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The Irish College in Paris (, , ) was for three centuries a major
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
educational establishment for Irish students. It was founded in the late 16th century, and closed down by the French government in the early 20th century. From 1945 to 1997, the Polish seminary in Paris was housed in the building. It is now an Irish cultural centre, the .


Foundation

The religious persecution under Elizabeth and James I led to the suppression of the monastic schools in Ireland in which the clergy for the most part received their education. It became necessary, therefore, to seek education abroad, and many colleges for the training of the secular clergy were founded on the continent, at Rome, in Spain and Portugal, in Belgium, and in France.Boyle, Patrick. "Irish Colleges, on the Continent"
The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 8. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 20 January 2019
The founder of the Irish College in Paris was John Lee, an Irish priest who came to Paris, in 1578, with six companions, and entered the
Collège de Montaigu The Collège de Montaigu was one of the constituent colleges of the Faculty of Arts of the University of Paris. History The college, originally called Collège des Aicelins, was founded in 1314 by Gilles I Aycelin de Montaigu, Archbishop of Na ...
. Having completed his studies he became attached to the Church of St. Severin, and made the acquaintance of a French nobleman, John de l'Escalopier, President of the
Parlement of Paris The ''Parlement'' of Paris () was the oldest ''parlement'' in the Kingdom of France, formed in the 14th century. Parlements were judicial, rather than legislative, bodies and were composed of magistrates. Though not representative bodies in the p ...
, who placed at the disposal of the Irish students in Paris a house in the rue de Sèvres, which served them as a college. Lee became the first rector in about 1605.


Seventeenth century

Lee was followed by
Thomas Dease Thomas Dease was at one time Roman Catholic Bishop of Meath. He was born in Ireland in 1568 and died in Galway in 1651. He sprang from an ancient Irish family at one time possessing considerable landed property in County Cavan and County Westme ...
, who was rector until 1621 when he was appointed
Bishop of Meath The Bishop of Meath is an episcopal title which takes its name after the ancient Kingdom of Meath. In the Catholic Church it remains as a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with another bishopric. History Until the ...
. By
letters patent Letters patent (plurale tantum, plural form for singular and plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, President (government title), president or other head of state, generally granti ...
dated 1623,
Louis XIII Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown. ...
conferred upon the Irish priests and scholars in Paris the right to receive and possess property. It was during the tenure of Dease's successor,
Thomas Messingham Thomas Messingham was an Irish hagiologist born in the Diocese of Meath. Stephen White, Henry Fitzsimon, and Messingham were "forerunners in searching for manuscripts containing Lives of Irish saints."Sharpe, Richard, 'The Background to Acta San ...
, that the Irish college was recognised as a seminary by the
University of Paris The University of Paris (), known Metonymy, metonymically as the Sorbonne (), was the leading university in Paris, France, from 1150 to 1970, except for 1793–1806 during the French Revolution. Emerging around 1150 as a corporation associated wit ...
in 1624. Messingham organized the course of studies with a view of sending forth capable missionaries to work in their native country. The college founded by Lee was not spacious enough to receive the numerous Irish students who came to Paris. Some of them continued to find a home in the Collège Montaigu, others in the
Collège de Boncourt In France, secondary education is in two stages: * ''Collèges'' () cater for the first four years of secondary education from the ages of 11 to 14. * ''Lycées'' () provide a three-year course of further secondary education for students between ...
, while some, who were in affluent circumstances, resided in the
Collège de Navarre The College of Navarre (, ) was one of the colleges of the historic University of Paris. It rivaled the University of Paris, Sorbonne and was renowned for its library. History The college was founded by Queen Joan I of Navarre in 1305, who provi ...
. This situation attracted the attention of
Vincent de Paul Vincent de Paul, CM (24 April 1581 – 27 September 1660), commonly known as Saint Vincent de Paul, was an Occitan French Catholic priest who dedicated himself to serving the poor. In 1622, Vincent was appointed as chaplain to the galleys. ...
and others, who sought to provide them with a more suitable residence. In 1672, the bishops of Ireland, deputed John O'Molony, Roman Catholic Bishop of Killaloe, to treat with Colbert as to the establishment of a new college. This was eventually obtained, through the influence of two Irish priests resident in Paris: Patrick Maginn, formerly first chaplain to Queen Catherine, wife of
Charles II of England Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651 and King of England, Scotland, and King of Ireland, Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685. Charles II was the eldest su ...
; and Malachy Kelly, one of the chaplains of
Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...
. These two ecclesiastics obtained from Louis XIV authorisation to enter possession of the Collège des Lombards, a college of the University of Paris founded for Italian students in 1333. They rebuilt the college, then in ruins, at their own expense, and became its first superiors. The acquisition of the college was confirmed by letters patent dated 1677 and 1681. Some years later the buildings were extended by John Farely, and all the Irish ecclesiastical students in Paris found a home in the Collège des Lombards.


