Timothy Joyce (1868–1947), was an Irish Roman Catholic priest, Monsignor and parish priest of Portumna, 1919–1947.

Biography

Joyce was born in Portumna on 8 August 1868. He was educated at the Christian Brothers School, Nenagh; St. Brendan's Seminary, Loughrea; Mungreat College, Limerick. He was ordained in St. Bridget's church, Portumna, by Bishop of Clonfert, Dr. Healy, in 1896. He was immediately made parish

curate A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' (''cura'') ''of souls'' of a parish. In this sense, "curate" means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy w ...

, serving under Fr. Joseph Corcoran. In 1904 he was one of two Clonfert priests who travelled to the U.S. to collect funds for the construction of a cathedral in Loughrea; "members of the Joyce family who had previously emigrated to the United States helped greatly in this task by organising fundraising events." On his return he served briefly in Ballymacward and then Ballinasloe. One result of his efforts in the USA was a recommendation to the bishop that, vacancy arising, he should be appointed parish priest in his home parish of Portumna. This came to pass upon the death of Fr. Corcoran in December 1919. In 1922 Monsignor Joyce played a fundamental part in the purchase of

Garbally House Garbally House is a country house built by the Lord Clancarty in the 17th century. It has two floors and fine views over Ballinasloe. It is situated beside Garbally College (Garbally Court), which is an all boys secondary school in Ballinasloe ...

and estate from the Clancarthy family; it was converted into the Diocesan College for Clonfert, Joyce giving the first mass in it on 16 August 1922. "The timing of the purchase was of crucial importance as plans were at an advanced stage by one of the parties involved in the Civil War (see

Irish Civil War The Irish Civil War ( ga, Cogadh Cathartha na hÉireann; 28 June 1922 – 24 May 1923) was a conflict that followed the Irish War of Independence and accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State, an entity independent from the United ...

) to have the house burnt down to prevent the opposing faction from using it as a stronghold." In Portumna, Joyce instigated the erection of a new Town Hall, aided the establishment of an Electric Light Company, established a Civic League, and renamed the town streets, all of which had footpaths cleaned, newly-laid out. His contribution to the town—recognised "as a model town and one of the neatest and tidiest in the country"(1998, p. 183)—led to

Pope Pius XI Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in February 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City fro ...

granting him the title of

Domestic Prelate Monsignor (; it, monsignore ) is an honorific form of address or title for certain male clergy members, usually members of the Roman Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian ''monsignore'', meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" ca ...

in 1928. Joyce was involved in several other local projects, such as the establishment of the town's Vocational School in 1934, the establishment of the fire service, and the very successful Portumna Agricultural and Home Industries Show in the 1930s and 1940s. Due to emigration, the Portumna Brass and Reed Band (established 1907) had declined, until Monsignor Joyce reorganised it and appointed a new bandmaster. He established the Shannon Development Association in 1945 to utilise the resources of Lough Derg for the town and its neighbours. Joyce died on Thursday 20 February 1947 at the parochial house (which he built), Portumna.

References

* Conwell, John Joe ''Lickmolassy by the Shannon:a History of Gortanumera & Surrounding Parishes'', 1998, pp. 181–194. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Joyce, Timothy 1868 births 1947 deaths 20th-century Irish Roman Catholic priests People from Portumna