On this day 225 years ago: the story of Fr James Harold of Saggart

Mary McNally, South County Scrap Book

Mary McNally (buried in Saggart) lived in Rathcoole for many years, as did her people before her. Her South County Scrap Book (1999) covers a range of local history topics, including the story of Rathcoole House (see pp.92-96 of the digitized edition which can be downloaded here ). The photo shows the Penal Cross and chalice which were discovered there in 1933, belonging to Fr James Harold, PP of Saggart following the death in 1794 of Fr Simon Barlow (buried in Saggart). He found himself caught up in the 1798 Rebellion and was deported on a convict ship to Australia, arriving in Sydney's Botany Bay on 11 January 1800 -- 225 years ago today. He endured great hardship, especially when transferred to the notorious penal settlement of Norfolk Island (1800-07). In 1810 he was finally granted leave and, in March 1811, went to join his nephew William Vincent Harold O.P. in the cathedral parish of St Mary's in Philadelphia (see their parish newsletter for tomorrow here ). Unfortunately, things did not go very smoothly there for either of them for various reasons despite, no doubt, their best efforts (taking a heavy toll on the already sorely tried 67-year-old Fr James). In the end, in 1815, they both resigned and returned to Ireland. Having served in Kilcullen, Clontarf and Coolock, James resigned due to illness in 1819. He died in 1830 and is buried in Goldenbridge cemetery. (See the Dictionary of Irish Biography and parishioner Mervyn Ennis's article for an Irish-Australian magazine.)  

So, a plunge there into the murky waters of Irish history more than two centuries ago. Joyce's phrase, "the nightmare of history" (Ulysses, 1922), must come to mind as we read about people's lives. The American Catholic writer Flannery O'Connor's phrase, "the mystery of our position on earth" can be put into the balance too. The third phrase I'll throw in is that of the French theologian, Yves Congar (1904-1995): "God has a plan for the world. I'm convinced that our ways are guided" (Autumn Conversations, 1987). In the end, it all comes down (does it not?) to this: whether there really is a Divine Providence walking with humanity along the dark road of history towards the final dawning of an all-justifying, all-consoling truth. 

Fr Simon Barlow 1718-2018 : A Parish Tercentenary

      

It was very late in the year that a parishioner (the writer, Donal McMahon) came across the copy he had made in 2012 of the inscription on the gravestone of Fr Simon Barlow, buried in Saggart cemetery (photo above). Part of it read: "departed this life on the 25th September 1794, aged 76 years."  So when was he born, he idly wondered, subtracting his age from the year of his death -- which gave the year 1718, three hundred years ago this year. We marked the bicentenary in 2013 of the building of St Finian's and, two years later, the bicentenary of the death of Fr Andrew Hart (buried in St Mary's). Now, even though it be at the very end of the year, let us mark the tercentenary of the birth of Fr Simon Barlow.

Fr Anthony Gaughan's volume on the clergy of Dublin for the 18th century (published in 2013) gives the following information on Fr Barlow: "PP Saggart 1777-1794. D. 25 Sept. 1794."  That's all we have. Maybe some diligent researcher from the "United Parishes of Saggart, Rathcoole and Newcastle" (a phrase used on the gravestone) can add to these bare facts.

As can be seen from the photo, the gravestone is split across the middle and badly needs repair. The grave can be viewed more closely in this Slide Show, while the Gravestone Inscription testifies to the great work he did for his parishioners -- and our predecessors.