Hi, it is the boy from Barrystown, erudite, scholarly, eloquent, moves, acts and talks with panache, without equal, historian supreme, an intelligence far in excess of that of Einstein; a superb florist, a possessor of a poetic touch, an athlete and above all else, the most wily and devious of them all, that wily boy from beside the mine-pits. My birthday is on next Saturday the 22nd of April with all the traditional celebrations and fireworks.
A potted biography of Dean Cleary in The People on the 3rd of May 1952 stated that he was born in the parish of Carrig-on-Bannow in 1796 but I am certain that he was born in Maxboley, Ballymitty. The article added—“studied in the old seminary of his native county, then at Kilkenny College and was ordained a priest in the old Enniscorthy Cathedral by the Most Rev. Dr Keating on Easter Sunday 1820….With two other priests Fr Cleary went to Newfoundland in 1830 and on the morning of his landing had to attend a sick call at Petty Harbour. His first Mass was celebrated at Tilton Harbour, a parish embracing the bays of Trinity, Bonavista and Notre Dame. Here he spent two years, living as much on sea as on land without any fixed abode and a walk of ten miles or a sail of thirty miles, was within him the usual Sunday duty in order to give his people an opportunity of hearing Mass. Such good could not fail to recommend him to the notice of his superiors and the district of Bay Bulls, which up to that time had been without a resident priest—the spiritual requirements of the people being principally attended to from St John’s— was formed into a parish by the Most Rev. Dr Fleming and he appointed Fr Cleary as its first Pastor.
Builder of Churches—In his new field of labour, Fr Cleary’s parish extended from Big Pond to La Marche, a tract of over twenty miles, in length and containing a scattered population of 1,500 Catholics. Devoting all his time and labour to the work of his mission he had the happiness of seeing the greatest success attending his efforts. In the course of a few years a chapel was erected Bay Bulls, soon followed by another with presbytery at Witless Bay, a church at Tar’s Cove and a presbytery at Mobile were further monuments to his zeal besides the erection of school-houses at various harbours in his parish. He, also, built at Witless Bay a magnificent convent where a large number of girls received that education and religious training which such institutions alone can afford. All the duties of his extensive and scattered parish were attended by him without any assistance for over 30 years. In 1854 when the cholera caused such havoc in St John’s, the parish of Bay’s Bulls was, also, visited by the terrible disease. Fr Cleary then had an anxious time, and every day he was out administering the Last Sacraments to the dying and in many instances placed the dead on the coffins and assisted in drawing them to the graves. In 1855, the dignity of Dean was conferred on him by the Holy See and it was only…years later that the mission could spare him a Curate.
Caught in a Snowstorm—In order to appreciate the hardships which Dean Cleary had to undergo for many years after arriving in Bay Bulls it is sufficient to know that there were no roads in the vast parish. Yet no Sunday or Church Holyday passed without this good Wexford priest officiating in two chapels from six to nine miles apart. At that time there was no road between St John’s—the Bishop’s seat—and the important settlements where Fr Cleary’s parish was situated. He made his rounds again and again by sea in a frail boat or by land over barren wastes and through thick woods. On one of these occasions he set out accompanied by two men, in the depth of winter and bewildered by a snow-storm, they lost the usual track and had to spend a whole night on a frozen lake. They walked briskly about to keep off the fatal sleep that heralded the death of the snow-bound stranger but in spite of all, one of his companions lay stark cold in the morning, a victim of the Arctic conditions. “That man” Dean Cleary used to say afterwards, “had a bottle of rum and made free use of it.”
The Road-maker—After the experience, Dean Cleary became a keen advocate for the construction of roads. Late and early he superintended in person the road-building of his parish and where he only found beaten tracks adjacent to the coastline or through forests, he left, through his own exertions the best roads in the country. He then became know as “The Road-maker”. In this connection he was enthusiastic supported by the Governor—a fellow countryman, the Hon. Lce. O’Brien. Strange to relate there was great opposition to the road making at the time. The merchants, from some private interests, were against the project and Father Cleary’s own confreres were opposed to it on moral grounds. Dr Mullock, the then pious and zealous bishop, based his objection to road-making, on the plea that his good and simple people would have the opportunity of using the roads to frequent the city of St John’s and become contaminated by its vices. On the other hand, the advantages of the project were apparent and Father Cleary could point out that properly constructed highways afforded better travelling facilities for more regular attendance at the churches and permitted of safer transit to the homes of the colonists for spiritual ministrations. They were, also, of importance in facilitating the attendance of the children at school so that, in the end, Father Cleary’s point of view was accepted.
