Contact Us

The Association may be contacted through its Secretary,

Peter F Durnin, KC*SG, KM, GCHS, "Rosaire", Moneymore, Drogheda, Co Louth. A92 RF6F

email: secretary@papalorders.ie

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Personal Details

About me

(photograph courtesy of Frank McGee)


1919 - 1996. Builder, chairman of the Catholic Housing Aid Society (CHAS), sometimes known as the Fr Scully Homes. Jim was born in Dublin and educated by the Christian Brothers in Brunswick Street. He commenced work as a clerk in Guinness (now Diageo) and in the late 1940’s joined his brothers in their construction business. Married in 1948 he was involved in fundraising for the new church in Castleknock. CHAS was founded in 1966 by a small group of people including Fr. Tom Scully S.J and Jim McGee who subsequently became its chairman.  It was set up in response to the collapse of a building in Dublin where many elderly people lost their lives. In 1967.  Dublin Corporation gave the Society a large site at the top of Gardiner Street next to Mountjoy Square. An apartment block of forty-five single and double units was built on this site in 1969 to provide homes for the newly married and elderly. He was the visionary who conceived the building of Ely Court, behind the headquarters of the Knights of St Columbanus in centre-city Dublin to fund their various charities. He was a member of Council 87 of its Dublin Province. He was chairman of the Irish Home Builders Association and a Trustee of the construction Industry Federation. Died on 8 November and buried in Castleknock.