Tom MacSweeney column: A chalice that has travelled the oceans back home in Cork

On May 1, 1929, a 79-year-old priest died aboard a transatlantic liner heading for Cork Harbour.

Fr Patrick Bowen Murphy was on his way in the White Star liner Cedric from Boston to Cobh, and from there planned to visit the family of his first cousin, Thomas Joseph Murphy, who lived at Silverspring House, Tivoli.

Amongst his possessions was a chalice that had travelled many sea miles.

After the liner docked and arrangements were made to deal with the body of the deceased, his luggage was delivered to Tivoli. It included the Ballymartle Chalice, which is now more than 240 years old and remains in use for Mass and sacraments at St Joseph’s Church in Riverstick.

It has experienced much maritime travel across the seas of the world. It was taken by sea to the USA twice, to England and Cuba, before finally coming back to Cork.

Its story is told in the Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society which describes it as “a widely travelled 18th century liturgical vessel.”

Manufactured in Cork

It was manufactured in Cork around 1790 by John Nicholson senior and Sam Nicholson, a family partnership of silversmiths and goldsmiths who had a workshop at the corner of Grand Parade and Patrick St. John Nicholson was known as “one of the great silversmiths of Ireland.”

The words ‘Ballymartle Church’ and a cross are engraved on the base of the chalice, as are the names of the four priests who held it in succession. They were a brother, son, grandson and great grandson of Michael Murphy whose family had held leases of substantial farms in the parish of Ovens.

The first served as Parish Priest in the then diocese of Cloyne and Ross (Youghal Parish), and the second in the diocese of Cork (Ballymartle).

Thereafter the chalice accompanied subsequent owners to the US (twice), England and Cuba before returning to Cork permanently in the 20th century. It is not known if the chalice was commissioned by the family or by the first-named priest, but it appears that it was transferred from each priest to a cousin in the next generation.

The journal records that the final holder, Rev Patrick Bowen Murphy, was born in 1850, baptised in Ovens Parish Church and became a civil engineer, one of whose projects was the ‘military road’ as it was known, from Ballincollig to Ovens.

The family emigrated to America where he became a member of the Ninth Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Militia and also of the Patrick Henry Circle Fenian Brotherhood.

In 1873 he decided to study for the priesthood and was ordained in 1883 at the age of 32. He became PP of St George’s Church, Saxonville, one of the oldest churches in the Archdiocese of Boston. The chalice was mentioned when a local newspaper wrote about him. 

Visit to Cork 

It had been presented to him on a visit to Cork by Rev Denis Murphy.

In 1898 Fr Patrick was chaplain to the Ninth Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers on active service in Cuba, arriving there with the Chalice at Atares on July 1. 

The regiment was mustered out of service in November of that year at Boston and Fr Murphy resumed his ministry, still with the Ballymartle Chalice in his possession, at Saxonville. From there he moved to the parish of Our Lady of the Rosary in South Boston, the chalice always with him.

And so it was aboard the liner, Cedric, on his final voyage to Cork.

It is a fascinating story with aspects of Maritime Cork, written by Ruairi Lynch and Colm O’Sullivan in the Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society. Both are related to the Murphy family.

After Fr Patrick’s death, the Ballymartle Chalice remained in the possession of the Murphy family for quarter of a century.

Colm O’Sullivan said that included “over 20 years in my grandfather’s house – Silverspring House in Tivoli.” That house was since demolished.

In 1954 the widow of T J Murphy presented the chalice to Ballymartle Church and was thanked for the gift by Parish Priest Fr J Cullinane. With the building of St Joseph’s Church in Riverstick in 1972 and the related closing of the old church in Ballymartle, the chalice was transferred to Riverstick where it remains in use.

The full story covers 11 pages in the journal, with copious illustrations.

Fr Patrick was a member of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society. Ruairi Lynch has presented photographs about the chalice and related aspects to Cork City and County Archives at Blackpool.

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