On this day in 1850, the Synod of Thurles opened at St Patrick’s College. It was the first national synod in several centuries and was presided over by Archbishop Paul Cullen- the architect of so much religious change in Ireland.
The Synod was intended to be the harbinger of change for the Irish church and it would set the agenda for Catholic life in Ireland well into the 20th century.
The immediate cause of this meeting was to decide on a uniform approach to Catholic education, especially in the wake of the government’s primary school scheme (the Education Act of 1831) and the recent establishment of Queen’s Colleges in Ireland. These were secular institution designed to make education available to all denominations but they were criticised as ‘godless’ by the Catholic Church. The Synod of Thurles voted to forbid priests accepting posts in these institutions and urged parents against enrolling their children.
The other decrees (there were 187 in total) dealt with almost every aspect of church life from the administration of the sacraments, the life and dignity of priests, the role of bishops and the need for clergy to avoid public disagreements on issues of government policy. It was decreed that priests should avoid secular company, intemperance, public dances, race-meetings, card-playing, and public theatres; and that they should preserve their chastity with greater care.
Without doubt the Synod of Thurles was the most important ecclesiastical gathering in Ireland in the 19th century. From the beginning Cullen was clear that its purpose was to ‘lay the foundation of a good system of Canon law for the Irish Church’. Thurles and its decrees also provided the template for subsequent Irish Synods in 1875, 1900, 1927 and 1956.
Sources:
https://www.catholicbishops.ie/.../have-there-been.../
https://www.encyclopedia.com/.../encycloped.../thurles-synod
http://www.konziliengeschichte.org/.../database/2828.html
On this day in 1802, George Thomas from Roscrea died at Bahrampur, India.
He was a mercenary soldier who, through a series of incredible exploits, set himself up as a Rajah (king or prince) of his own Indian state. He became known as the ‘Rajah from Tipperary’, before he was eventually deposed by Sikh forces assisted by the French.
Thomas deserted the British navy while in India in the1780s, at a time when the Mughal empire there was coming apart at the seams. While serving in a small private army in the city of Sardhana, Thomas displayed his military prowess and strategic genius. For four years, George worked diligently,demonstrating his military prowess by subduing numerous warlords. When there was a power vacuum in Haryana state, Thomas stepped into the void and declared himself King.
From 1798 to 1801, this audacious Roscrea man “ruled”Haryana, carving out a small but prosperous kingdom from Hisar and Rohtak districts. It must be stated that Thomas never formally held the title of Rajah,but it became a de facto appellation for the Tipperary man. The people fondly referred to him as the Raja from Tipperary, signifying his far-fetched journey and the affection he had garnered so far from home.
Thomas told his biographer, William Franklin, "I established my capital, rebuilt the walls long since decayed, and repaired the fortifications (of the 12th century fort of Prithiviraj Chauhan). As it had been long deserted, at first, I found difficulty in providing for inhabitants.But by degrees, I selected between five and six thousand persons to whom I allowed every lawful indulgence. I established a mint and coined my own rupees,which I made current in my army and country; as from the commencement of mycareer at Jhajhar I had resolved to establish independence. I employed work men and artificers of all kinds. I cast my own artillery, commenced making muskets,matchlocks and powder and in short, made the best preparations for carrying onan offensive and defensive war."
As well as the Franklin’s 1805 biography, entitled ‘Military Memoirs of George Thomas, a more recent exploration of Thomas’s life came from Maurice N. Hennessey in 1971 when he wrote ‘The Rajah from Tipperary’.
Sources:
https://www.historyireland.com/june-12/
https://brehonacademy.org/the-irish-mercenary-who-became-a-king-in-india-the-extraordinary-tale-of-george-thomas-the-raja-of-hansi/
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Desi-Irish-Raja-of-Haryana/articleshow/53360680.cms
