact, that the entire trdc and commerce of
the city of Limcrick were at this time in the hands of Catholic merchants
and traders. By sca and by land the Catholics held uncontrollcd the mercantile
aEairs of the city and port in their exclusive posse~sion.~ But apprehensions
were indulged in, which were soon afterwards realized, that
through the imprudence and avarice of some of the Catholic merchants,
who, for the sake of getting large apprentice fees, took Protestant and
I'resbyterim apprentices, who began to settle in trde and business in the
city, the Cathohcs would lose their preEminen~e.~ This, however, is a
digression.
In consequence of the Pope's bull, which bore date the 27th of Novcmber,
1759, the Right Rcv. Dr. O'Kcarney was consecrated, at Thurlr:?,
Bishop of Limerick, on Sunday, the 27th of January, 1760, by his Gracc
the Most Rev. Dr. James Butler, Archbishop of Cashel, two ecclesiastical
dignitaries having assisted in the room of two bishops, by virtue of a Papal
indulgence to that effect. On Tuesday, the 29th of the same month, Dr.
O'ICcarney informed some of his clergy who had assembled at St. Mary's
clmpel, Limerick, of his election and consecration, they having met hicl lordship
for that purpose. The court of Rome at the same time granted him a,
bull for the parish of St. John's with all its annexes, which had been before
possessed by the deceased prelate, Dr. Lacy. On the 10th of May,
Dr. O'ICearney was inducted into the parish in question by the Very Rev.
Michael Hoare, ex-Provincial of the Dominicans, by directions of his
grace the Archbishop of Cashel. Though the penal laws existed in their
White's MSS. 4 lbid.
Mr. Stephep Roche, Mr. John Browne, Mr. Patrick Plunketf Mr. John Pery, Mr. Edmnnd
Sexton, Mr. Midme1 Itochford, Mr. Putrick Arthur, Mr. Patrick Bluett, Mr. Paul Sdlivan, Mr.
hnrewe Mihan, were among the Catholic merchants and traders who took Protestant md
Presbyterian apprentices, much to the chagrin and mortification of the Catholic citizens generallv.
which was increused consiclerably when these rpprcntioea -- afterwards set up in business for
th~mselvea- lVhilc's MSS.
HISTORY 0%' LIMERICK. 625
full vigour, the loyalty of the bishop, of the clergy, and of the citizens,
was not less warm than it had been. The death of George IT., on the 25th
of October, gave occasion for the expression of that feeling, in an address
from the chief Catholic inhabitants of the city and county of Limerick;
in which the strongest feelings of devotion to the throne were declared,
as well as the deepest regret for the loss of the late king, who had been
mild and merciful in his relations to the Catholic subjects of the crown.'
The Rev. Denis Conway (afterwards Bishop of Limerick) was appointed
by Papal bull, parish priest of St. Patrick's, on the promotion of Dr.
O'Kearney, who was a zealous, learned, and active prelate, thoroughly
versed in the canons and in Scripture, an accomplished theologian, of
kindly and simple manners, but possessed of that strong masculine
common sense whick enabled him to surmount the difEculties at the
critical time, of his appointment and during his episcopacy, of a dangerous
position. Dr. O'Kearney held his first ordination of subjects for his
diocese on the 15th May, 1761, being Friday of Whitsuntide, Quatuor
Tense. On this occasion he exercised his sacred functions open1 notwithstanding
the highly penal character of prohibitory laws, whic I' were not
as yet repealed, and conferred minor orders and subdeaconship on four
young candidates for the ministry, who on the following day received
deaconship, and on the Sunday next succeeding, priesthood. Dr.
O'Kearney witnessed the demolition of the ancient walls of the city, and
the commencement of the new town by Edmund Sexton Pery, and many
other changes in the social and political aspect of his generation. He
attecded a meeting of the bishops of Munster, which was convened by the
Most Rev. Dr. Butler, Archbishop of Cashel, near Cork, on the 15th
of July, 1775, in comequence of the act 13 and 14 George III., which
enabled subjects of all denominations to testify their allegiance upon
oath.
Many Catholics firmly declined to take .the oath prescribed by that Act
of Parliament, not alone because it was insulting in its language, but, ss
they conceived, because it was in downright opposition to what they
beheved to be their conscientious rinciples. To counteract this view on
their part, and to satisfy the scrup P es of the people and clergy, the Most
Rev. Dr. Butler called together the Bishops of Munster, and at this meeting
the following declaration was agreed to and subscribed by Dr. O'Kearney,
as well as by the other bishops :-
G
' We, the chiefs of the Roman Catholic Clergy of the Province of Munster,
havirig met together near Corke, have unanimously agreed that the oath of
allegiance, prescribed by the act of parliament, anno regni decirno tertio et
quarto Georgii Tertii Begis, contains nothing contrary to the Roman Catholic
Religion"
Dr. O'Kearney also attended another provincial meeting of the Bishops,
held in Thurles, on the 28th of the same month, in which the able and
enlightened work, entitled Hibmia Dorninicana, and its supplement,
written by the Rt. Rev. Dr. Thomas de Burgo, Catholic Bishop of' Ossory,
were solemnly disapproved of (except by Dr. McMahon, Bishop of Killaloe),
on the ,pund that they tended to weaken and subvert the allegiance, fidelity,