Eighteenth century

The Irish College in Paris was open to all the counties and provinces in Ireland. In 1738, the college chapel was rebuilt under the direction of the architect Pierre Boscry. The number of students went on increasing until, in 1764, it reached 160. It was therefore found necessary to build a second college. The building was commenced in 1769 in rue du Cheval Vert, now rue des Irlandais, and the junior section of the students was transferred to the new college in 1776. The students were divided into two categories, one, the more numerous, consisting of priests already ordained in Ireland, and the other of juniors aspiring to orders. Both sections attended the university classes, either at the Collège de Plessis, or at that of Navarre, or at the Sorbonne. The course of study extended over six years, of which two were given to philosophy, three to theology, and one to special preparation for pastoral work. The more talented students remained two years longer to qualify for degrees in theology, or in
canon law Canon law (from , , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical jurisdiction, ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its membe ...
. In virtue of the
papal bull A papal bull is a type of public decree, letters patent, or charter issued by the pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the leaden Seal (emblem), seal (''bulla (seal), bulla'') traditionally appended to authenticate it. History Papal ...
of
Pope Urban VIII Pope Urban VIII (; ; baptised 5 April 1568 – 29 July 1644), born Maffeo Vincenzo Barberini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 August 1623 to his death, in July 1644. As pope, he expanded the papal terri ...
, , dated 10 July 1626, and granted in favour of all Irish colleges already established or to be established in France, Spain, Flanders, or elsewhere, the junior students were promoted to orders , even , and without dimissorial letters, on the representation of the rector of the college – a privilege withdrawn, as regards dimissorial letters, by
Pope Gregory XVI Pope Gregory XVI (; ; born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari; 18 September 1765 – 1 June 1846) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1831 to his death in June 1846. He had adopted the name Mauro upon enteri ...
. The students in priestly orders were able to support themselves to a large extent by their Mass stipends. Many burses, too, were founded for the education of students at the Lombard college. Among the founders were nine Irish bishops, thirty-two Irish priests, four medical doctors, some laymen engaged in civil or military pursuits, and a few pious women. The college was governed in the eighteenth century by four Irish priests called provisors, one from each province of Ireland. They were elected by the votes of the students and confirmed by the
Archbishop of Paris The Archdiocese of Paris (; ) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. It is one of twenty-three archdioceses in France. The original diocese is traditionally thought to have been created i ...
, who, as superior major, nominated one of them to the office of the principal. In 1788, the system of government by provisors was abolished, and one rector was appointed. In 1792 following the French Revolution, the two Irish colleges in Paris, namely the Collège des Lombards, and the then junior college, the Collège des Irlandais on the rue du Cheval Vert, were closed,Le Grand Project – Confiscated and vandalised during the French Revolution and shelled by the Prussian army, the Irish College in Paris has had. .
by Frank McDonald, ''The Irish Times'', 12 October 2012.
as were all the other Irish colleges in France. The original library collection of the Irish College was entirely lost during the Revolution. The closing of the colleges on the Continent deprived the bishops of Ireland of the means of educating their clergy. They, therefore, petitioned the British Government for authorisation to establish an ecclesiastical college at home. The petition was granted, and
Maynooth College St Patrick's Pontifical University, Maynooth (), is a pontifical Catholic university in the town of Maynooth near Dublin, Ireland. The college and national seminary on its grounds are often referred to as Maynooth College. The college was of ...
was founded in 1795. In support of their petition, the bishops submitted a statement of the number of Irish ecclesiastics receiving education on the Continent when the French Revolution began. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, forty students of the Irish College in Paris were raised to the episcopal bench. Over the period 1660 to 1730, more than sixty Irishmen held the office of procurator of the German nation —one of the four sections of the faculty of arts in the ancient university.
Michael Moore Michael Francis Moore is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and author. Moore's work frequently addresses various Social issue, social, political, and economic topics. He first became publicly known for his award-winning debut ...
, an Irish priest, held the office of the principal of the Collège de Navarre, and was twice elected rector of the university. Many Irishmen held chairs in the university.
John Sleyne John Baptist Sleyne (; – 16 February 1712) was Roman Catholic Bishop of Cork and Cloyne and Apostolic Administrator of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ross (Ireland), diocese of Ross, who was an enthusiastic patron of the Gaelic Ireland, Gaelic ...
was a professor at the Sorbonne. Power was a professor of the college at Lisieux; and O'Lonergan at the college of Reims. John Plunkett, Patrick J. Plunkett, and Flood, superiors or provisors of the Irish college, were in succession royal professors of theology at the Collège de Navarre. From its closure following the revolution, the Irish College was leased by Patrick MacDermott who ran a lay school there up until 1800; both Napoleon's youngest brother Jérôme and his step-son studied there.


