Knights of Saint Columbanus
Encyclopedia
The Order of the Knights of Saint Columbanus is an Irish Catholic fraternal and service organization
for lay men over twenty-one years of age.
. These are divided into smaller areas, each of which has a primary council. The Provincial Councils send delegates to the Council of Directors. A sub-committee of the Council of Directors, entitled "The Supreme Executive", controls and directs the twelve provincial areas. The head of the organisation—the Supreme knight—is elected by the Supreme Council for a three year term. Other members of the Supreme Executive include the Deputy Supreme Knight, Supreme Chaplain, Supreme Chancellor, Supreme Secretary, Supreme Advocate, Supreme Treasurer, Supreme Warden, Supreme Registrar and L.P. Supreme Knight. The current Supreme Knight is Seamus McDonald.
wrote that The Knights "became a considerable political force after independence... At one stage many officials in the Revenue were in the organization." According to Garvin, President Seán T. O'Kelly
was a Knight, much to the displeasure of Éamon de Valera.
Noël Browne
, a controversial politician and former minister, criticised the Knights' political role in Dáil
debates:
In the Seanad
, William Bedell Stanford
was also critical:
More recently, Fintan O'Toole
and Kieran Rose quoted a "leading right-wing activist" as writing that "in 1988 that members of the Knights of Columbanus occupy positions of influence in many walks of life and at the highest level. They are asked to be confidentially politically active." Professor Áine Hyland
wrote of beginning of the Dalkey School Project
that a pamphlet denouncing multi-denominational education as atheistic and divisive was issued by an organisation "with an address in Ely Place which was the headquarters of the Knights of St. Columbanus."
Fraternal and service organizations
A "fraternal organization" or "fraternity" is a brotherhood, though the term usually connotes a distinct or formal organization. Please list college fraternities and sororities at List of social fraternities and sororities.-International:...
for lay men over twenty-one years of age.
Organisation
The order is divided into 12 Provincial Areas covering the island of IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. These are divided into smaller areas, each of which has a primary council. The Provincial Councils send delegates to the Council of Directors. A sub-committee of the Council of Directors, entitled "The Supreme Executive", controls and directs the twelve provincial areas. The head of the organisation—the Supreme knight—is elected by the Supreme Council for a three year term. Other members of the Supreme Executive include the Deputy Supreme Knight, Supreme Chaplain, Supreme Chancellor, Supreme Secretary, Supreme Advocate, Supreme Treasurer, Supreme Warden, Supreme Registrar and L.P. Supreme Knight. The current Supreme Knight is Seamus McDonald.
Involvement in Irish politics
Political scientist and historian Tom GarvinTom Garvin
Tom Christopher Garvin is an Irish political scientist and historian. He is Professor Emeritus of Politics in University College Dublin. He retired from lecturing duties in August 2008. He is an alumnus of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, DC.Garvin is a graduate...
wrote that The Knights "became a considerable political force after independence... At one stage many officials in the Revenue were in the organization." According to Garvin, President Seán T. O'Kelly
Sean T. O'Kelly
Seán Thomas O'Kelly was the second President of Ireland . He was a member of Dáil Éireann from 1918 until his election as President. During this time he served as Minister for Local Government and Minister for Finance...
was a Knight, much to the displeasure of Éamon de Valera.
Noël Browne
Noel Browne
Noël Christopher Browne was an Irish politician and doctor. He holds the distinction of being one of only five Teachtaí Dála to be appointed Minister on their first day in the Dáil. His controversial Mother and Child Scheme in effect brought down the First Inter-Party Government of John A...
, a controversial politician and former minister, criticised the Knights' political role in Dáil
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
debates:
- On elections to Hospital Boards: "On the Catholic side it is done through the Knights of Columbanus and on the Protestant side it is done through the Freemasons. It is completely undemocratic."
- "What we should like to know is, in the event of a Multi-Party government being formed, which party would be the real government? Would it be a Fine GaelFine GaelFine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
government? Would it be a LabourLabour Party (Ireland)The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish...
government? Would it be a Labour Party policy - or would it be a Knight of Columbanus policy?" - "In regard to the whole business of appointments [to the Universities], I do not think there is much to choose between the two of them—the Knights of Columbanus predominantly in University CollegeUniversity College DublinUniversity College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
and the Freemasons in Trinity CollegeTrinity College, DublinTrinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
— and the two of them going on together presumably sharing out the different jobs to suit themselves." - "There are still diehards of my generation within the profession but the new intake is not only extremely highly qualified but is better qualified because you cannot get into a consultant situation and then into a position as a consultant in a hospital unless you are extremely well qualified now because of the appointments system. It is no longer confined, as it was in the old days, to the Knights of Columbanus on the Catholic side and the Freemason Order on the other side."
In the Seanad
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...
, William Bedell Stanford
William Bedell Stanford
William Bedell Stanford was an Irish classical scholar and senator. He was Regius Professor of Greek at Trinity College, Dublin between 1940 and 1980 and served as the twenty-second Chancellor of the University between 1982 and 1984.He was born in Belfast, the son of a Dublin-born Church of...
was also critical:
- "One of the things that is doing most damage to our nation at the moment is the existence of these conflicting secret societies [interpreted as meaning the Freemasons and the Knights] and I hope the Minister and the other Minister will do all in their power to prevent their gaining any control of the national economy, or the politics of the country."
More recently, Fintan O'Toole
Fintan O'Toole
Fintan O'Toole is a columnist, assistant editor and drama critic for The Irish Times. He has written for The Irish Times since 1988 and was drama critic for the New York Daily News from 1997 to 2001. He is a literary critic, historical writer and political commentator, with generally left-wing views...
and Kieran Rose quoted a "leading right-wing activist" as writing that "in 1988 that members of the Knights of Columbanus occupy positions of influence in many walks of life and at the highest level. They are asked to be confidentially politically active." Professor Áine Hyland
Áine Hyland
Áine Hyland is Emeritus Professor of Education and former Vice-President of University College Cork, Ireland. She was born in 1942 in Athboy, Co. Meath and went to school in the Mercy Convent, Ballymahon, Co. Longford where she sat her Leaving Cert in 1959...
wrote of beginning of the Dalkey School Project
Dalkey School Project
The Dalkey School Project is a school in Glenageary, County Dublin in Ireland. It was set up on September 18, 1978 by parents in Dublin who wanted their children to attend a Multidenominational school....
that a pamphlet denouncing multi-denominational education as atheistic and divisive was issued by an organisation "with an address in Ely Place which was the headquarters of the Knights of St. Columbanus."