Letter from Father Michael O'Flanagan to Canon Timlin, 6 September 1918
DUBLIN 6th September, 1918. Very Reverend Dear Canon, Mr. P. T. Keohane told me last night that you told
him that a Jesuit Priest who visited the Diocese of Killala some
time ago, was the author of a rumour that has since been
circulated among the priests of the Diocese. The story was that when I was on Retreat at Milltown
Park last October, I had made up my mind to throw off my Roman
Collar and break my connection with the Priesthood. It was
further added that it was only on the earnest solicitation of
Messers. De Valera and Griffith, who appealed to me for the sake of
Ireland, and for the sake of the movement with which I was so
prominently connected, to change my mind, that I agreed to return
to my Curacy in Cronsa. Mr. Keohane also told me that you gave him permission
to tell me the story and to quote you as his authority. I am
sure that you will recognise that in the interests of justice I
should get an opportunity of sifing this story to the bottom. I
shall therefore be obliged if you will inform me if I have got the
story correct, and if you will also give me the name of the
Jesuit Priest in question I am,
Very Rev. Dear Canon,
Yours respectfully
Very Rev. Canon Timlin, P.P.
Skreen, Co. Sligo
Fr Michael O'Flanagan (1876–1942) was a Catholic priest and well-known nationalist. He was elected vice president of Sinn Féin in 1917. O'Flanagan writes from 6 Harcourt Street, Dublin, this address being Sinn Féin headquarters. He informs Canon Timlin that PT Keohane has informed him about a rumour circulating that O'Flanagan had made a public display of throwing off his clerical collar whilst on retreat. Keohane has told O'Flanagan that Canon Timlin gave him permission to pass on this detail so O'Flanagan wants the name of the originator of the false rumour.
How to cite
Letters 1916, published by the Austrian Centre for Digital Humanities, Vienna, 2026 (https://letters1916static.github.io/letters1916-static/item__6718.html)
- Place
- Skreen, Co. Sligo
- Mentioned in
- Letter from Father Michael O'Flanagan to Canon Timlin, 6 September 1918
- Letter from Fr Michael O'Flanagan to Canon Timlin, 27 September 1918
- Mentioned in
-
- Letter from Bishop Bernard Coyne to Fr. Michael O'Flanagan 20 April 1917
- Letter from Fr. Michael O'Flanagan to Bishop Bernard Coyne, 21 April 1917
- Letter from Bishop Bernard Coyne to Fr. Michael O'Flanagan, 11 September 1917
- Letter from Fr. Michael Flanagan to Canon Doorley, 9 December 1916
- Letter from Patrick Finegan to Fr Michael O'Flanagan, 29 April 1918
- Letter from Bishop Bernard Coyne to Fr. Michael O'Flanagan, 5 June 1918
- Letter from Father Michael O'Flanagan to Canon Timlin, 6 September 1918
- Letter from Fr Michael O'Flanagan to Canon Timlin, 27 September 1918
- Letter from Fr Maher to Fr Michael O'Flanagan, 15 October 1918
- Letter from TP Gilmartin to Fr Michael O'Flanagan, 19 October 1918
- Letter from Fr Michael O'Flanagan to Bishop Michael Fogarty, Bishop of Killaloe, 22 October 1918