BISHOP ROBERT BROWNE 1844 – 1936
Motto: Deus Adjutor Meus - God will Judge Me.
Robert Browne was born on 6th Nov. 1844 at Rath Luirc (Charleville), Co. Cork. He was the 3rd son of Robert Browne and Margaret Mullins. He was one of the first students of St. Colman's, Fermoy. He entered Maynooth and was ordained on 18th May 1869 for Cloyne Diocese. He took a position on the staff of his old school, St. Colman’s Fermoy in 1870 before returning to Maynooth in 1874 becoming Dean in 1875, vice-President in 1883 and President in 1885.
His presidency of Maynooth is remembered for his completion of the College Chapel, the adorning of the Cloisters with portraits of the various bishops who passed through Maynooth and the building of the exhibition hall. The bishops at the meeting of the College Trustees in Oct. 1894 put on record their appreciation: “his great ability and consummate prudence with which for several years he presided over the college…for the indefatigable zeal and perfect taste by which he contributed so largely to the completion of the college chapel: the important additions to the college buildings of the Aula Maxima, and the general embellishment of the college and grounds… the standard of intellectual work, and much more of the traditional piety on the part of the students, has been so maintained as to make his administration fruitful in the best results of the Irish Church”.
He was appointed Bishop of Cloyne on June 26th 1894 (SCPF Decree June 19th 1894) and was ordained Bishop on 19th August 1894.He was Bishop of Cloyne for 41 years – 1894 – 1935.
The building programme of St. Colman’s Cathedral initiated by his predecessors was continued by Bishop Browne, concentrating on the outside of the edifice which he commenced in 1899 and completed in 1909. He also added the flooring, ceiling, side altars and stained glass windows, which covered the period 1895 to 1919. The Sacristy was commenced in 1906 and completed in 1909. Work on the massive and impressive spire started in 1911 and ended in 1915. The Cathedral –free of debt- was solemnly consecrated on April 12th 1919 by Bishop Browne.
In 1912 Bishop Browne and six of his priests successfully brought a case of libel against the Dundee Courier for “ having falsely and calumniously charged them with abusing their religious influence over the Catholic laity to procure the indiscriminate dismissal of all Protestant shop assistants in the employment of Catholics in Cobh”. He was awarded £200 and each of the priests £50. He donated his award to the fund for the Cathedral.
He was among the 18 Catholic Bishops and 3 Protestant Bishops who signed the Manifesto of May 17th 1917 protesting against the proposed partition of Ireland.
Bishop Browne died on March 23rd 1935 and he is buried in St. Colman’s Cemetry, Cobh.