Letter from Rome, granting permission to the Society of Jesus to allow members of the public to attend Mass at St Mary's, Emo.

A file relating to permission granted by Fr General Wlodimir Ledóchowski SJ and the Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, Matthew Cullen, for the establishment of a Jesuit house at Emo, County Laois.

Photocopy of entry in the Irish Province News, October 1950, which describes the death on 27 June 1950 of postulant Mr John Callaghan, who fell on the scullery stairs.

In course of conversation in 2015, between Damien Burke and Jim McCabe, ascertained that John Callaghan carrying delph down the stairs to the basement when he slipped and hit his head.

Photograph of Fr Donal O'Sullivan SJ and novices in class at St Mary’s College, Emo.

Photograph of Fr Frank Browne SJ, probably taken at Emo.

Photograph of Michael Paul Gallagher SJ and family at St Mary’s College, Emo.

Photograph of the arm of St Francis Xavier at St Mary’s, Emo on the occasion of the visit of the relics

Photographs are pasted into the album and relate to the following subjects: the interior and exterior of the St Mary's, Emo, gardens, farm, lake, the winter landscape, trees, Jesuit alterations to the house, individuals playing golf and men seated on a wall. Includes group photograph of six Jesuits in the garden, Cormac Gallagher, -,-, Alan Mowbray, Dermot Murray,-. Seven photographs were loose therefore these are stored in mylar sleeves. The photographs have captions by Fr Frank Browne on the reverse. These include:

• A philosopher of the by road - Study by "F"
• It did not ring! - For the first time in 70 years this bell did not call the people to Mass last Sunday. When lighting struck the Church of the Sacred Heart, Courtwood, near Ballybrittas, Leix, on Saturday morning it demolished the bell tower. Falling debris seriously damaged the roof of the n. aisle.
• 3rd Centenary of the "Annals of the Four Masters" ‘Moygara Caste, Co Roscommon [Gurteen, County Sligo]

Photographs of Fr John Hannon SJ.

Photographs of Frs Robert Tyndall, Donal O'Sullivan, Brendan Brennan and Robert Nash at St Mary’s, Emo on the occasion of the visit of relics of Saint Francis Xavier.

Pigs have wings by P. G. Wodehouse
Herbert Jenkins, London, 1952

Postcard with aerial view of Emo Court, County Laois

Postcards of Emo Court - both of the same image - addressed to Fr Fergus O'Keefe SJ.

A file relating to a proposed new custom book for the novitiate of the Irish Province. Includes two bound copies of the new custom book.

A file relating to the purchase of Emo Park by the Jesuit Fathers from the Land Commission (for £2,000). Includes a plan of Emo.

Report by J. A. Kenny and Partners, Consulting Engineers, 44 Kildare Street, Dublin on the heating, water and electrical services in St Mary's, Emo, County Laois.

Letters and circular letters concerning a circular letter from Fr General on economy measures and assisting the poor during the ‘severe economic crisis’. Includes draft of circular letter sent by Irish Fr Provincial to Jesuit houses on ways and means of economising in order to carry out the wishes expressed in Fr General’s letter and replies following House Consultations from Belvedere College; Milltown Park, 35 Lower Leeson Street; St Francis Xavier’s, Upper Gardiner Street; St Ignatius’ College, Galway; S. Stanislaus’ College, Tullamore; Clongowes Wood College, Naas; Sacred Heart College and Mungret College, Limerick and St Mary’s, Emo Court. Also includes circular list of economy measures issued to all houses.

A file relating to the revision to the Custom Book of the novitiate of Irish Jesuit Province, including a letter from Fr John J Coyne SJ, St Mary's, Emo, County Laois to the Irish Fr Provincial, with copy of Custom Book.

Sacristan's manual for St Mary's, Emo, County Laois.

Sacristan's manual for St Mary's, Emo, County Laois.

Sacristan's manual for St Mary's, Emo, County Laois.

Sacristan's manual for St Mary's, Emo, County Laois.

