Fr Patrick O'Riordan (1879- 1933)

I had known for some time that there was a priest in Australia who was somehow related to our Riordan family. When Margaret Malone (née Riordan) died in July 1904 in Ireland, there was a notice inserted in the ‘New Zealand Tablet’ by her three children who were living in Charing Cross, that said she was the ‘aunt of the Rev P. Riordan, West Wyalong, N.S.W.’

And just a few years later, in 1909, it was noted that Father O’Riordan from the Diocese of Goulburn, had been on a visit to his cousin, Rev J.F. O’Donnell, Queenstown, and was on his way back to Australia. I made a half-hearted attempt to learn more about this somewhat elusive Fr (O’)Riordan, but I didn’t know his first name, and “West Wyalong” as a place didn’t seem to lead anywhere promising at the time.

Enter, stage left, a recent comment on Twitter by Andrew Redfern, @anmireoz, about researching priests in Australia. He sent me a link to a site listing deceased clergy in Australia. There were just two O’Riordan priests, one was in Goulburn Diocese, and he was named Patrick, a familiar family name.

Andrew then sent me a Trove link to the 1933 death notice for Fr Patrick O’Riordan. He was from Ireland, and was an ‘outstanding horseman’, so presumably came from a rural background as you would expect for our Riordan family.

I still couldn’t be sure this was ‘our’ priest- the places Binalong and Grenfell mentioned in his death notice didn’t relate to what I already knew about him. But it was promising.

As a first step, I thought it might be prudent to also look at things from the other end of the story, in Ireland. I assumed that Patrick was probably from Ballylanders, the same place in Co Limerick that my great-grandfather Patrick came from. From what I knew of the family, it also seemed likely that his father might be called James. And it didn’t take long, using a Civil Records search on IrishGenealogy.ie, to find a possible birth:- Patrick Riordan, born 7 June 1879  in Cullane, Ballylanders, to James Riordan and Bridget Hanlon.

 Going backwards in time again I found the marriage for James and Bridget in April 1877, and John Riordan, a farmer, was listed as James’ father. This made it quite likely that James was the brother of our great-grandfather Patrick. The couple married in Ballylanders, and their residence was in Cullane. Bridget wasn’t quite the girl next door- but nearly. In Griffiths’ Valuations, John Riordan had a farm in Cullane South, while Michael Hanlon had a farm in Cullane Middle.
The first child born to James and Bridget was John, born in April 1878. (However, he must have died young, as another John was born and received the same name in 1891.) Patrick was the second child, born in 1879, followed by Bridget (1881), Michael (1883), Margaret(c1889), John (1891), and the youngest child I found was William (c1894).

I was fairly satisfied now that I was following up on the right priest as part of my own family and not barking up the wrong genealogical tree, so I started finding out more about Fr Patrick O’Riordan in Australia, in the diocese of Goulburn.

There was a notice in the Advocate (Melbourne) about Ordinations on June 21st 1903 at St Patrick’s College, Carlow, for Australian Dioceses. Rev Patrick O’Riordan was listed as ordained for the diocese of Goulburn.
One of the first queries I had in my mind was about Wyalong, where I knew he was in 1904 when Margaret Malone, his aunt, died. The ‘New Zealand Tablet’ helped me out again with a report in February 1904 that “The Rev Father O’Riordan, who arrived in Sydney at Christmas from Carlow College, has been appointed curate in the Wyalong Parish.”

Priests are relatively easy to research in old newspapers because of the role they had in local people’s lives. In October 1904, a Mr Hartigan of West Wyalong died and we read that “…as he breathed his last the Rev Fathers P. F. O’Shea and P. O’Riordan were present in his room reciting the prayers for the dying.” Then we are told: “When the funeral reached the cemetery hundreds of persons congregated around the grave, whilst the Rev Fathers P. F. O’Shea and P. O’Riordan performed the obsequies.”

