up residence in New Ross (1708) and formed a small community of his religious brethren. About the year 1720 he erected a little thatched chapel on the open space (near Monk's Lane) facing the present church and priory of St. Augustine. Á nephew and full namesake of his became Prior of the Convent in 1760. The latter, it was who slated and improved this humble edifice.

Here it may be noted that the parish chapel then stood directly opposite the Friary, but when the new church of St. Mary, in South Street, was completed by Dean Chapman, P.P., in 1808, the vacated building on the High Hill was given over to the Augustinians. The Very Rev. John Crane was then Prior. During his term of office his brother, Father Philip Crane (of holy memory), secured a lease of the newly-acquired premises and adjoining gardens from Mr. Charles Tottenham, landlord of the town.

Some old inhabitants of New Ross, of a past generation, whose lives extended back to the period of which we write, used to tell a curious story in connexion with the terms upon which this lease was granted. Father Philip Crane, the grantee, prosecuted his ecclesiastical studies (owing to the Penal code) in the Universities of Lisbon and Salamanca, and, consequently, frequently in his student days on his journeys to and fro passed through the French capital. During the troubles of the French Revolution Mr. Tottenham, happening to be in Paris, was arrested on some plea or other and thrown into prison. Father Crane just at the time chanced to be

the city, and hearing of the plight that had befallen hs countryman, secured influence with the authorities, the result being that the Irish prisoner was released and allowed to return in safety to his native land. In after years, when Father Philip was appointed a member of the New Ross community, Mr. Tottenham waited on him and asked was there any favour in his power to bestow in return for the extraordinary kindness he received through his good offices in the days of his misfortune. Father Crane at once took the opportunity of seeking a lease of the vacated parish hapel with the ground and garden adjoining it. The

1 He was a descendant of the Anglo-Norman family, Rossitors of Rath Macnee Castle, barony of Forth. The present venerated Pastor of Ross, Very Rev. W. Canon Rossiter, is of same descent.

2 It is an interesting coincidence that the parochial church, opened 1808, was built in the immediate vicinity of the first Friary of the Augustinians, and occupied the site of one of the five gardens mentioned in schedule of their property. The new parish church of SS. Mary and Michael (1892) was erected within the precincts of the medieval Chapel of St. Saviour.

request was immediately granted, and, as the old story goes, the landlord assured Father Philip that as long as a Friar bearing the name of Crane' would be resident in the Convent the grateful remembrance of the Tottenham family could be counted upon by the Augustinian Fathers.1 This may have been only the expression of a passing sentiment but, be this as it may, during the interval between the years 1808 and 1863 Fathers John and Philip Crane (brothers) and their kinsmen, Fathers James, Martin and Patrick Crane, were inmates of the Convent, most of whom held the position of Prior from time to time, while three of them were elected to the office of Provincial of the Order in Ireland.2

About the year 1830-31, during the priorship of Very Rev. James Crane, the building of the present conventual church was undertaken. The design was largely inspired by the style of the Protestant church of St. Mary's, in the vicinity, built in the early years of the same century by a Waterford contractor, named Roberts, who, we may remark in passing, was the ancestor (grandfather) of the late Lord Roberts. For the period in which the New Convent Church was erected (a few years after Catholic Emancipation), it must ever be regarded as a lasting memorial of the taste and zeal of its founder, as well as an evidence of the generosity of the people of Ross.

Although possessing no great architectural pretentions exteriorly, in point of correct proportions and interior ornamentation, the whole structure is justly admired up to the present day.

The vast reredos that fills the entire width of the southeast end of the building is of classic design. This imposing structure forms the back-ground, so to speak, of the three altars of the sanctuary. The proportion of the fluted columns, bearing Corinthian capitals, and the details of the frieze and cornice above are highly creditable to the genius and skill of the local craftsmen (Maddock) by whom the whole work was carried out. The massive

1 The popular version used to be that the lease would last only as long as a Father Crane was a member of the community. In reality the grant was for ever, subject to the yearly rent of 10/-. This was why the new church was dedicated-not consecrated-in 1856, as stated by a recent historian. Consecration could only take place when a church is free of all rent, according to Canon Law.

2 Father Philip Crane died in 1823 (at his obsequies the oration was preached by Dr. Doyle, Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin). He was popularly believed to be a saint. The clay taken from his grave, in St. Mary's cemetery, was for long deemed to possess miraculous powers in curing various ailments.

and very beautiful candlesticks that still adorn the High Altar (designed by the elder Pugin) were presented by John Talbot, 16th Earl of Shrewsbury, as were also the entrance gates leading to the grounds of the church. The lamp and other accessories of the sanctuary were due to the same noble and generous benefactor.1

The Very Rev. James Crane (founder of the church) filled the office of Prior of New Ross Convent for a term of twenty-nine years-1826 till 1855. Of him it might be truly said: ' Si monumentum quaeris, circumspice.' 2

He was succeeded (1855) by Rev. Patrick Crane. One of the latter's first thoughts was the Dedication of the Priory church, which, with all the solemnity of the sacred ritual, took place in the following year, the officiating prelate being the Right Rev. Dr. O'Connell, O.S.A., Bishop of Saldes. As the Decree of the Immaculate Conception had only two years before been promulgated by the Sovereign Pontiff Pope Pius IX, the church was fitly dedicated under the invocation of Our Blessed Lady's now familiar title, and of St. Augustine. Numerous improvements were undertaken and carried out by the energetic Prior, notably the building of the spacious sacristy, with confraternity-rooms adjoining; a fine two-manual organ (by Telford) was installed, a handsome marble holy water font provided (local manufacture), and statues of the Immaculate Conception and St. Augustine were placed in the niches, beside the front door of the church. În addition to this list of costly works may be noticed the erection of wrought-iron gates leading to the Priory residence and to door-ways of the galleries, at either side of the church. Many lesser improvements were effected through the indefatigable energies of Father Pat Crane,' as he was familiarly styled.