Nineteenth century

After the French Revolution, the Irish college in Paris was re-established by a decree of the
first consul The Consulate () was the top-level government of the First French Republic from the fall of the Directory in the coup of 18 Brumaire on 9 November 1799 until the start of the French Empire on 18 May 1804. During this period, Napoleon Bonap ...
, and placed under the control of a board appointed by the French Government, creating the ''Fondation Irlandaise'' in 1805. To it was united the remnants of the property of the other Irish colleges in France which had escaped destruction. The college in Paris lost two-thirds of its endowments owing to the depreciation of French state funds, which had been reduced to one-third consolidated. The
Scots College (Paris) The Scots College (; ) was a college of the University of Paris, France, founded by an act of the Parliament of Paris on 8 July 1333. The act was a ratification of an event that had already taken place, the founding of the Collegium Scoticum, on ...
and English college interests were also consolidated into the Irish College, their foundations were separated in 1824 again by
Louis XVIII Louis XVIII (Louis Stanislas Xavier; 17 November 1755 – 16 September 1824), known as the Desired (), was King of France from 1814 to 1824, except for a brief interruption during the Hundred Days in 1815. Before his reign, he spent 23 y ...
. In 1810, Richard Ferris was appointed by the French to administer/superior of the United British (of which the Irish Colleges were part) Colleges. In 1814 the Irish Bishops, and, following the establishment of
Maynooth College St Patrick's Pontifical University, Maynooth (), is a pontifical Catholic university in the town of Maynooth near Dublin, Ireland. The college and national seminary on its grounds are often referred to as Maynooth College. The college was of ...
, supported by the British government, twenty years earlier, sent Paul Long to the college to exercise its control over the institution, and he was appointed superior. This caused friction with Richard Ferris, who still held sway with many in Paris, and during Napoleon's 100 days in power in 1815, Ferris briefly resumed the post as Rector/Superior. After the
Bourbon Restoration Bourbon Restoration may refer to: France under the House of Bourbon: * Bourbon Restoration in France (1814, after the French revolution and Napoleonic era, until 1830; interrupted by the Hundred Days in 1815) Spain under the Spanish Bourbons: * Ab ...
, the French Government placed at the disposal of the British government three million and a half sterling, to indemnify British subjects in France for the losses they had sustained in the Revolution. In 1816, a claim for indemnity was presented on behalf of the Irish college. That claim was rejected by the privy council in 1825 on the grounds that the college was a French establishment. In 1832 the claim was renewed by M'Sweeny, director of the college, with the same result. Another attempt to obtain compensation was made by the rector Thomas McNamara in 1870. On 9 May of that year, a motion was made in the House of Lords for copies of the awards in the case of the Irish college in 1825 and 1832. This step was followed up by a motion in the House of Commons for the appointment of a select committee to inquire into the claims of the college to compensation for losses sustained during the French Revolution. The motion was introduced on 30 April 1875, by
Isaac Butt Isaac Butt (6 September 1813 – 5 May 1879) was an Irish barrister, editor, politician, Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, economist and the founder and first leader of a number of Irish nationalist par ...
, MP for Limerick, and, after a prolonged discussion, it was defeated by 116 to 54 votes. After 1805, the administration of the college was subject to a "Bureau de Surveillance" which gave much trouble until it was dissolved by