However, as it turned out, Fr O’Riordan was in West Wyalong for barely a year before he was moved at short notice to SS Peter and Paul’s Cathedral in Goulburn. The writer noted that though he had only been stationed in Wyalong for twelve months, “…he created a very good impression there, and though there were only two days in which to arrange for recognitions, he received no less than four presentations.”

An interesting recording of his change of address from Binalong to Goulburn was an official notification from the Registrar’s General Department in Feb 1905 since he was an Officiating Minister.

After just under two years though, in late November 2006, Fr O’Riordan was on the move again, leaving Goulburn Cathedral to take up the position of Diocesan Inspector of Schools, clearly a prestigious role.
The Administrator said that “…they had never said good-bye to a priest with more genuine sorrow, for no more genial priest had ever come into the Bishop’s House.” Father Clearly spoke about how he knew Father O’Riordan perhaps better than anyone in Goulburn as he had known him in Carlow College, and “though a very young man, an adult in ability and knowledge,” and that “he had always been able, too, to take his place in the college sports.”

However, despite the high hopes everyone had for him as he began the Diocesan role as Inspector of Schools, it seems that as quite a young man, Fr O’Riordan developed some serious health issues. These resulted in him leaving the diocesan role for a parish priest position at Binalong in 1910. He also made several visits to relatives in New Zealand. In 1909 we saw earlier that he spent time with his cousin Fr JF O’Donnell in Queenstown. In early June 1910 the NZ Tablet recorded that in Christchurch he “was a visitor at the Cathedral Presbytery last week, and on Sunday was in Darfield, where relatives reside.”

On June 13 1910 he “was the guest of Dean O’Donnell in Ashburton for a few days, prior to his departure for Sydney.” In the Intercolonial column of the New Zealand Tablet in September 1910 it spoke of him being obliged to give up the inspector of schools role ‘owing to ill health’.
However, his stay in the Binalong Parish was to be a long and fruitful one. 

Father O’Riordan was reported to have arrived in the parish of Binalong by late September 1910, and the people of the parish were reported to be delighted with his appointment. He came with an excellent reputation from his work as a diocesan inspector. His ill-health continued though, and he had a ‘serious operation at the Lewishham Hospital’ in 1912, before returning to his parish on October 24th.

Probably because of his continuing ill-health, he was recorded as having another visit to New Zealand in 1913. In April 1913 he celebrated Mass at St Joseph’s Cathedral in Dunedin. One might assume he had spent more time with his cousin Fr JF O’Donnell in Queenstown as he recuperated, and Queenstown has a beautiful stone church that was built under the direction of Fr O’Donnell. 

However, despite his poor health, he was instrumental in organising the building of a new church for Binalong Parish, which was opened in early June 1913. Burrowa News covered the event- “Grand Religious Function at Binalong”- with a detailed description of proceedings.

There was a procession to the front door of the Church, then Dr Gallagher, the Bishop of Goulburn gave a brief address. He explained that he had been invited to Sydney for a ceremony there, but had written to explain that arrangements had already been made to open the Church at Binalong the same day. He also said that “the ceremonies had previously been arranged for November, but had to be postponed on account of the temporary illness of Father O’Riordan (parish priest). He (Dr Gallagher) was pleased to know that Father O’Riordan was well again, and able to attend to his duties.” During the following High Mass, Fr O’Riordan was the Master of Ceremonies, and at its conclusion he told the people the costs of the new church and asked for contributions to reduce down the debt. 

Photo of Binalong Church by Ian Lamont, from www.churchhistories.net.au

Following the opening and blessing of the church, there was a banquet at which Fr O’Riordan presided. The final toast was proposed to him, The Pastor, by Mr J. F. Shine (Burrows). He said that “he wished to congratulate the people of Binalong on their important undertakings on behalf of religion, but still a great deal of the success was due to the great organising power and zeal of their Pastor (Fr O’Riordan).” Fr O’Riordan then “briefly responded, and said that he had received hearty assistance and co operation from the people in whatever movements he had undertaken.”

