Local Baha'i Histories
For those interested in history, and to give some background to the the Bahâ’í Faith in Ireland and Britain we're sharing these articles
Frederick D'Evelyn
The city known variously as Derry and Londonderry is one of the largest in Ireland and is the hub of its district. Placed at a strategic crossing point of the River Foyle it has been an important site for thousands of years. The original name Doire means "a grove of oak trees" in the Irish language. Such places were sacred to the pre-Christian Celts who inhabited Ireland. Later it became an important Christian settlement. In 563 C.E. Columb (Columba), Abbot of Derry, left to carry the message of Christianity to the people of Scotland and played a key role in evangelising that country. His tomb and monastic foundation on Iona are among Scotland's most revered religious sites.
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In the Seventeenth Century the city was developed with money invested by the city guilds of London, and Derry officially became Londonderry, although to this day the older name is the one more generally used. The defence walls round the city protected it during the siege of 1689-1690, a key episode in the war between King James Stuart and the man who finally replaced him on the throne of Britain and Ireland, his son-in-law William of Orange-Nassau.
Just as the "Derry's Walls" are preserved largely intact to this day - one of the few remaining examples of an entire city wall, and of great historical value - so too, sadly, are the tensions and religious divisions which they came to represent, though great progress towards community reconciliation has been made in recent years. The Bahá'ís are among the groups trying to heal the divisions.
However there is more to the area than the city with its 100,000+ population. Derry is backed by a rural area of gentle green hills and the flat land on the shore of Lough Foyle where the river of that name (that passes through the city) enters the sea. There are a number of villages, while across the Irish border the hills of Inishowen are clearly seen, providing a backdrop to the city's already-impressive natural setting.
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In recent years Derry has become an important tourist destination, a centre for festivals and a base for visitors who want to explore the beauty and attractions of the surrounding areas or just to experience the history and diversity of this vibrant city. An increasing number are interested in its spiritual heritage: its connections with ancent Celtic spirituality and its lasting influence as the religious settlement of St Columb (Columba), the future evangelist to Scotland. There is a local "Columba Trail" with walks taking in the various sites associated with the saint, and Derry is also one end of a much longer Trail that follows him into Scotland and places associated with him there.
Lady Blomfield and the Culvers
The first person of Irish birth to accept the Faith in the British Isles appears to have been Sara, Lady Blomfield (nee Ryan) in London in 1907. She had been born in County Tipperary, Ireland, in 1859. From the Bahá'í standpoint she is notable as an outstanding early member of the community in England who having acted as hostess to ''Abdu’l-Bahá in London in 1911 and 1913, and as compiler of The Chosen Highway. Peter Coyne, another Irish emigrant to the United States, became a Bahá'í in Nevada, Missouri, in November 1907.
The earliest Bahá'í living in Ireland of whom we have detailed knowledge are the Culver family. Henry Culver was the U.S. consul in Queenstown (now Cobh) from 1906 to 1910. He and his wife were Bahá'ís, but appear to have treated their faith as a private matter, perhaps because of Henry's official position. The first native Bahá'ís in Ireland appear to have been Joan Waring Fforde and Thomas Fforde - see next section.
The first native Believers?
Joan's family were the Warings of Waringstown House, Lurgan, County Armagh. Joan had two older brothers - Holt and Ruric Henry. Both brothers were killed in the First World War. She had two sisters - Esther Marian and Mary Theresa. (Mary married Samuel Barbour Combe of Donacloney House. He was also killed in the war.)1 Thomas's family were the Ffordes of Raughlan, Co Armagh. (Originally from Seaforde, Co Down).1 Thomas was the fourth of six brothers: Francis Creswell, Robert James, Arthur William Ronald, Thomas Roderick, Charles Holt, and Eric Harold He had three sisters: Aimée Mary Martha, Eveleen Annie Archer, and Mabel Kathleen.
The first association with Bahá'ís which we are aware of, was a receipt issued on 5 December 1913, recording a donation of $24.35 for the Wilmette Temple Fund from Miss J. Waring.2 Obviously Joan would have been in contact with Bahá'ís for a significant period before making this donation but we have not yet found any record of her activities during this period. We know that she was in contact with American Bahå’ís for at least the subsequent decade.
During 'Abdu’l-Bahá's visit to London, Mirza Ahmad Sohrab kept a diary of His activities. In his diary, on 17 December 1912, Sohrab records: "In Belfast, Ireland lives a fine Bahá'í a splendid believer. She travelled all day and night to see the Master. He welcomed her most cordially and said: 'You must become the cause of the illumination of Ireland' you must ignite four thousand lamps in one year'".3 We have not yet found any direct evidence to link this reference to Joan Waring but it seems highly likely.
Joan married Thomas on 26 October 1914. On 29 June 1919 they wrote to 'Abdu’l-Bahá. She states that she "had a word" from 'Abdu’l-Bahá when He was last in London, that she has since married, and that she received news of A'Abdu’l-Bahá¡'s safety from Major Tudor Pole.4 This letter appears to confirm the suggestion that Joan may have met 'Abdu’l-Bahá¡ while He was in London. The letter was signed by both Joan and Thomas and the original is in the Bahá'í World Centre holdings. 'Abdu’l-Bahá answered her letter on 20 January 1920, but to date no copy of the reply has been found.
Joan and Thomas moved to Donegal and it was from there that they made contact with George Townshend. Townshend wrote to Shoghi Effendi, in 1925: "We have seven Irish Bahá'ís - the two Ffordes, my wife, my sister, my two children (aged four and five) and myself!"
A more objective assessment of the situation appears in a letter from John Esslemont to Albert Vail in 1924. He noted that Townshend "seems to be a convinced Bahá'í and added "I only know of two other Bahá'ís in Ireland, a Mr and Mrs Fforde."2 Townshend also wrote to Esslemont: "I met the Ffordes in the spring of 1921. Except for them nobody in this island is known to be interested in Bahaism."
The Ffordes are "possibly the earliest Irish Bahá'ís to have a public Bahá'í identity in Ireland".
A note on Dr William Cormick
In his biography The Báb (publisher George Ronald, 1973) the late H. M. Balyuzi refers to a Dr Cormick who attended the Báb during His imprisonment in Tabriz, and reproduces the doctor's account. of their meetings. Shoghi Effendi says in Unfolding Destiny that "He is apparently the only Westerner who has met the Bab and recorded his impressions..."
Although described in more than one account as "an English physician" Dr William Cormick was born in Tabriz in 1820, the son of Dr John Cormick, of County Tipperary, Ireland, and his Armenian Christian wife. He was sent to Britain to study (where he gained initial medical qualifications from University College, London, and an MD from St. Andrews) and returned to Persia in 1844. He served as personal physician to Nasiru'd Din Mirza, and when the latter became Shah he accompanied him to Tihran. However he was replaced for political reasons and returned to practise medicine in Tabriz. He passed away in London in 1877 and is buried in Kensal Green cemetery.
Dr Cormick gives Ireland a unique connection with the new Faith.
And a material connection...
The liners RMS Cedric and RMS Celtic, on which ’A'bdu’l-Bahá made His Atlantic crossings, were built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard on Queen's Island, Belfast. A subsequent construction, the Titanic, went on to gain fame under different circumstances. The Harland and Wolff works is still operating from the Queen's Island site.
Find out more
The Bahá'Ãs of the Republic of Ireland
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The Bahá'Ãs Worldwide Community
The Bahá'Ãs of the United Kingdom