CUSACK, M.F. The Life of the Most Rev. Joseph Dixon, D.D. Primate of All Ireland. Portrait frontispiece and woodcuts.

London: Burns Oats, & Dublin: Gill, n.d. [1878]. pp. xxviii, 556. Purple cloth, titled in gilt, crozier and mitre in gilt on upper cover. Ex lib Franciscan Convent, Drogheda. A very good copy. Extremely rare.
JISC locates the QUB & TCD copies only. Printed by the Dublin Steam Printing Company.
Dixon, Joseph (1806-1866), catholic primate of All Ireland and biblical scholar, was born in Coalisland, County Tyrone, son of James Dixon, farmer, and Jane Dixon (née Casey). He entered Maynooth College in August 1822 to begin training for the priesthood and was ordained for the diocese of Armagh seven years later. Appointed as dean of the college (1829-1834), he did not take up a parish appointment and was to remain at Maynooth for much of his early career. In September 1834 he became professor of sacred scripture and Hebrew. On the translation of Archbishop Paul Cullen to Dublin (1852), Dixon was appointed his successor as archbishop of Armagh. His appointment was confirmed by Pope Pius IX in October and he was consecrated in the Maynooth College chapel on 21 November 1852. He immediately began a programme of renewal in his diocese. Using St Peter’s church in Drogheda as his pro-cathedral, he announced on Easter Monday 1854 that work would begin again on St Patrick’s cathedral, Armagh. The building of this cathedral had been stopped during the famine years in order that funds could be diverted to relief projects. Dixon set about raising money throughout Ireland and even encouraged some of his former classmates to collect money in Canada, where they were now working as priests. In May 1854 he convened the synod of Ulster, held in Drogheda, during which he outlined his plans for the archdiocese. He also acted as a financial patron to some small religious orders in his archdiocese. In October 1854 he travelled to Rome with Archbishop Cullen and the other archbishops to attend the proclamation of the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception. While there, he promised to support Cullen in his attempts to increase the power of the hierarchy over Maynooth College. He also supported Cullen’s accusation that some of the Maynooth staff, most notably George Crolly), were promoting Gallicanism. In a tense meeting (15 November 1855) held at Maynooth, Dixon championed the cause of increased episcopal control, alienating many of his former colleagues.

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