Patrick Joseph Clune CSsR (6 January 1864 in

Ruan Ruan may refer to: Buildings * Ruan Center, office building in Des Moines, Iowa * John Ruan House, historic mansion in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, t ...

County Clare County Clare ( ga, Contae an Chláir) is a county in Ireland, in the Southern Region and the province of Munster, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council is the local authority. The county had a population of 118,81 ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

– 24 May 1935 in

Perth, Western Australia Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth i ...

), an Australian

metropolitan bishop In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan (alternative obsolete form: metropolite), pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis. Originally, the term referred to the ...

, was the fourth

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

Bishop of

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth i ...

and first Archbishop of Perth. Clune served continuously in these roles from 1910 to 1935.

Early life and priestly ministry

Clune was educated in Ruan and at St Flannan's College in Ennis. In 1879 he entered the Catholic Missionary

All Hallows College All Hallows College was a college of higher education in Dublin. It was founded in 1842 and was run by the Vincentians from 1892 until 2016. On 23 May 2014, it was announced that it was closing down, due to decreasing student numbers. The sale ...

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

to study for the priesthood, sponsored for the Diocese of Goldburn, Australia. He was ordained in 1886, aged 22. His first appointment was to St Patrick's College, Goulburn in

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

. He professed vows as a member of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists) on 13 September 1894, and spent four years in missions in England and Ireland until 1898, before spending a short time as superior of the Redemptorist monastery in Wellington, New Zealand. In 1899 he was assigned to Western Australia.Fr Chris Dowd presents biography of Perth's first Archbishop
By Marco Ceccarelli, Perth Catholic.

Bishop/Archbishop of Perth

In 1911 he was nominated Bishop of Perth and received episcopal ordination from Cardinal Patrick Moran on 17 March 1911. Two years later in 1913, the diocese was elevated to an archdiocese and thus Clune became Archbishop. Bishop Clune supported Australias involvement with the British Empire during the Great War, and along with the other Australian Bishops, with the exception of Archbishop Daniel Mannix, supported the introduction of conscription. He played a significant role in the split of Christian Brothers College, Perth to form Aquinas College in the 1930s. Between 1921 and 1931, Dr. Clune opened 56 new churches, schools and convents throughout his diocese, in 1930 St. Mary's Cathedral, Perth was redeveloped.

Mediator between Lloyd George and Irish Nationalists 1920

Prior to December 1920, Archbishop Clune acted as an intermediary between

David Lloyd George David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor, (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. He was a Liberal Party politician from Wales, known for leading the United Kingdom during ...

and the Irish leaders during the Irish War of Independence. Clune with his strong support for the Great War and conscription in Australia, would have been seen as pro-British, had met with and gained the trust of Lloyd George, returned to Dublin incognito as "Doctor Walsh", he met with

Arthur Griffith Arthur Joseph Griffith ( ga, Art Seosamh Ó Gríobhtha; 31 March 1871 – 12 August 1922) was an Irish writer, newspaper editor and politician who founded the political party Sinn Féin. He led the Irish delegation at the negotiations that prod ...

(acting president of the republic and Sinn Féin while De Valera was in America) in Mountjoy Jail and then Michael Collins who was voted by the Dail to act as president while Griffith was in prison. Clune's meeting with the Irish republican leadership was arranged by Bishop Fogarty of Killaloe, Bishop in Clune's native Co. Clare, who had served as vice-president on Maynooth to the then president and future Archbishop of Melbourne,

Daniel Mannix Daniel Patrick Mannix (4 March 1864 – 6 November 1963) was an Irish-born Catholic bishop. Mannix was the Archbishop of Melbourne for 46 years and one of the most influential public figures in 20th-century Australia. Early years and Mayno ...

who was known for his nationalist strong sympathies. Mannix was an opponent of Clune among the Australian bishops during the Great War conscription debate.Activities of Archbishop Clune as mediator between Lloyd George
Witness Rev McMahon, Secretary to Rev. Dr. Clune, Irish Military Archives (1913–1921).

Death and Reburial

He died on 24 May 1935 and was buried in

Karrakatta Cemetery Karrakatta Cemetery is a metropolitan cemetery in the suburb of Karrakatta in Perth, Western Australia. Karrakatta Cemetery first opened for burials in 1899, the first being that of wheelwright Robert Creighton. Managed by the Metropolitan Ce ...

. His remains were exhumed in June 2013, and reinterred in the crypt of St Mary's Cathedral Perth in September 2013. He was succeeded by another Irish born prelate, Archbishop

Redmond Prendiville Count Redmond Garrett Prendiville (11 September 1900 – 28 June 1968) a former Australian metropolitan bishop, was the fifth bishop and second Roman Catholic Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Perth. In 1933, at the time of his consecration, age ...

Early life and priestly ministry

Bishop/Archbishop of Perth

Mediator between Lloyd George and Irish Nationalists 1920

Death and Reburial

See also

References

Further reading