Fr. John J. Silke.

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Dr. John J. Silke. MA, PhD, Celebrates his Golden Jubilee.

Local priest Fr. John Silke celebrated his golden jubilee with a special Mass in St. Michael's Church  10th June 2002. The well-known priest renowned for his literal efforts, he has written several books. His latest being on the History of Raphoe Diocese. His jubilee Mass was concelebrated with eleven other priests,  attended by family members, friends and locals.

Fr. Silke was born in Creeslough to John J and Susan (née McGinley) Silke. He was educated at Drimnaraw and Massinass National Schools and St.Eunan College Letterkenny. He studied for the priesthood in Maynoooth College Co. Kildare and was ordained for the diocese of Raphoe in 1952. He later graduated with an MA and PhD in history from UCD and a H.Dip. Ed from Maynooth. 

He taught history for almost a decade in St Eunan’s before taking up third level teaching in the mid-1960s in the USA. where he taught at Harriman College and Manhattan College in New York. Then he spent seven years in  Rome and was archivist at the Pontifical Irish College there. On his return to Raphoe, he became parish priest of Glenswilly and later assumed responsibility for the diocesan archives in Letterkenny.

His father John J Silke was a native of Paulstown, Co Kilkenny, came to Creeslough as an agricultural inspector, married a local girl, Susan McGinley from Feymore and had four boys (Michael, Paddy, Malachy and John) and two girls (Theresa and Mona). Mr Silke was also a farmer and put Creeslough on the map when he achieved a world record yield of seed potatoes with the Aran Banner potato which he had developed. He also became a potato exporter.

Dr John J Silke MA PhD was co-founder of the Columbia University Seminar on Irish Studies and is a former Senior Research Fellow at the Irish Institute in Queen’s University Belfast..

TOS10062009

  The Diocese of Raphoe Book

Page 11. Turas Massinass, Creeslough, said to be the last well that Colum Cille   blessed when on his way to Tory Island.

Page 27. Bishop (John MacCormacs) at the mouth of the River lacagh near Doe Castle, Creeslough is the Bishop Isle, where tradition says a bishop is buried. A little to the south Rinnarispy juts into Ards. Was John the bishop may have had his home here in the Parish of Clondahorkey.

Page 30. Franciscian Communities were the Third Order House at Ballymacsweeney near Doe Castle, Creeslough.

Page 50. Priest's done to death at Massinass Creeslough.

Page 58. Dominican Fr. Dominic Curnin a Massrock priest died in 1809 aged 85 and is buried beside Doe Castle, Creeslough.

Page 73. Bishop  of Raphoe William Mac Neely brought the Capuchin Franciscan's to Ards, Creeslough in 1930.

Page 75. Mc Cormick architect for the Creeslough Church.

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Dr John J Silke MA PhD.

Fr Silke has done pioneering work on the Battle of Kinsale and on Spanish preparations for that battle, on Church history and local history. His publications include, among many others, his book on Kinsale in 1970, which was later re-printed as a modern history classic, his chapter on the Irish abroad in the 1976 publication, A New History of Ireland, his book on the Diocese of Raphoe in 1997, his 1997 Two Abbots biography of Saints Colum Cille and Adamnan and his 2002 chapter on the Flight of the Earls in a Spanish publication that reflected on links between Ireland and Spain.

His Published Works:

Kinsale: the Spanish intervention in Ireland at the end of the Elizabethan.

Liverpool and New York : a contribution of the Irish abroad (1534 - 1690).

A New History of Ireland.

Two Abbots: Colum Cille and Adomnan (Eunan).

The Diocese of Raphoe: a short history.