A file relating to the decision take by the Forestry Department to sell 32 1/4 acres of State owned forestry land at Emo Park to the Jesuit Fathers.

Sketch map of the Clochar. Shows the layout of the gardens and the species of trees and plants. The Clochar (or Clucker) comes from the Irish word for convent. 'There is also a story that this part of the garden was where the maids in the house were allowed to come to gossip and relax – hens clucking!'

Documents relating to the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Legion of Mary, mainly concerning the relationship between the Society of Jesus and the two organisations.

Emo Court, County Laois was under Jesuit ownership from 1930 until 1969. Now in the hands of the Office of Public Works, the history of Emo dates back to the Earls of Portarlington in the eighteenth century. The first earl, John Dawson, commissioned the building of Emo Court in 1790; it is one of only a few private houses designed by the architect James Gandon. The Portarlington’s sold Emo in 1920 to the Land Commission and the Jesuits purchased the property in 1930, to be used as a novitiate (house of first formation). The Jesuits found Emo in a dilapidated state, with grass growing up through the floorboards. They made significant structural changes in order for it to function as a novitiate rather than as a family home. Many items were removed however they were stored in the basement (fireplace wrapped in blankets). Renowned photographer, Fr Frank Browne SJ, was one of the first Jesuits to take up residence there and he took many photographs of Emo Court.

In 1969, the Jesuits sold Emo to Major Cholmeley Dering Cholmeley-Harrison. He restored the house, sparing no expense, and donated it to the Irish State in 1995. In 2012 the Office of Public Works opened a permanent exhibition on Fr Frank Browne SJ at Emo Court.

The papers of St Mary’s, Emo concern the management of the Emo estate (1900-1995), establishment of the Jesuit community (1928-1930), maintenance, upkeep and expenditure (1931-1970), forestry and the sale of Emo (1969-1970; 1995). There is some material on the Jesuit community (1934-1962) and novitiate (1930-1969) however there is very little in the way of information on individual novices. Material is in the form of handwritten letters, ledgers, architectural plans, maps and photographs.

Rector/Superior of St Mary's, Emo:
Patrick Kenny, Vice-Superior, 31 July 1930;
John Deevy, Vice-Superior, 29 July 1932;
John Deevy, Rector, 7 October 1937;
John Neary, Vice-Rector, 30 July 1944;
Jerome Mahony, Vice-Rector, 30 July 1945;
Thomas Byrne, Rector, 2 June 1947;
Donal O'Sullivan, Rector, 15 August 1947;
Timothy Mulcahy, Rector, 10 October 1959;
Patrick Cusack, Rector, 21 November 1961;
Joseph Dargan, Rector, 26 June 1968;
The noviceship changes to Manresa House, Dollymount, 12 September 1969.

Master of Novices, St Mary's, Emo:
Martin Maher; July 1930;
John Coyne;
John Neary; October 1934
Donal O'Sullivan
Paddy Cusack
Joseph Dargan, 1968-1969

M.A. thesis by James J Corboy SJ, entitled 'The Jesuit Mission to Ireland 1596-1626' at the faculty of Modern History, UCD (2 copies, 248pp each) (1941) with separate bibliography and index (34pp). Also includes letter from Dr R Dudley Edwards, UCD and Fr Jerome Mahony SJ concerning ‘Lord Justice Loftus’ and ‘Carew’ (5pp) (21 June 1954), and letter from Fr Jerome Mahony SJ to Fr Roland Burke Savage SJ that he has completed Menelogy up to 1800 (13 February 1956).

Book entitled 'There was an Ancient House' by Benedict Kiely, Methusen and Co Ltd, London. A novel where ‘in a country house thirty novices of a religious order are learning a new, strange life, some failing, others succeeding in conforming to the pattern laid down by rule’. Benedict Kiely was a novice at St Mary's, Emo

Transcript of Mr Cholmeley Harrison's interview for RTE's programme on Emo. Cholmeley Harrison purchased Emo Park from the Jesuits.

Valuation for Emo Park, County Laois.

Volume of Panegyrics written in Irish and English.