Item 1 - 'A Diary or Jottings' by Fr James F. Murphy SJ

'A Diary or Jottings, from day to day of events, especially 1 Nov. 1892 regarding the Society and, in particular, this (Irish) Province, which may prove interesting &, perhaps, even useful when The Writer shall be many years dead and gone.’ Found enclosed is a typed note (n.d., 2pp) by an unknown Jesuit (possibly Fr Fergal McGrath SJ, Irish Province Archivist 1975-1986) giving brief biographical details of Fr Murphy. Also comments on the contents of the diary, ‘Some interesting things recorded are: the initial history of all the houses of the province: the story of the setting up of Milltown as a Coll. Max.: the dispute with the Bishop of Meath (Dr Nulty) over faculties for fathers at Tullabeg: the biographies of various S.J.s (and, e.g., reference to W. Coyne, later father of Fr Eddie Coyne and to Charles Kennedy a benefactor of the province): the account of the great storm of 1890/1 and of the influenza epidemic which swept over Europe from Russia. Minutiae of the day-to-day life, customs, studies and so on, and the final account of the Provincial Congregation (June 1892) after Fr General’s (Anderledy) death are also of interest and some historical value.’ Enclosures includes extracts from diary kept in Tullabeg, 1856 (9pp).