Dean John Crowe

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Right reverend Dean John Crowe, V.G. (died 24 May 1955) [1] was an Irish Catholic priest based in Athlone, County Roscommon. [1] He served as Dean of Elphin. [2] He led the project to construct the Church of Saints Peter and Paul, Athlone in the 1950's. The Dean Crowe Theatre, formerly the St. Peter's parish church, was named in his honour in 1959. [3] He also supported the launch of the Irish Catholic comic book The Leprechaun in the 1950's. [4] [5]

Contents

Early life

Crowe was born in Galway and attended Summerhill College, in Sligo, [5] and St Patrick's College, Maynooth. [6]

Construction of Ss. Peter's and Paul's Church

As Canon of St. Peter's Church, [6] A friend of Count John McCormack, Crowe was unable to persuade him to attend a 1923 fundraiser. [7] He made international visits to investigate fundraising opportunities to build the new church. [8] He instituted a lottery, "Athlone Sweep" despite the monopoly held by the Irish Hospitals' Sweepstake. [5] [9] Future Taoiseach John A. Costello led the prosecution against the sweepstake, coming to trial in 1924. [5] By his death in 1955, the church was debt-free. [9]

References

  1. 1 2 "Remembrance card designed by Richard King, in memory of Rev. John Dean Crowe of Athlone". National Gallery of Ireland . Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  2. ↑ "Bishop Hanly Consecrated in Sligo Cathedra". The Advocate . October 12, 1950. p. 17. Retrieved 2025-09-26– via Nla.gov.au.
  3. ↑ "About Us". DramaFestival.ie . Retrieved 2025-04-08.
  4. ↑ "The Leprechaun, and the Irish War on Comics". downthetubes.net. March 14, 2025. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "'A Public Nuisance' - Athlone's illegal lottery". WestmeathCoCo.ie . Archived from the original on 2024-04-20. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  6. 1 2 "It's Carnival Time". WestmeathCoCo.ie . Retrieved 2025-10-01.
  7. ↑ "A Return Home". WestmeathCoCo.ie . Retrieved 2025-10-01.
  8. ↑ Murray, Patrick (2007). Church of Saints Peter and Paul, Athlone — An Illustrated History and Guide. Saints Peter and Paul's Parish Forum/Pastoral Council. ISBN   9780955577307.
  9. 1 2 "Athlone Castle/Church of SS Peter and Paul Historical Marker". Hmdb.org . Retrieved 2025-09-26.
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