Newfoundland’s Benefactor—It has been said by one of his American biographers that the life of Dean Cleary was inseparably woven in the history of Newfoundland. Actually apart from his spiritual labours, he was the leading spirit in the material advancement of the country and the trusted guide of his people during political turmoils. Calm but persuasive, he never suffered his priestly dignity or his civic honour to become tarnished on those things from which few escaped unscratched. To understand the various directions which the priest’s influence had to take in Newfoundland of the past, it must be remembered that outside the city of St John’s there was scarcely a magistrate, lawyer, doctor or a Commissioner of Works of any kind, not even a policeman and the priest had, at times, to assume the role of all those functionaries. The Government, in fact, appreciated the value of all the good and the prevention of evil, effected by the priest in those days. We have seen what Dean Cleary accomplished for the temporal welfare of the colonists, but, above all else, he was in every sense, a kindly and holy priest, preaching the Gospel, in and out of season: hearing Confessions; attending the sick; comforting the dying; reforming the vicious and edifying all. He entered heart and soul into their concerns; his advice was sought in their differences and difficulties and seldom was there an appeal from his decision. Hence, the complete control he enjoyed over his community and he used his power at all times for the welfare of his people and the best interests of his adopted country.
The Fisherman’s Friend—The many failures in the fishing industry afforded Dean Cleary ample opportunity of relieving distress in all its forms. Wexford county was represented in the colony in its political and industrial development and a large number of Irish emigrants found their way to Newfoundland and labourers, fishermen and farmers’ sons. The fishermen experienced a very precarious existence, being in the depth of merchants and this debt they could never liquidate if the merchant could prevent it and, in most cases, he did prevent it. The cash for taking of fish, after a voyage, was always in the merchants’ hands and never in the fisherman’s possession; the latter having to take what goods he could get for his fish. This system of bartering, ever to the advantage of the merchants, who grew immensely rich on the labours of the toilers of the sea, was reflected in the latter’s poverty. While one waxed fat, the other had not a copper to meet those liabilities other than food and clothes. Dean Cleary set out to tackle this evil; he felt that his people could never be independent-minded or rise above the serfdom of their lot, if that system of bartering—a relic of the early ages—was to continue. Here, again, he was successful and the fishermen had reason to be grateful to one who had won their emancipation from a pernicious custom.
The Schoolmaster’s Marriages—A good story was often told by Dean Cleary as to his wanderings when a young priest around the inlets of Newfoundland. On one occasion he came upon the settlement of King’s Cove where, up to that time, no priest had landed. On his arrival, he was soon surrounded by a good number of stalwart men and good looking matrons, who were surrounded by a crowd of rosy children—boys and girls. The latter were put forward for Baptism. That duty was duly performed and then came a thought into Fr Cleary’s mind which opened up a rather delicate question. Who married the parents? Not a priest, for there was never a priest there before. But, there was the next best thing to him, the inevitable schoolmaster. With this worthy, Father Cleary had a private conversation and soon discovered that not one matrimonial union had taken place in the settlement, but the schoolmaster’s own included.
“How did you do it” asked Fr Cleary.
“Well, your reverence” replied the schoolmaster, “I made them go on their knees before me and I said the De Profundis over them.” In recounting this incident, Father Cleary used to say—“It was the Latin that did it. There was some orthodoxy about that, if not some share of the Levitical Office in the man that knew how to use it. If he was not a priest all out, he must have rubbed against the priesthood somewhere and received a portion of its virtue by touching the hem of its vestment. And this, indeed, was the literal explanation of the liturgical accomplishment of the pedagogue. He had often served Mass, when a boy in the old land far away and the good practice of the Irish in reciting the De Profundis after every Mass was the origin in a far-off region of cementing a different sort of union from the Communion of Saints. Dean Cleary was the first priest in that colony to celebrate his golden jubilee and was almost the last of the old school of Irish missionaries, who were pioneers of religion and civilisation in Newfoundland. He died at his residence, Witless Bay, on the 21st October 1882.”
I cannot vouch that every detail recited in that article is correct and objectively true: if biographies were written about him by American authors, then he must have a big impact on Newfoundland—I will see if any of those books are on the internet, especially on Google. I will, also, check the Co. Wexford newspapers for October 1882 for any accounts of his life, after his demise.
From The Wexford Independent the 3rd of February 1847:–
“BANNOW RELIEF COMMITTEE [FAMINE]
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Balance in hands, ending August 1846………£58 0 shillings and 2 pence.
Thomas Boyse, Esq.,……………………………..£100 0
Charles A. Walker, Esq.,………………………………..£10
Major Walker……………………………………………£5.
Mrs Fielding, London…………………………………£5.
Lord Valentia………………………………………..£10.
H. K. Grogan Morgan, Esq.,…………………………£3.
Augustus Kennedy, Esq., …………………………….£3.
Thomas Dillon, Esq., …………………………………£3.
Rev. Richard King……………………………………£7.