The newspaper account ended with comments about how all classes of the community had mingled to build the church, and that there was an absence of sectarian animus. I found this last paragraph interesting as similar things were said about the way Fr O’Donnell, who was Fr O’Riordan’s cousin, also worked with the whole community building the church in Queenstown, NZ, that was opened in 1898.

There was a description of the new Binalong church in the Yass Courier. “The building is of bluestone (quarried not more than 150 yards from the site), with freestone buttresses, fibro-cement roof with terra cotta ridging, the whole being surmounted by two freestone crosses carved by Mr Dave Larkham. The stonework of the church will bear close inspection, as the whole of the joints are accurately lined up. The inside fittings include a choir gallery of polished redwood, and seats of polished kauri. Lead lights have been fitted to all windows, the memorial windows being beautifully executed.” It was noted that the St Patrick’s Statue in the church was gifted by Fr O’Riordan.

In 1921 a stark reminder of Fr O’Riordan’s Irish family and origins appeared in the news. His brother William had been killed at Lackelly during a British ambush during the War of Independence, and he was reburied in the Republican plot in the Ballylanders graveyard. A more detailed account of the huge funeral procession was carried in The Catholic Press, where the chief mourners were listed as James O’Riordan and Mrs O’Riordan (parents), John and Michael O’Riordan (brothers), and Bridget O’Riordan (sister).


No doubt much more can be uncovered about Fr O’Riordan’s time in Binalong Parish in the pages of Trove, but I will leave that to another researcher, and will now turn to his large farewell function from the parish in May 1928.

Fr O’Riordan was acknowledged as having been Parish Priest for nearly 18 years at Binalong before receiving a ‘promotion’ to take charge of the larger Queanbeyan parish. Mr Browne in proposing a toast spoke of Fr O’Riordan “who by a tolerant spirit and co-operation, had endeared himself to all sections of the community.” The speaker spoke of Fr O’Riordan carrying out the duties of church and also of the town and district, in such areas as sporting bodies, and the debating club.  Rev Rose, the Church of England minister, spoke of the wonderful disposition of Fr O’Riordan, and of the broad-minded outlook he took on all matters. Fr O’Riordan was the first visitor he had had when he came to Binalong.

When Fr O’Riordan rose to respond to the many speeches, he “was given a great ovation, it being some minutes before he was heard to say how much he appreciated the great reception given him, and said he found it difficult to fittingly express his thanks for the highly flattering remarks passed by the various speakers and for the handsome present received.”

Fr O’Riordan was at Queanbeyan from 1928 until late 1931, when he was appointed to Grenfell, where he was acting administrator during the illness of the incumbent priest. (One might assume that perhaps Fr O’Riordan himself was already suffering with the illness that was to prove terminal in 1933.) In February 1932 there was yet another large farewell gathering. Fr O’Riordan “stated that he had learnt at Queanbeyan what genuine charity meant.”

When Fr Riordan died in 1933 at Grenfell Parish, his death was not unexpected. He had known his illness was terminal for more than nine months before his death.

The Solemn Requiem Mass was celebrated in St Patrick’s, Binalong, and it was in the cemetery there that he was buried, as was his wish, under the shade of a pine tree he had planted 18 years ago.

It was reported that his mother and a sister, both living in Ireland, survived him.

A Binalong correspondent wrote:
“This loved priest and friend of the people fittingly was laid to rest under the sheltering branches of a spreading pine, which stands as a living monument beside his grave,” and  “The Rev Father O’Riordan was a great lover of the beautiful in tree and flower. The church grounds at Binalong bear ample testimony in their leafy growth to the pleasure his artistic nature found in that handiwork of the great Creator.” 

Headstone photo from Billion Graves website

Please leave a comment if you would like to know more about the sources etc used for this blog post. If you happen to come across this blog, and know where I could find a photo of Fr Patrick O'Riordan, please let me know in the comments!