In the late 1940s, Fr Leonard Sheil SJ (1897-1968) travelled to Britain in an effort to serve Irish emigrants. Fr Sheil was a familiar sight on his motorbike visiting building sites, construction camps, mines, steel works, oil refineries and industrial hostels. Frs Matthew Meade (1912-1992) and Kevin Laheen (1919-2019) also provided missions.

General papers on Irish Jesuit missions;

• Letters to the Provincial from Irish Jesuit missioners which give their opinions and impression of mission work in England (1960-1961);
• Irish Episcopal Commission for Emigrants Easter conferences (1960-1977) which concerns the attendance of the Jesuit Provincial (1960-1972) and reports of proceedings, minutes and addresses (1962; 1977);
• Working Party on the Irish Emigrant Missions in England and Wales (1973);
• Mission reports and statistics (1966-1975) including Jesuit missions (1966-1970) and Irish Catholic missions in England and Wales (1968; 1974-1975);
• Jesuit Chaplains in Westminster and Birmingham Archdioceses (1966-1969);
• Irish Chaplaincy Scheme (1971-1979) including conference reports (1978-1979), details of chaplains and services (1971; 1976-1977) and Jesuit appointments (1974-1979);
• Irish Centre Advisory Service, Liverpool (1976) and
• Lillie Road Centre London (1978).

Letters and telegrams to the Irish Fr Provincial from Fr Conal Murphy SJ, written while serving as a chaplain with the 2nd Lancashire Fusiliers in Christchurch and Aldershot, Hants., Langholm, Dumfriesshire and The Bridge of Allan, Stirlingshire; 587 Field Company, [Royal Engineers], Estate Camp, Inverkip, Scotland and in North Africa; 78th Division, British North Africa Force in Tunisia and 78th Division, Central Mediterranean Force (C.M.F.) in Sicily and Italy; 67 Garrison, B.N.A.F. in Tunisia and No. 1 Casualty Clearing Station, Italy, C.M.F., and Austria. Includes his first letter to the Irish Fr Provincial written from Salisbury (4 September 1941, 2pp); letter from Ursula Murphy [Fr Murphy’s sister] to Fr Coyne stating she had received word that Fr Murphy had gone overseas (1 December 1941, 1p.); letter to Fr Michael O’Meara (See CHP2/32) (13 October 1943, 1p.) and letter to Fr Provincial from Fr Murphy written on ‘a memorable day, the end of the war in Italy’ (2 May 1945, 2pp). Includes leaflets for the Service of Remembrance and Dedication at St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin in which Fr Conal Murphy SJ contributed to (1976; 1978), and photograph of Fr Conal Murphy SJ in military chaplains uniform, with military ribbon rack underneath.

Letters and telegrams to the Irish Fr Provincial from Fr Gerard Guinane SJ written while serving as chaplain with the 2nd Battalion, Royal Ulster Fusiliers in various locations throughout England, in Hawick, Scotland and in Catterick Camp, Yorkshire.

Letters to the Irish Fr Provincial from Fr Anthony MacSeumais SJ written while serving as chaplain in the R.A.F. at R.A.F. Stations in Cosford, Wolverhampton, Staffs. and Leuchars, Fife, Scotland; with the 5023 Airfield Construction Squadron in Holland and Germany and 124 Wing in Lübeck. Includes his first letter to the Irish Fr Provincial written from Belfast (March 1944, 2pp) and letter in which he lists all the places he has served since arriving in Belgium (1 June 1945, 4pp). This letter also contains Fr MacSeumais’s only reference to Belsen Concentration Camp. Also includes Fr MacSeumais’s memorial card (with photograph) (Fr MacSeumais died on 13 January 1989).

Letters and telegrams to the Irish Fr Provincial from Fr Laurence Kearns SJ written during his time as a chaplain serving with various anti-aircraft units: 117 Z.A.A. Battery, 7 (M) Z.A.A. Regiment, Royal Artillery: Stockton-on-Tees; 107 Anti-Aircraft Brigade, Surrey; 32 Light Anti-Aircraft Brigade: France; 52nd Lowland Scottish Infantry Division, 157 Infantry Brigade: Holland, Germany, Belsen and in Garrisson Catholic Church, Bordon, Hants. Includes:

• his first letter to the Provincial from Edinburgh (18 September 1943, 2pp);
  – photographs of Fr Kearns blessing the graves of British falen 1940 and his driver, Liet. Joseph McPatlan (November, December 1944, 6 items: 8½cm x 6cm);
  – copies of extracts from Irish Province News on the chaplains (14 – 28 January 1945, 2 items, 1p. each);
  – letters describing his car accident (24 June 1945, 8pp), operations to rebuild his damaged face and his convalescence (11 July – 21 December 1945, 5 items).

Letters and telegrams to the Irish Fr Provincial from Fr Sydney Lennon SJ written while serving as a chaplain attached to 4th King’s Own Scottish Borders at Ford, Midlothian and Alloa, Clackmannonshir in Anti-Aircraft Unit; in various locations around Scotland; in Nottingham and on the hospital ship Dorsetshire. Includes his first letter written to Irish Fr Provincial from Scotland (5 September 1941, 4pp).

Letters and telegrams to the Irish Fr Provincial from Fr Thomas J Martin SJ written while serving as chaplain with the 4th King’s Own Scottish Borders in Alloa, Clackmannonshire and Buckie, Banff, Scotland; with the 155th Infantry Brigade in Scotland; the 12th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment in Essex, France and Holland and while based in Palace Barracks, Holywood, Northern Ireland. Fr Martin was sent home from Holland as a result of an eye infection and was released from the Army on health grounds at the end of 1945/beginning of 1946.

Letters to the Irish Fr Provincial from Fr Leo Donnelly SJ written while serving as chaplain in Great Yarmouth and Stalham, Norfolk with the 11th York and Lancasters; in 35th Casualty Clearing Station; 73rd General Hospital, Hatfield; with 5th Kings Regiment in Scotland; 10th Beach Group in France; 9 [Lines of Communications] Unit in France and 2nd Battalion of the Irish Guards.

Letters to the Irish Fr Provincial from Fr Maurice Dowling SJ written during his time serving as a chaplain in the 11th General Hospital in Peebles; Military Hospital, Drymen, Scotland; with the Shetland Defence Forces in Lerwick; in North Africa with the 58th [Heavy Anti-Aircraft] Regiment, Royal Artillery, B.N.A.F.; 3 L.C.U.; with the 167th Field Ambulance, C.M.F. and 2nd A.G.R.A., C.M.F.; with the 4th Battalion, Oxford and Bucks. in Norfolk and 2nd Army and 21st Army Group in Germany. Includes his first letter written to the Provincial from the 11th General Hospital (1 January 1942, 2pp), Fr Dowling’s memorial card (with photograph), and airgraphs from North Africa.