Charles X of France Charles X (Charles Philippe; 9 October 1757 – 6 November 1836) was King of France from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. An uncle of the uncrowned Louis XVII and younger brother of reigning kings Louis XVI and Louis XVIII, he supported th ...
, in 1824. After that date, the superior, appointed on presentation of the four archbishops of Ireland, became the official administrator of the foundations, subject to the minister of the interior, and at a later period to the minister of public instruction. The students no longer frequented the university. The professors were Irish priests appointed by the French Government on the presentation of the Irish episcopate. In 1858, with the sanction of the
Sacred Congregation of Propaganda The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (CEP; ) was a congregation of the Roman Curia of the Catholic Church in Rome, responsible for missionary work and related activities. It is also known by its former title, the Sacred Congregatio ...
, and with the consent of the French Government, the bishops of Ireland placed the management of the college in the hands of the Irish
Vincentian Fathers The Congregation of the Mission (), abbreviated CM and commonly called the Vincentians or Lazarists, is a Catholic society of apostolic life of pontifical right for men founded by Vincent de Paul. It is associated with the Vincentian Family, a ...
, with McNamara being succeeded in 1889 by Patrick Boyle. In 1834, McSweeney purchased a country house at Acuril/Arcueil about an hour's walk from the college, which was used by the students at weekends and public holidays. The property was sold following the Second World War and redeveloped all that remains of the college is in names of palaces, ''villa des Irlandais'' and a ''cité des Irlandais'' as well as some graves of Irish priests and students in Cachan Cemetery. In the nineteenth century, the college gave to the Catholic Church a wide array of good priests and bishops, including Fitz Patrick, Abbot of Melleray; Maginn, Coadjutor Bishop of Derry; Keane, of Cloyne; Michael O'Hea and Fitz Gerald of Ross; Gillooly of Elphin, and Croke of Cashel. Kelly, the Bishop of Ross, and McSherry, vicar Apostolic at Port Elizabeth, South Africa, were also alumni of the college. Cardinal Logue held the chair of dogmatic theology from 1866 to 1874. From 1873, the administration of the property of the college was with a board created by a decree of the . On that board, the
Archbishop of Paris The Archdiocese of Paris (; ) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. It is one of twenty-three archdioceses in France. The original diocese is traditionally thought to have been created i ...
was represented by a delegate, and he was also the official medium of communication between the Irish episcopate and the French Government. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, burses were available to students from
Maynooth College St Patrick's Pontifical University, Maynooth (), is a pontifical Catholic university in the town of Maynooth near Dublin, Ireland. The college and national seminary on its grounds are often referred to as Maynooth College. The college was of ...
and
Clonliffe College Holy Cross College (also known as Clonliffe College), located on Clonliffe Road, Drumcondra, was founded in 1854 as the Catholic diocesan seminary for Dublin by Paul Cullen, Archbishop of Dublin (later created, in 1866, a cardinal). History ...
, Dublin, to spend time in the Irish College, Paris studying at the
Institut Catholique de Paris The Institut catholique de Paris (, abbr. ICP), known in English as the Catholic University of Paris (and in Latin as ''Universitas catholica Parisiensis''), is a private university located in Paris, France. History: 1875–present The Institut ...
. This connection continues with recent chaplains to the college, pursuing studies in the Institut.


