Fonds P69 - Papers of Fr. Peadar Swayne

Identity area

Reference code

IE OCL P69

Title

Papers of Fr. Peadar Swayne

Date(s)

  • 1921-1970 (Creation)

Level of description

Fonds

Extent and medium

1 box

Context area

Name of creator

(1896-1982)

Biographical history

Fr Peadar Mac Suibhne was born as Peter Swayne in 1896, near Ballon, Co. Carlow. He was educated at Knockbeg College, Clonliffe College, University College Dublin and Carlow College (1916-1920), and was ordained in 1920 for the Diocese of Kildare & Leighlin. Fr Mac Suibhne joined the staff of Knockbeg College (1920-1949), including a period as Rector (1927-1949). He then served as parish priest, Suncroft (1949-1951) and Kildare (1951- 1970), both Co. Kildare. He retired to Carlow College in 1970, where he worked on the College archives.

Fr Mac Suibhne was a keen historian and wrote or edited a number of books, including a five-volume work on the etters of Paul Cardinal Cullen, Archbishop of Dublin (1803-
1878); parish histories of Killeshin/Graiguecullen, Clonegal, Ballon and Rathangan; the 1798 Rebellion in Carlow and Kildare; St Brigid; and various works relating to Carlow College and Knockbeg College.

Archival history

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Correspondence (1963-70), mainly between Swayne and W. H. Milner, Portarlington, relating to a film made by Fr. Kennedy in 1921 ostensibly on the turf-cutting industry in the area, but also features the exhumation of skulls of the ‘Ballynowlart Martyrs’ who were purportedly burned alive in Ballynowlart church by English forces in the 1600s. Correspondence culminates in the deposit of the film in the National Library of Ireland.

Offaly Sinn Féin material: original resolution from North and South Offaly Executive Sinn Féin signed by Comd. Ua Duinn relating to its support of the Treaty (29 December 1921) and calling on Offaly’s representative Dr McCartan to vote for ratification, and a pamphlet entitled 'Terms of Reference 23 May 1922 Adjourned Árd-Fheis of Sinn Féin'.

Leaflets and other printed material relating to Croghan Feis organised by Offaly Vocational Education Committee (1949).
Manuscripts notes on placenames and history of Killeigh Parish and Philipstown (Daingean).

Publications: Programme for Walsh Island Second National Turf-cutting competition (1935); Knockbeg Centenary Year Book (1948); and Suncroft, a Parish Magazine (1970).

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

By appointment only. Contact Offaly Archives at [email protected]

Conditions governing reproduction

May be reproduced in accordance with provisions of the Copyright and Related Rights Acts (2000). No reproduction online, in print or broadcast without express permission of copyright holder.

Language of material

  • English
  • Irish

Script of material

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    Publication note

    William H. Milner, ‘The Ballynowlart martyrs’ in Journal of the County Kildare Archaeological Society, Vol 14 (1965), pp 41-46.

    Publication note

    Shortall, L. Sources for the study of the revolutionary period in King’s County/Offaly (1912-1923) in Offaly Heritage 9, 2016

    Notes area

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    Description identifier

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    Rules and/or conventions used

    ISAD(G)

    Dates of creation revision deletion

    June 2019, Sarah Dunning

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