Catholic Boys Home, Abbey Street

EllaE

Does anyone know what order ran the Catholic Boys Home in Abbey Street during the 1930's/1940s?

shanew

I see a Thom's 1927 listing for a Catholic Boys' Home at number 72 Middle Abbey St. There's no mention of a specific order just hon. sec. Jas. Flanagan.

p.s. #72 would be almost opposite Easons side entrance.


Shane

shanew

In 1938 the same address is just listed as Catholic Boys Home - no other details.

I had a look through the various sections of Abbey Street and didn't spot any other similar homes.

Does the location of 72 fit your clues ?


Shane

Peregrinus

It wasn't in the care of a religious order. It was established by the archdiocese, but seems to have been run (and funded) on a day-to-day basis by a largely lay committee. They used to hold fundraising events in the Mansion House every year.

It seems to have functioned, effectively, as hostel for older teenagers who had work in Dublin, but no family to stay with. As an alternative to lodging privately with a family, they could for a (modest) charge get a bed at the hostel, and (probably modest) meals. This cost less than private lodgings, and also provided other supports - evening classes were offered, for example, and if you lost your job the home might be able to help steer you towards another. You could also get a cheap dinner even if you weren't a resident.

It was run by a committee of lay people, and according to the 1911 census the warden lived there with his wife and two daughters, so he was a layman too. Clergy from the pro-cathedral parish attended to give religious instruction, which again is as indication that there was no religious order involved.

There were 40 or 50 boys in residence at any time, but turnover was quite high - 150 boys might be admitted in any year, suggesting an average stay of perhaps 4 months. It may have been that, once boys got settled in a job they liked and expected to remain in, they tended to move into private lodgings.

Choc fudge cake

my father was born in 1928 and the home address on his baptism cert. is 72 middle abbey street which at the time was the catholic boys home

i know its a long time ago

he was fostered out and never knew his real family he passed away in 2021 never knowing

any information on the home in abbey street would be

appreciated

donaghs

https://m.independent.ie/life/what-happened-to-the-boy-they-couldnt-break/26458399.html

it gets an mention in this article. Boys who finished up in Artane Industrial School ended up there as a half-way house to trying to find a path in life for themselves. The article doesn’t go onto details, but the few lines make it seem unpleasant.