Twentieth Century

In December 1906, the law of separation of Church and State in France came into operation. In the following January, the French government notified the British government of its intention to reorganise the Irish Catholic foundations in France so as to bring them into harmony with the recent legislation regarding the Church. It was further stated that the purpose of the Government was to close the Irish college, to sell its immovable property, and to invest the proceeds of the sale, to be applied together with the existing burses for the benefit of Irish students. However, due to the exertions of its superior, Patrick Boyle, and the British ambassador in Paris the college remained open until the outbreak of World War I caused its closure. During the war Boyle opened the college for use by the sisters and orphans from Verdun Orphanage. The college resumed in 1919, but closed again on the outbreak of World War II, with students evacuated, leaving Travers resident for the duration of the war. After the war, it was not reopened as an Irish College, instead, in 1947 the college was made available for use by a Polish religious community. Throughout the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, Liam Swords and Devlin worked to regain the Irish control and presence in the college. In 1989 an Irish presence was re-established, a number of renovations were made, and scholarships funded Irish students studying in Paris to stay in the college,The Irish College Conquest Part 2
''The Irish Times'', 6 May 2000.
as Cardinal O'Fiach said in 1989, (he hoped the Irish college) ''will one day house an Irish Cultural Centre, with library, language training, student exchanges – in short, a meeting place where Ireland will meet France and through France the wider Europe''. In 1991 the ''Fondation Irlandaise'' which officially controlled the college, was reconstituted, from six French and one Irish member, to seven members from each country, nominees to the foundation were from the
Archbishop of Paris The Archdiocese of Paris (; ) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. It is one of twenty-three archdioceses in France. The original diocese is traditionally thought to have been created i ...
,
Maynooth Maynooth (; ) is a university town in north County Kildare, Ireland. It is home to Maynooth University (part of the National University of Ireland and also known as the National University of Ireland, Maynooth) and St Patrick's College, Maynoo ...
and The Irish Ambassador to France. The Polish community re-located to ''Notre-Dame de Sion'' in Issy-les-Moulineaux, in 1997.


400th Celebrations

In 1978, the Irish College celebrated its fourth centenary, events were held such as a reception hosted by the Irish Ambassador, mass at St. Etienne du Mont (at which Frank Patterson sang), seminar and social events in the college, many dignitaries such as Cardinal O'Fiach, Sean McBride, the Irish in France and those connected with the college in attendance, as well as academics from Irish universities and international institutions who attended the seminar.


Alumni and rectors

In the three hundred years of its existence, the college has not been without a share in the ecclesiastical literature of Ireland. Among the rectors of the college have been
Thomas Messingham Thomas Messingham was an Irish hagiologist born in the Diocese of Meath. Stephen White, Henry Fitzsimon, and Messingham were "forerunners in searching for manuscripts containing Lives of Irish saints."Sharpe, Richard, 'The Background to Acta San ...
, prothonotary Apostolic, author of the "Florilegium Insulæ Sanctorum" (Paris, 1624);
Andrew Donlevy Andrew Donlevy (born c.1694) was an Irish Catholic priest and educator. Life Little is known about his early life. He was probably born in County Sligo and went abroad to study for the priesthood, reaching Paris in 1710 and becoming a student ...
, author of an "Anglo-Irish Catechism" (Paris, 1742); Miley, author of "A History of the Papal States" (Dublin, 1852); Thomas McNamara, author of "Programmes of Sermons" (Dublin, 1880), "Encheiridion Clericorum" (1882), and several other similar works.
James MacGeoghegan James MacGeoghegan (1702-1763) was an Irish Roman Catholic priest and historian. Life MacGeoghan was born in Westmeath near Uisneach in 1702. His father was a moderately wealthy farmer, belonging to the same prominent Geoghegan family as figures ...
, Sylvester O'Hallaran, Martin Haverty, and probably
Geoffrey Keating Geoffrey Keating (; – ) was an Irish historian. He was born in County Tipperary, Ireland, and is buried in Tubrid Graveyard in the parish of Ballylooby-Duhill. He became a Catholic priest and a poet. Biography It was generally believed unt ...
, all eminent Irish historians, were students of the college. Dean Kinane, a student and then a professor in the college, is widely known for his "Dove of the Tabernacle" and numerous other devotional works. More recently, John MacGuinness, vice-rector, has published a full course of dogmatic theology. Amongst the rectors of the college were John Farley and John Baptist Walsh, in the eighteenth century, and Patrick MacSweeney and
Thomas MacNamara Thomas James Macnamara Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, PC (23 August 1861 – 3 December 1931) was a British teacher, educationalist and radical Liberal Party (UK), Liberal politician. Biography Macnamara was born in Montreal, ...
, in the nineteenth. Charles Ouin La Croix, from Rouen, administered the college from 1859 until 1873. Charles O'Neill was college president in the 18th century.


