The Wardens of Galway

CHAPTER XXXIII p. 318

WARDENS OF GALWAY John Birmingham in 1514 John O Dermode warden in 1529 The possessions of the college being litigated this warden sent a petition to Cardinal Wolsey with a view of terminating future contests thereon A commission issued to the dean of Kilfenora to investigate the claim The dean by his decree dated the 5th of August 1529 confirmed the title of the college Patrick Blake warden in 1549 Henry Brangan in 1557 James Fallon in 1620 Walter Lynch in 1643 Disagreement arose between the archbishop of Tuam and this warden in a matter of a vacancy to which the warden presented a priest but who was refused admission by the former unless under conditions advantageous to himself or to the see of Tuam Violence was recurred to as excommunication was fulminated on both sides Henry Joyce and Mathew Lynch were wardens in the reign of Charles H Henry Brown was chosen warden on the 1st of August 1688 John Bodkin Fitzandrew warden in 1691 Edmund Lynch succeeded fe warden During his wardcnship the persecution raged violently The remnants of the collegiate property were collected and secretly sent to France were there converted into money and put to interest The fund having increased by donations and bequests was applied to the purchase of an income in Paris annually forwarded to Galway and divided among the warden and vicars The warden received forty pounds yearly and the vicars twenty five This property as well as the church plate which was also sent to France and deposited in the Irish college at Paris were seized and confiscated In the time of Edmund Lynch the Rev Peter French a native of Galway and who was thirty years a missionary among the Indians of Mexico returned to his native town He converted multitudes from idolatry and died in Galway AD 1693 Patrick Skerrett Fitzmichael succeeded The persecution raged against the Catholics without mercy during his wardenship also Patrick was ordained in 1679 at Salamanca by Peter Salazar the bishop of that place and before his election officiated as pastor in Galway Patrick Birmingham a clergyman of profound learning and talent was elected warden before the year 1731 was not of the Galway names and families and was chosen to pacify others called non tribes After his election he was thrown into prison for not having conformed to the laws prescribed for popish priests but he was released by order of the government having shewn his compliance During his warden ship the disputes between the archbishop of Tuam and the collegiate clergy were revived proceedings were instituted at Rome by Bernard O Gara then archbishop of Tuam and by the clergy and people of Galway A compromise took place and was approved by the bull of Clement XLI dated the 21st of April 1738 and by this bull the affairs of the Catholic wardenship have been regulated Warden Birmingham died in 1747 universally regretted Hyacinth Bodkin a pious and learned divine was elected survived but a short time having died AD 1749 On his death the Rev Mark Kirwan of Dalgan was elected being not agreeable to the lay patrons Anthony Blake of Dunmacreena was chosen warden He afterwards filled the primatial chair of Armagh Francis Kirwan was elected in 1755 He filled the warden's chair with honor to religion and advantage to the town until his death which took place in June 1770 John Joyes of Oxford in the county of Mayo was elected He continued warden until February 1783 when he departed fife leaving a reputation of being a good and zealous pastor in the cause of religion and public morals tt Augustine Kirwan a divine gifted with every virtue which adorns the clerical character was elected as warden He was born in August 1725 He received orders in August and September 1747 from Joseph Sancho Granado bishop of Salamanca in Spain and the priesthood on the 23d of December same year from Peter Gonsalez bishop of Arilia This excellent warden died in the sixty seventh year of his age amidst the tears of the community on the 7th of August 1791 John Joyes nephew of the former warden of the name was elected by a large majority and during the election the old disputes between tribes and non tribes were resuscitated with considerable animosity In consequence of this disunion the town became a scene of religious anarchy and confusion both parties appealed to Rome and on the 17th of June 1792 it was decided in favor of the ancient names and families or lay patrons with however a reservation of appeal by a decree which obtained the sanction of Pope Pius VI A change having taken place by which it was deemed the canonical validity of the collegiate patronage became doubtful and the matter being laid before the active and vigilant archbishop of Tuam the abolition of the collegiate rights and the union of the wardenship of Galway to the archiepiscopal see was in contemplation but it was defeated by the efforts of the Rev Valentine Bodkin the agent of the lay patrons and afterwards warden John Joyes strove to allay the angry feelings of discord and to reconcile matters by his amiable and conciliatory demeanor He died AD 1805 Valentine Bodkin an accomplished scholar and divine had resided in Italy until the period of the French revolution when having returned to Galway he officiated as one of the vicars United to the oldest and most respectable families of the town and endeared to the rest by ties of friendship and affection he was elected warden He died in 1812 Edmund French ac or vert to the Catholic church and the son of the Rev Edmund French for many years the Protestant warden of Galway was elected As he was a Dominican a disunion took place the chapter declared the proceedings null and finally appealed to the Pope complaining against the intrusion of a regular into a secular chapter Many of the respectable inhabitants also murmured How ever the Pope confirmed the election of Edmund French in June 1813 he has been the last warden This anomalous condition of affairs through which religion sustained injury by the revival of disputes among the people of Galway having engaged the attention of the Holy See the wardenship was abolished in 1831 and has been erected into a bishopric George Joseph Browne a native of the diocese of Elphin over which he now presides educated at Maynooth was appointed the first bishop of Galway and consecrated at Athlone in October 1831 by Oliver Kelly archbishop of Tuam who was assisted on the occasion by the bishops of Elphin and Achonry Lawrence O Donnell consecrated bishop of Galway on the 28th of October 1845 worthily presides