A Dublin priest has given me correspondence to and from Joe Carroll, the late auxiliary bishop of Dublin.
As well as being auxiliary bishop of Dublin he was president of Clonliffe Seminary when I was there – 1970 – 1973.
He was a pompous man loved being a bishop and dressing up as a bishop.
The correspondence I have were letters to and from him about his Episcopal consecration in 1968.
Bishop Patrick Dunne
_______________
THE INVITATION TO THE CONSECRATION
BELOW: A LETTER FROM A RETIRED AUXILIARY OF DUBLIN PATRICK DUNNE
Dunne is thanking Joe Carroll from buying him a purple bishop’s biretta from the famous, and expensive Gamarelli Roman clerical outfitters.
He is also sympathising with Joe Carroll about the people saying they cant attend.
The Taoiseach of the time, Jack Lynch said he was coming.
Another letter from Bishop Dunne laments the fact that he and another bishop were not wearing enough clobber at a recent consecration and the fact that he did not get enough prominence at the ceremony.
BELOW: THE BUSKINS AND SANDALD DUNNE WANTED HIM AND JOE TO WEAR AT HIS CONSECRATION.
Bishop Dunne wanted to buy Joe a chain for his pectoral cross – a good one from Rome – solid gold I’m sure. And Dunne refers to him as “My Dear Lord’.
So much for
“There is only one Lord and he is in Heaven.
And then there is the letter from the Chief Hearld of Ireland about Joe’s coat of arms.
And then the note to Ossie Dowling the press officer saying
“Ring my private line. Let it ring three times and then hang up and ring again”
The documents I recieved
As I said poor Joe was very pompous.
He loved parading around in all the gear.
He once announced at lunch time in the seminary that he had mistaken for Cardinal Manning that morning. He was beaming,
But the correspondence in an insight into Irish bishops in 1968.
BISHOP PAT BUCKLEY 