Alumni

*
Eugène de Beauharnais Eugène Rose de Beauharnais (; 3 September 1781 – 21 February 1824) was a French statesman and military officer who served in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Through the second marriage of his mother, Joséphine de Beauharnais, ...
– Duke of Leuchtenberg and stepson of Napoleon Bonaparte, attended the lay college established following the revolution *
Jérôme Bonaparte Jérôme Bonaparte (born Girolamo Buonaparte; 15 November 1784 – 24 June 1860) was the youngest brother of Napoleon, Napoleon I and reigned as Jerome Napoleon I (formally Hieronymus Napoleon in German), Kingdom of Westphalia, King of Westphal ...
– youngest brother of Napoleon attended the lay college *
Henry Conwell Henry Conwell ( – 22 April 1842) was an Irish-born Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Philadelphia from 1820 until his death. He became a priest in 1776 and served in that capacity in Ireland for more than four decades. After the P ...
– Bishop of Philadelphia * William CoppingerBishop of Cloyne and Ross *
Thomas Croke Thomas William Croke D.D. (28 May 1824 – 22 July 1902) was the second Catholic Bishop of Auckland, New Zealand (1870–74) and later Archbishop of Cashel and Emly in Ireland. He was important in the Irish nationalist movement, especially as a ...
– Archbishop of Cashel *
Daniel Delany Daniel Delany DD (February 1747, in Paddock, Mountrath, Laois, Ireland – 9 July 1814, in Tullow, County Carlow) was the Roman Catholic Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin. Educated at the Irish College in Paris, he taught at thEnglish Boys Coll ...
Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin The Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin is the ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin, one of the suffragan dioceses of the Archdiocese of Dublin. The episcopal title takes its name from the towns of Kildare and Old Leighlin i ...
* James Dillon – Bishop of Kilmore * Patrick Donnelly - Bishop of Dromore, known as
The Bard of Armagh "The Bard of Armagh" is an Irish ballad. It is often attributed to Patrick Donnelly. He was made Bishop of Dromore in 1697, the same year as the enactment of the 1697 Banishment Act which was intended to clear out all Roman Catholic clergy fro ...
* Peter Flood – second President of St. Patrick's College, Maynooth. * James Gallagher
Bishop of Raphoe The Bishop of Raphoe ( ) is an episcopal title which takes its name after the town of Raphoe in County Donegal, Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with another bi ...
(1725–37),
Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin The Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin is the ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin, one of the suffragan dioceses of the Archdiocese of Dublin. The episcopal title takes its name from the towns of Kildare and Old Leighlin i ...
(1737–51) * Laurence Gillooly
Bishop of Elphin The Bishop of Elphin (; ) is an Episcopal polity, episcopal title which takes its name after the village of Elphin, County Roscommon, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but ...
*
Neal McCabe Bishop Neale MacCabe CM (23 June 1816 – 22 July 1870), was an Irish Vincentian priest who served as Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise. Early life, family and education MacCabe was from Crosdrum near Oldcastle, County Meath. He was educated i ...
Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise The Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise, one of the suffragan dioceses of the Archdiocese of Armagh. The episcopal title takes its name after the town of Ardagh in County ...
, served as Rector 1866–68, buried in the Vincentian community plot in Montparnasse, Paris. *
John McCarthy John McCarthy may refer to: Government * John George MacCarthy (1829–1892), Member of Parliament for Mallow constituency, 1874–1880 * John McCarthy (Irish politician) (1862–1893), Member of Parliament for the Mid Tipperary constituency, ...
, Bishop Sandhurst, Australia, 1917–1950 * Michael O'Reilly,
Bishop of Derry The Bishop of Derry is an episcopal title which takes its name after the monastic settlement originally founded at Daire Calgach and later known as Daire Colm Cille, Anglicised as Derry. In the Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but in ...
(1739–49) and
Archbishop of Armagh The Archbishop of Armagh is an Episcopal polity, archiepiscopal title which takes its name from the Episcopal see, see city of Armagh in Northern Ireland. Since the Reformation in Ireland, Reformation, there have been parallel apostolic success ...
(1749–58) * Patrick Joseph Plunkett
Bishop of Meath The Bishop of Meath is an episcopal title which takes its name after the ancient Kingdom of Meath. In the Catholic Church it remains as a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with another bishopric. History Until the ...
, served as superior and professor in Paris *
Charles Tuohy Charles Tuohy (1754–1828) was an Irish Roman Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Limerick from 1813 to 1828. Biography Charles Tuohy was born in Nicholas Street, Limerick, in 1754. Around 1770 he left Ireland to study in the Irish ...
Bishop of Limerick The Bishop of Limerick is an Episcopal polity, episcopal title which takes its name after the city of Limerick in the Province of Munster, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church, Catholic Church it still continues as a sepa ...
1813–28