Rev. R. H. Stanley…………………………………….£5 (?)
Rev. Peter Corish………………………………………£5.
Rev. Nicholas Codd……………………………£1 and 10 shillings.
Rev. N. Crane…………………………………..£1 and 10 shillings.
Rev. Richard Doyle…………………………….£1.
Rev. Francis Doyle………………………………£1
Mrs M. Corish……………………………………£2.
A Lady……………………………………………£1.
Lieutenant Lett R. N………………………………£1
Messrs Michael Lett………………………………£5.
Thomas Mayler……………………………………£5.
Richard Lett, Secretary……………………………£5
William James……………………………………..£2.
Nicholas Radford…………………………………..£1 and 10 shillings.
William Marchant…………………………………..£1.
John Stafford………………………………………..£1.
David Stafford……………………………………….£1.
Michael Furlong……………………………………..£1.
James Roche………………………………………….£1
Nicholas Sinnott………………………………………£1.
James Nugent…………………………………………£2.
James Boyse…………………………………………..£1
Thomas Walsh…………………………………………£1.
John French…………………………………………….£1.
Thomas Butler………………………………………….£1
Mrs Butler………………………………………………10 shillings
Patrick Rossiter…………………………………………£1.
David Barry……………………………………………..£1.
Peter Barry………………………………………………£1.
Matthew Rossiter………………………………………..£1.
John White……………………………………………….£1.
Andrew Cullen……………………………………………£1.
Bartholomew Cullen………………………………………£1.
John Murphy……………………………………………….£1.
Andrew Devereux………………………………………….£1.
Andrew Devereux, junior…………………………………..£1.
Patrick Colfer……………………………………………….£1.
Edward Colfer……………………………………………….£1.
John Devereux……………………………………………….£1.
Stephen Colfer………………………………………………..£1.
James Carew………………………………………………….£1
Patrick Furlong……………………………………………….£1.
Matthew Roche……………………………………………….£1.
Martin Boyse………………………………………………….£1.
Bartholomew Colfer…………………………………………..£1.
Thomas Kane…………………………………………………£1.
John Colfer……………………………………………………£1
Matthew Colfer……………………………………………….£1.
Loftus Shudall…………………………………………………£1.
Michael Colfer…………………………………………………£1.
Andrew Cullen, junior…………………………………………£1.
Gregory White…………………………………………………£1.
Richard Reville…………………………………………………£1.
Ralph Lett………………………………………………………£1.
William Warriner………………………………………10 shillings.
Patrick Codd……………………………………………10 shillings.
William Parle……………………………………………10 shillings.
James Crane………………………………………………10 shillings.
Patrick Stafford………………………………………….10 shillings.
Mrs White………………………………………………..10 shillings.
Widow Colfer…………………………………………….10 shillings.
Mrs Stafford………………………………………………5 shillings.
Charles A. Wright………………………………………..5 shillings.
Stephen Dake……………………………………7 shillings and sixpence.
James Bolan……………………………………..7 shillings and sixpence.
Thomas Bowe…………………………………………….5 shillings.
John Kelleher……………………………………………..5 shillings.
Edward Kane……………………………………………..5 shillings.
Edward Harpur…………………………………………..15 shillings.
Patrick Brown…………………………………………….5 shillings.
Michael Murphy…………………………………………..5 shillings.
John Furlong………………………………………………5 shillings.
John Colfer………………………………………………..5 shillings.
Michael Galway…………………………………………..5 shillings.
Michael Scallan……………………………………………5 shillings.
James Barry……………………………………………….5 shillings.
James Gordon……………………………………………..5 shillings.
Mrs Anne Howlett…………………………………………5 shillings.
Small sums amounting to…………………£2 17 shillings and sixpence.
Amount……………………£291 18 shillings and 8 and a half pence.
Richard Lett, Hon. Secretary.
Deeds Not Words
My Dear Sir—I beg leave to forward to you for insertion in the next two numbers of the Independent the list of subscriptions to the Bannow Relief Committee.
Believe me, my Dear Sir,
Yours faithfully
Richard Lett, Hon. Secretary.
To—John Greene, Esq.”
Minus the £100 donated by Tom Boyse, plus balance from previous year, the above collection would be much less impressive. It is possible to identify some of the donors. Nicholas Sinnott of Ballymadder owned the house of which Samuel Elly, the shipping agent, had a lease. William Marchant lived at Kiltra House and Mrs Fielding, London must have a connection with Anna Maria Hall. Augustus Kennedy owned Ballygow. I presume that John Greene the editor and proprietor of The Wexford Independent did not charge for inserting this list in his newspaper: the professed purpose of publishing such lists was to show gratitude to those who contributed but in terms of ordinary effect, it became a pressure on the more prosperous people to contribute.
