The Nationalist and Leinster Times/1924/Very Rev. E. O'Leary, P.P., V.F., Portarlington

OBITUARY;

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The death of the Very Rev. Edward O'Leary, P.P., V.F., Portarlington, on Oct. 13th, removed fro the ranks of the clergy of Kildare and Leighlin a venerable and interesting personality. Born nearly eighty years ago in the Parish Clonegal, the decease priest made his preparatory studies at St Patrick's Monastery, Tullow, and entered Carlow College in 1862. In 1864 he passed into Maynooth. At the end of his theological studies, in 1868, he was ordained priest at Carlow by the Most Rev. Dr,. Walsh. Immediately after his ordination, he was appointed C.C., Philipstown, from which he was transferred, after four years to the Cathedral, Carlow. In 1879 he was sent as C.C. to Rathangan, where he remained for the next seven years, In 1886 Father Tracy, P.P., Ballyna, owing to age and failing health, resigned his pastoral charge, and was succeeded by Father O'Leary. On the death of Father R. Bourke, P.P., Portarlington, in June, 1903, the Most Rev. Dr. Foley appointed Father O'Leary his successor. In the space at our disposal it would be impossible to do justice to Father O'Leary's manifold activities during his 56 years of priestly life. In his boyhood he acquired a taste for sketching and the study of architecture. This taste remained a passion with him throughout life. In all that pertained to he fabrique of churches, schools, and parochial edifices, Father O'Leary was a competent and widely acknowledged authority. The improvements in the churches and schools in the parish of Balyna; the extension of the Church in Portarlington, the enlargement, remodelling and equipment of the Convent Schools there; the new school and teacher's residence at the Cloneyhurke, and the renovation of the Church in Killenard—all these bear witness to the enthusiastic and generous labour of nearly forty years. When we recall his interest in everything that pertains to the Church, the altar, and the tabernacle, we feel we may justly apply to him the words of the Psalmist: "Lord, I have loved the beauty of Thy House, and the place where Thy glory dwelleth." His interest in the poor of his parish is sufficiently evidenced by his introduction of the St. Vincent De Paul Society into the Portarlington, and by his generous contributions to its fund both during his life and by means of his last will and testament.

Next to his churches, schools and poor came the language, history and the antiquities of this native land. When a young priest in Carlow, in the seventies of the last century, Father O'Leary, along with Monsignor Murphy, of Maryborough—who was then a Professor in Carlow College—established and taught an Irish language class in the town. For nearly 50 years he was a member of the Irish Archaeological Society, and for the past thirty-two years a ember of the Royal Irish Academy. Nothing delighted him more than to join in the excursions of these societies to places of historic interest up and down Ireland, He was an occasional contributor to the columns of the Kildare Archaeological Journal. The late Canon O'Hanlon, of Dublin, who was born in Stradbally, Leix, had planned a history of his native county. He had collected considerable material for his purpose before he died in 1904, Shortly before his death he asked Father O'Leary to take up the work and see it through. The choice was a happy one. The first volume appeared in 1908. The second column—the joint production of Father O'Leary and Father Lalor, P.P., Mountmellick was brought out in 1914. These two volumes, written in a lucid and simple style, are a mine of carefully collated and interesting historical and archaeological information. The second volume is enriched by a series of splendid photographic plates of churches, historical houses, ruins, raths and tumuli in the Queen's County. For these readers are indebted to the camera of Fr. O'Leary, who was a skilled amateur photographer.

In the autumn of 1917 he had the floor of the ruined Church. Ballynowlart, excavated in order to test the value of a tradition which he had heard when a young priest to the effect that, some centuries back, the Church had been set on fire by a squad of the English soldiers, during the celebration of Mass, and the congregation immolated in the flames. The quantity and the position of the human remains brought to light by his excavations, together with the charred fragments of timber, would seem to show that the tradition rested on a stratum of fact. Subsequent researches in the Record Office and elsewhere made by himself, but Father Devitt, S.J.; Father McInerney, O.P., and others, failed to discover any documentary proof of the massacre, if such it was. But the authentic exploits of the English Club. soldiers under a Mountjoy, as given us by Fynes Mouson and gain, forty years later, under Parson, and Borlas, as given us in Carte's Life of Ormonde, prove beyond doubt that the tradition is not devoid of probability. This tradition interested Fr. O'Leary to the end. Only last Easter he was fully determined to resume the excavations during the coming summer, But had bad weather and ill-health forced him to relinquish the project. Another subject which lay next his heart during his twenty-one years' pastorate in Portarlington, was the Barrow Drainage, It had ready command of his purse and his pen, whenever a call was made to either or both. To further the Barrow Drainage he toiled with the will and determination of a Benedictine. He took pictures of the Barrow in flood, showing hay floating seaward, and sheep and cattle marooned on what looked like a tiny island. Some of the pictures were reproduced in the Dublin papers and found their way to the House of Commons. He frequently organised meetings of protest, and accompanied deputations to Chief Secretaries in Dublin and in London. Only two days before his death he expressed his deep concern for the unfortunate people whose hay, corn and turf have been ruined this year by the floods.