Burials in the College

*
Andrew Donlevy Andrew Donlevy (born c.1694) was an Irish Catholic priest and educator. Life Little is known about his early life. He was probably born in County Sligo and went abroad to study for the priesthood, reaching Paris in 1710 and becoming a student ...
, alumni of the Irish College (housed in the Collège des Lombards) buried in the vaults of the college chapel * Dominic Maguire OP, Jacobite, Archbishop of Armagh * John O'Molony, Bishop of Killaloe and Bishop of Limerick


Rectors & Superiors

* John Lee (1605–) *
Thomas Dease Thomas Dease was at one time Roman Catholic Bishop of Meath. He was born in Ireland in 1568 and died in Galway in 1651. He sprang from an ancient Irish family at one time possessing considerable landed property in County Cavan and County Westme ...
( -1621), appointed
Bishop of Meath The Bishop of Meath is an episcopal title which takes its name after the ancient Kingdom of Meath. In the Catholic Church it remains as a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with another bishopric. History Until the ...
*
Thomas Messingham Thomas Messingham was an Irish hagiologist born in the Diocese of Meath. Stephen White, Henry Fitzsimon, and Messingham were "forerunners in searching for manuscripts containing Lives of Irish saints."Sharpe, Richard, 'The Background to Acta San ...
(1621–1632), rector when the college was officially linked to the University of Paris in 1626. * James Merrick, Superior * John Farley (1728–1736), principal * Patrick Corr (1736–1738), principal * Patrick Joseph Plunkett (1770–1778) joint Superior of the Irish College(College of the Lombards), and royal professor of theology, Collège de Navarre. * Charles Kearney (1782–1787), superior/rector, remained in Paris Charles Kearney
Contributed by O'Brien, Andrew; Lunney, Linde, Dictionary of Irish Biography.
* John Baptist Walsh (1787–1814), superior, responsible for the Fondation Irlandais/Irish College inheriting and acquiring the legacy and equity of the Irish and British Colleges in France. * Richard Ferris(1810–1814, 1815), "colourful" and controversial superior and administrator of the British(which included the Irish) Colleges.
to assert Irish control of the college and its interests. * Charles Kearney (1820–1824), reappointed rector, he died in 1824 and was interred in the college vaults. * Paul McSweeney (1828–1849) * John Miley (1849–1858) * James Lynch (1858-1866), first Vincentian rector *
Neal McCabe Bishop Neale MacCabe CM (23 June 1816 – 22 July 1870), was an Irish Vincentian priest who served as Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise. Early life, family and education MacCabe was from Crosdrum near Oldcastle, County Meath. He was educated i ...
(1866–1868) * Thomas McNamara (1868–1889) * Patrick Boyle (1889–1926), re-established the college following its closure during World War I, he remained and taught in the college until his death in 1933. * John Magennis (McGuinness) (1926–1932) * Joseph P. Sheedy (1932–1938) * Patrick Travers (1938–39) stayed at the college during the Second World War. Reappointed and served from (1949–1972) * Henry Casey (1945–1949) * Patrick Travers, Reappointed (1949–1972), non-resident, with William McGlynn resident priest, liaising with the French Government. * Thomas Fagan (1972–1984), non-resident in the college, in 1984 the Vincentians relinquished their position as rectors of the college. *
Brendan Devlin Brendan P. Devlin (Irish: ''Breandán Ó Doibhlin'') (29 May 1931 – 19 September 2023) was an Irish language scholar and priest of the Derry Diocese. He was one for five children born in Rousky, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland and was educate ...
(1984–2001), rector and manager Following the reappointment of Travers, the rector was not resident in the college, and only visited periodically to look after the Irish interest in the college which was being used for seminary training Polish priests, ''Seminaire Polonais de Paris''(1947–97). An Irish Catholic presence was re-established in the 1970s when the historian and archivist Liam Swords became chaplain to the Irish Community in Paris.


