IRISH
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IRISH
possess property. The Irish college was recognized
as a seminary by the University of Paris in 1624,
and at that time it had already sent a large number
of priests to the mission in Ireland. But the college
founded by Father 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 College Montaigu, others in the College de Bon-
cour, while some, who were in affluent circumstances,
resided in the College de Navarre. This state of things
attracted the attention of St. Vincent de Paul and
others, who sought to provide them with a more com-
modious residence. Later still, in 1072, it engaged the
attention of the bishops of Ireland, who deputed Dr.
John O'Molony, Bishop of Killaloe, to treat with Col-
bert as to the establishment of a new college. What
the bishops desired was eventually obtained through
the influence of two Irish priests resident in Paris: Dr.
Patrick Maginii, formerly first chaplain to Queen Cath-
erine, wife of Charles II of England, and Dr. Malachy
Kelly, one of the chaplains of Louis XIV. These
two ecclesiastics obtained from Louis XIV authoriza-
tion to enter on possession of the College des Lom-
bards, a college of the LTni versify 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 1S77 and 16S1.
Some years later the buildings were extended by
Dr. John Farely, and all the Irish ecclesiastical
students in Paris foiuid a home in the College des
Lombards. The number of students went on in-
creasing until, in 1764, it reached one hundred and
sixty. 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 Irish college in Paris was open to all the provinces and dioceses of Ireland. The students were divided into two categories, one, the more numerous, consisting of priests already ordained in Ireland, the other of juniors aspiring to orders. Both sections attended the university classes, either at the College de Plessis, or at that of Navarre, or at the Sorbonne. The course of studies 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. In virtue of the Bull of Urban VIII, "Piis Christ! fidelium", 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 pro- moted to orders ad tiluhim Missionis in Hibernid, even extra tempora, and without dimissorial letters, on the presentation of the rector of the college — • a privilege withdrawn, as regards dimissorial letters, by Gregory XVI in 1835, and now entirely abro- gated by the transfer of Ireland to the jurisdiction of the Consistorial Congregation, in 190S. The stu- dents in priestly orders were able to support them- selves to a large extent by their Mass stipends. Many burses, too, were founded for the education of students at the Lombard college. Amongst 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 ladies. 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, who, as superior major, nominated one of them to the office of principal. In 1788 the system of government by provisors was abolished, and one rector appointed.
In 1792 the two Irish colleges in Paris, namely
the College des Lombards, and the junior college,
rue du Cheval Vert, were closed, as were all the other
Irish colleges in France. The closing of the colleges
on the Continent deprived the bishops of Ireland of
the means of educating their clergy. They there-
fore petitioned the British Government for author-
ization to establish an ecclesiastical college at home.
The petition was granted, and Maynooth College
was founded in 1795. In support of their petition
the bishops submitted a statement of the number of
Irish ecclesiastics receiving education on the Conti-
nent when the French Revolution began. It runs
thus: —
Colleges. Masters. Scholars.
Paris: College des Lombards 4 100
(jommunity, rue du
C!heval Vert 3 80
Nantes 3 80
Bordeaux 3 40
Douai 2 30
Toulouse 1 10
Lille 1 8
Total in France 17 348
Louvain 2 40
Antwerp 2 30
Salamanca 2 32
Rome 2 16
Lisbon 2 12
Total on the Continent. .27
478
From this statement it appears that out of a total
of 478 Irish ecclesiastics receiving education on the
Continent, 348 were resident in France, and of these
180 were students in the Irish colleges in Paris.
More than one-half, therefore, of all the Irish secular
clergy in the eighteenth century were educated in
France, and more than one-third in Paris. During
the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, forty
students of the Irish college in Paris were raised to
the episcopal bench. At the same period Irishmen
held an honourable place in the University of Paris.
Between 1060 and 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. Dr, Michael Moore, an Irish
priest, long held the office of principal of the College
de Navarre, and was twice electetl rector of the univer-
sity. Many Irishmen held chairs in the university
colleges. Dr. Sleyne was professor at the Sorbonne.
Dr. Power was professor at the college of Lisieux;
Dr. O'Lonergan at the college of Reims. Dr. John
Plunket, Dr. Patrick J. Plunket, and Dr. Flood,
superiors or provisors of the Irish college, were in
succession royal professors of theology at the College
de Navarre. The students of the Irish college m
Paris were pronounced opponents of Jansenism.
When they returned to their native land, they, like
the students of Rome. Salamanca, and Louvain,
brought with them "the manners and feelings of
cultivated gentlemen and a high sense of clerical
decorum".
After the French Revolution the Irish college in Paris was re-established by a tlecree of the first con- sul, and placed under the control of a Board appointed by the French Government. To it were united the remnants of the property of the other Irish colleges in France which had escaped destruction. The col- lege 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 total loss sustained by all the Irish foundations in France amounted to 2,416,210 francs, or about $483,000. After the Restoration, the French Government