Fro some years past Father O'Leary had been in failing health. Fourteen months ago, constantly recurring attacks of vertigo compelled him to give up saying Mass. Those who knew hi best have no hesitation in saying that this was the greatest sorrow of his life. He met it manfully and with resignation, The interval he carefully and methodically devoted to preparation for the ordeal of death. On Thursday, October 9th, gave symptoms appeared, and the Last Sacraments were administered the following morning, Without pain and conscious to the last he lingered on to the following Monday, when he passed away on the feast day of his namesake and patron, St. Edward the Confessor, devotion to whom had been a marked characteristic of his entire priestly life. May his soul be with St. Edward and the Saints of God.

The Requiem Office and Mass for the repose of the soul of Father O'Leary were celebrated in St. Michael's Church, Portarlington, on Thursday, 16th inst., at 11 a.m. The Most Rev. Dr. Foley, P.P., Lord Bishop of the Diocese, presided. The assistant priest to His Lordship were: Very Rev. J. M. Lalor, P.P., V.F., Mountmellick. The celebrant of the High Mass was Rev. L. J. Kehoe, deacon, Rev. D. Murphy, and sub-deacon, Rev. J. Brown; master of the ceremonies, Very Rev. F. Brophy, P.P., Newbridge; chanters, Very Rev. P. Gorry, P.P. and Very Rev. M. H. Bolger, P.P.

In the choir—Very Rev, E. KLavanagh, P.P., V.F.; Very Rev. E. Brennan, P.P., V.F.; Rev. P. Campion, P.P., V.F.; Very Rev. Canon Corrigan, D.D.; Rev., J. Mooney, Graignamanagh; Rev.. J. Mooney (Clonegal); Rev T. Norris, Rev M Norris, Rev J Gorman, Rev M. Phelan, Rev. D. O'Rourke, P.P; Rev. T. Dowling, P.P; Rev Owen Brennan, C.C.; Rev. D. Waldron, C.C.; Rev. E. Kinsella, C.C.; Rev. M. Brophy, C.C.; Rev. J. Dunne, C.C.; Rev P Byrne, C.C.; Rev M. Brophy, C.C.; Rev. Ptk. Campion, C.C.; Rev Jas. Gardiner, C.C.; Rev. David Murphy, C.C.; Rev. Patrick Colins, O.M.I.; Rev. P. Hogan, C.C.; Rev. C. Coyne, P.P; Rev T P Murphy, C.C.; Rev A. F. Murphy, P.P.; Rev. J. Mahon, C.F., Curragh Camp; Rev. J. Coyle, P.P.; Rev. J. Farrell, P.P.; Rev. John J. Kearney, C.C.; Rev A G. Byrne, C.C.; Rev. M. Kelly, C.C.; Rev. Thomas Byrne, C.C.; Rev. M Doyle, C.C; Rev. P Doyle, C.C; Rev. P. Watson, C.C; Rev M. Conroy C.C.; Rev M Kenedy, C.C.; Rev Paul Murphy, P.P.; Rev. James J. Dunny, C.C.; Rev. J. Lennon, C.C.; Rev. J. Doyle, C.C; Rev. M. Hayes, C.C.; Rev. J. Dunne, C.C; Rev P. Donnelly, C.C.; Rev Wm. MOnahan, C.C.; Rev. P. Doyle, C.C.; Rev. T Burbage, C.C.; Rev. A. Lynam, P.P>; Rev. J. O'Kane, P.P; Rev L O'Neill, C.C; Rev. P. Broughan, C.C; Rev. J. Rourke, P.P.; Rev. W Rooney, P.; Rev. A. Fenlon, C.C; Rev. J Fitzimons, C.C; Rev T. Pendergast, C.C., Rev. J. Dnny C.C, Carlow. In the choir—Very Rev. P. Gorry, P.P., Tinryland; Rev M. Bolger, P.P., Graigueeullen; Rev. D. Corry, C.C., Tinryland; Rev. Dr. Millar, Carlow; Rev. W. Fanning, C.C, Carlow Rev. P. Killian.—R.I.P.