Chaplains (or Aumônier, Collège des Irlandais)

* Liam Swords (1978–1994), first priest in residence since 1945 * Desmond Knowles (1994–1998) * Pearce Walsh (1998–2002) * Desmond Knowles (2002–2003) * Declan Hurley (2003–2008) * David Bracken (2008–2011) * Sean Maher (2011–2014) * Dwayne Gavin (2014–2017) * Hugh Connolly (2017–2022), who served as board member and secretary of the Fondation Irlandais, when in Maynooth.Changes in administering Irish College in Paris are announced
by Lara Marlowe, ''The Irish Times'', 21 March 2001.
* Jim Doyle (2022–)


Today

The Polish community having re-located in 1997, the college, including the chapel and library underwent a complete restoration funded by the Irish government,The Irish College Conquest Part 1
''The Irish Times'', 6 May 2000.
and in 2002 it opened as the Centre Culturel Irlandais. The center appoints an artist in residence, and a number of scholars and students from Ireland stay at the college, which has 45 rooms to rent. The CCI hosts various concerts, performances, seminars, and exhibitions, and Irish Language classes are conducted in association with
Maynooth University Maynooth University (MU) (), is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland in Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland. Maynooth University was formerly known as National University of Ireland, Maynooth (NUIM; ). It was Ireland ...
. The Irish Chaplaincy in Paris is based in the centre and uses the college's ''Chapelle Saint-Patrick'' for services, such as weekly mass (followed by coffee and a chat), weddings, baptisms and the annual carol service in the chapel by the choir for the Irish community in Paris. The
harmonium The pump organ or reed organ is a type of organ that uses free reeds to generate sound, with air passing over vibrating thin metal strips mounted in a frame. Types include the pressure-based harmonium, the suction reed organ (which employs a va ...
was restored funded by the Ireland Funds France. The Irish Chaplain assists in the local Saint Etienne du Mont parish and the chaplaincy also works closely with the other church in Paris which holds English language services, St. Josephs Church run by the Passionists (currently served by two Irish born priests). The only part of the older ''College des Lombards'' remaining, is the chapel, which since 1927 used by the Saint-Éphrem-le-Syriac Church, the Irish Chaplain holds an annual service there for those Irish who are buried older college site. Also at the recently restored Irish College plot in Cachan Cemetery, Arcueil-Cachan, Paris.November: Remembering our dead – The Irish College grave at Arcueil Cachan
Irish Chaplaincy Paris, Irish College, Paris.


See also

* Irish College in Bordeaux (1603–1794) – merged into Fondation Irlandais *
Irish College, Douai The Irish College was a seminary at Douai, France, for Irish Roman Catholics in exile on the continent of Europe to study for the priesthood, modelled on the English College there. Dedicated to St. Patrick, the college was sometimes referred to a ...
(1603–1793) * Irish College in Toulouse (1618–1793) – merged into Fondation Irlandais *
Irish College at Lisbon Irish College at Lisbon or St Patrick's College, Lisbon was set up during the Penal Times, by a group of Irish Jesuits, supported by a number of Portuguese Nobles, in Lisbon. History The religious persecution under Elizabeth and James I lead t ...
* Irish College in Rome * Irish College at Salamanca (1592–1952) * Irish Dominican
St Anthony's College, Leuven The Irish College of St Anthony, in Leuven, Belgium (, , and ), has been a centre of Irish learning on the European Continent since the early 17th century. The college was dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua. History The college was founded in 16 ...
(1607–1983), Accommodation, and Cultural Centre


Sources


Irish in Europe archives
*


References


External links


Centre Culturel Irlandais website

Irish Chaplaincy Paris
– resident in the old college, and uses the Chapelle Saint-Patrick. {{Authority control Colleges of the University of Paris Former Catholic seminaries 1605 establishments in France Irish diaspora in Europe Irish Colleges on the Continent