At his suggestion, too, it may be recalled, that the

The 16th Earl of Shrewsbury married (1814) Maria Theresa, eldest daughter of William Talbot, Castle Talbot, Co. Wexford. He was a great patron of Pugin the Elder, whom he employed in works at his English residence, Alton Towers (Staffordshire), and in the building of the Catholic church, Sheffield. He recom. mended the architect to Dr. Keating, Bishop of Ferns, who availed of his professional services for the erection of several churches in his diocese, viz, the College chapel, St. Peter's, Wexford; the Cathedral, Enniscorthy; the church and convent, Gorey, and churches of Tagoat, Barntown, etc.

2 From 1803 to 1816 the Augustinian Fathers had a classical college on the 'Old Road,' of which Father John Crane was principal, and Rev. James Doyle assistant professor-the latter was afterwards Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin (the great J. K. L.). The college was re-opened by Rev. James Crane in 1826.

municipal authorities of the time facilitated the steep ascent of the High Hill (the principal approach to the Friary from the lower part of the town) by providing wide flights of granite steps, arranged at intervals, along the sidepath, which were of great public convenience.

Very Rev. Patrick Crane continued in office till 1859, when he was re-elected Prior by the provincial Chapter of the Order till 1863. In the latter year he was translated to the rural Convent of Grantstown (parish of Bannow, South Wexford), where he passed the remaining days of his useful career. During an interim of those years he was Provincial. He entered into his reward in the seventies and was interred in the chapel of Grantstown Convent, R.I.P.

The closing decades of last century witnessed many additional improvements in the Austin Priory of New Ross.

Very Rev. Robert O'Keeffe (Prior from 1875 to 1879) erected the carved oak altar rails, the supporting pillars of which were divided by decorated panels of wrought-iron. This beautiful work was designed was designed and executed by the eminent firm of Messrs. Jones and Willis (Birmingham). About the same time the new Stations of the Cross, in coloured relief (by Mayer, Munich), were presented by various benefactors, as memorials to their deceased relatives, and added greatly to the beauty of the sacred edifice.

Father John Furlong became Prior from 1883 to 1891. The erection of the three beautiful oak altars in the sanctuary (by Mayer) is due to him, as also the series of magnificent stained windows (by the same eminent artist) that fill the lofty lancet-lights of the building. These ornamental additions, alone, must ever remain lasting memorials of his cultured taste and his great zeal for the glory of God and the beauty of His earthly Temple. But his activities did not end here-later on he had the church newly floored and the porch re-modelled under the superintendence of the late Mr. William Hague (Dublin), the eminent ecclesiastical architect, who also prepared the plans for the College of Our Lady of Good Counsel,' built in the precincts of the Friary (1890). However, Father Furlong's most important undertaking was the opening of a new approach to the church from Mary Street. This work involved considerable difficulty, as a long and steep incline of ground had to be dealt with. It necessitated the clearing away of old gardens and other débris, together with the purchase and removal of some houses on the street-front

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below (Mary Street). When completed, the effect of the broad tiers of steps with intervening landings was very striking, reminding one of the approach to Our Lady of Puy' (France) and other hill-top shrines, so often met with on the Continent.

Before closing this rather lengthened category of the events that marked the administration of the two last worthy Priors alluded to, we cannot refrain from noticing one which was certainly the loftiest of the projects perfected at the time-this was the renovation of the graceful spire of St. Augustine's, erected in 1834, which, like many similar structures of the period, was formed of a wooden frame-work sheeted with light lead or zinc. This, Father Furlong had newly strengthened and re-covered with metallic plates of ornamental design and surmounted by a gilded cross-the whole effect being very picturseque.

The Very Rev. Prior Furlong closed his life in Ross, and sleeps his last sleep in the grounds of the venerable convent and church he so largely contributed to adorn.

The view from the surroundings of St. Augustine's is interesting, vast, and suggestive of many memories. Overlooking, as the Convent does, the old historic town, the eye may range over miles of the district of Ossory, in the opposite county, from Tory Hill on the south-west to Brandon on the confines of Kilkenny and Carlow. Within that vast panorama, Celt and Gael, Dane and Norman, sage and saint, the conqueror and the conquered have all left their passing impress!

Our pen is running on; the space at our command warns us that our congenial task must draw to a close.

Six hundred years! it is a long span of time since, in the days of the Second Edward of England, Guillaume des Roches founded the monastery of the Austin Hermits beside the waters of the Barrow. All has changed, both men and things, in Rosponte since then, all-save the changeless river, which, as it ebbs and flows, recalls the lines of Tennyson: Men may come and men may go, But I go on for ever.