Samuel PARKES (PARKS) (1805-1888)

Member of the Church of Ireland in Castlerea who eventually converted to

Catholicism and became a Roman Catholic priest. Letter from Diocesian

Secretary (Diocese of Elphin, Sligo) Monsignor Gerard Dolan dated 16 October

1991 stated in part: "Samuel Parkes was born at Cloonree, Castlerea, Co.

Roscommon in 1804 and was ordained priest in 1836. He served as assistant

priest in many parishes of the Elphin Diocese and was remarkable for his sober,

thrifty habits. For the 20 years preceding his death which occurred on

February 1, 1888, Fr. Parkes had been incapacitated for the active duties of

the ministry and did not have the care of a parish. . ."

 

Father Samuel is also credited with conversion of his brothers and

sisters to Catholicism. A persistent but unverifiable belief in the local

Cloonree community holds that Richard, the brother who inherited the land,

on hearing of Samuel's conversion, ordered him never to set foot on the

property again. Nevertheless, when ordained, Samuel returned to the

Cloonree land and asked for 30 minutes to talk with him. The story told

is that Richard agreed, they talked alone inside the farmhouse for

less than an hour, and both then came out and announced that Richard was

converting to the Catholic faith.

 

Local hearsay is that Samuel was a Protestant parson before converting to

Catholicism and becoming a priest. However, research of archives at the

Library, Representative Body of the Church of Ireland, 14 Braemar Park,

Rathgar, Dublin failed to produce any record confirming this report. It is

possible, however, that he could have been an assistant parson in a local

church since records down to that level were not maintained.

 

Samuel was the first-born of Theophilus Parkes (Parks) and Mary Flynn and,

under usual circumstances, would have inherited the Cloonree lands. No doubt

he forfeited this inheritance by converting to Catholicism and entering the ministry,

the lands then passing to his brother, Richard.

 

DOCUMENTED SOURCES:Headstone, St. Joseph's Cemetery, Castlerea, Co. Roscommon;

Interment register, St. Joseph's R.C. Church, Castlerea; Old Age Pensions

search applications (1908-1921) of the census of 1841 show "Samuel Parkes. . .

35. . .son. . .absent." in National Archives, Bishop Street, Dublin; Clerical

Records, Diocese of Elphin, St. Mary's, Sligo, Co. Sligo.