The life and times of Charles Frederick D'Arcy (1859 - 1938) Archbishop of Armagh and Church of Ireland Primate of all Ireland: a forgotten presence

Abstract

This dissertation explores the life and career of Charles Frederick D’Arcy, a lifetime rich in diversity, often spent outside the realm of the ecclesiastical and actively engaged both in his native Ireland and much further afield. Dublin born and educated at Trinity College, Dublin, his choice of career not only saw him rise to the highest calling in the Church of Ireland, but also placed him in the province of Ulster for a very significant part of his career, at a time when the history of Ireland and its relationship with Britain was one of turmoil and unrest. The placements in Ulster were to forge his political views and especially his opinions of Ireland, Britain and its Empire.

D’Arcy was much more than a theologian; his lifetime obsession with the alignment of his Christian faith with modern thinking, specifically in the realms of philosophy and science, and further supported by publications and university lectures on these matters, contributed to his recognition as a spokesperson for the wider Anglican Communion on aspects of modern thought and Christian apologetics. Furthermore, his interest in modern scientific advances and findings drew him to the new science of eugenics, where, once again, he is identified as a key spokesperson, not specifically for the Church of Ireland, but more generally for the Church of England.

It is, therefore, surprising that historians of religion, politics and social science have largely ignored D’Arcy. In the course of rectifying this neglect or oversight, the thesis examines why this might be the case. The study will consider the hypotheses that his active participation in the politics of Ulster during the Home Rule Crisis of 1912-14, or that his very public support for the eugenics movement may have cast a shadow on his legacy. The possibility that D’Arcy’s career, writings and ecclesiastical contribution to the Church of Ireland and the wider Anglican Communion were unremarkable and hence undeserving of a biography, or other academic research, is also considered. The thesis demonstrates his significant role in the Anglican Communion, and major contribution to Irish politics, eugenics and Christian apologetics within his lifetime. These contributions are much more important than historians have recognised.

Date of Award	Oct 2024
Original language	English
Supervisor	Robert McNamara (Supervisor) & Kyle Hughes (Supervisor)