Religious stain glass window by Harry Clarke depicting a saint, possibly St Brendan, standing looking one way and 3 monks kneeling looking in other direction in a boat on water.

Harry Clarke was Ireland’s pre-eminent stained-glass artist. His religious works are renowned for emulating the spirit of Irish medieval manuscript illumination. In his secular designs the Dubliner experimented with innovative new techniques, culminating in his masterpiece ‘The eve of St Agnes’ (1923-24). Clarke’s work was commissioned throughout Ireland and also in Australia and the United States. You can see his stained-glass windows in Bewley’s Café (1927), around the corner from the museum.

Envelope marked 'Most Important' and letter dated 1928 from Archbishop Edward Byrne to Chief Justice Hugh Kennedy about Catholics attending Trinity College.
In his letter to Chief Justice Hugh Kennedy, Archbishop of Dublin Edward Byrne reaffirms the Catholic Church’s prohibition on Catholics entering Trinity College Dublin. The Archbishop explains: “How the authorities of any Catholic school can, in the face of their conscientious obligations, encourage their pupils to risk their soul’s salvation in Trinity College is to me an absolutely insoluble puzzle.”

Black and White photograph of Pope Pius XII meeting Archbishop John McQuaid of Dublin dated between 1912 and 1936 by Independent Newspapers PLC

A gold badge from the Eucharistic Congress showing a cross with a Eucharist and chalice in the centre and a blue circle surrounding the badge. In the blue circle is written 'eucharistic internat dublinensis congressus'

Colour picture of St. Patrick with the crests of the four provinces above him from the Eucharistic Congress. With the heading 'Eucharistic Celebrations Ireland 1932 The 1500th Anniversary of the coming of St. Patrick to Ireland'

Ireland hosted the Eucharistic Congress in part to celebrate the 1,500th anniversary of the coming of St. Patrick to Ireland.

Small colour booklet from 1932 Eucharistic Congress in Dublin. Front reads "Thirty First International Eucharistic Congress Dublin 1932, issued officially by the Eucharistic Congress Committee, 8 Lower Abbey St. Dublin". Back signed (unreadable due to handwriting), "This is to certify that ___ served as a Volunteer Steward at the Thirty-first International Eucharistic Congress. He rendered meritorious service, for which His Grace the Archbishop of Dublin, Sponsor, and the Congress Committee, tender to him their sincere thanks."

An extensive collection including a hand made Papal flag; a blue flag with the symbol of the Congress painted in yellow; six various posters commemorating the Congress; The Congress News newspaper April 26, 1931; The Irish Independent Eucharistic Congress Number 1932; Irish Independent Eucharistic Congress Record 1932; a scrapbook of newspaper clippings, 15pp; Boylan, Very Rev. P. Canon, The Book of the Congress Dublin 1932; and Thirty First Eucharistic Congress Dublin, 1932 Pictorial Record; a framed photograph, 'A Million Kneel at Benediction'; a post card of Cardinal Lauri.

Spread over five days in June 1932, the 31st International Eucharistic Congress was the largest public event ever held in Ireland. Coming 1,500 years after the arrival of St. Patrick in Ireland, just ten years after Irish independence and in the first year of Fianna Fail's first term in government, the stars were aligned over Roman Catholic Ireland.

On the opening night of the Congress, midnight Mass was held in every church in Dublin, while the words 'Adoramus', 'Laudamus', 'Glorificamus' were beamed into the night sky in in sky writing. At the moment the Host was elevated the church bells rang and the beams of dozens of searchlights met at one point in the heavens and formed a perfect cone”.

On the final day over a million souls attended Mass in the Phoenix Park, celebrated by Cardinal Lauri, the Papal Legate. Count John McCormack sang Panis Angelicus amplified by the most powerful public address system in the World.

A black and white photograph of Christ Church Cathedral taken from the direction of the Liffey.

23 photographs black and white and colour of Papal visit in 1979 in envelope