Richard Scott and the Eames Papers

One of the stand-out features of the Eames Papers is the large amount of press cuttings documenting Robin Eames’ ministry in the Church of Ireland, which begins with his role as Bishop of Derry and Raphoe through to his appointment in 1986 as Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland.

The Rt. Rev. the Lord Eames and his close colleagues were not the sole compilers of his press cuttings. Richard Scott, a photographer and journalist based in the Armagh diocese at Dungannon, Co. Tyrone, compiled nine scrapbooks in total featuring both press cuttings and photographs, several albums, and also produced many photographs.

The scrapbooks in particular provide a unique overview of the primacy of Archbishop Eames (1986-2006) through his parochial presence, as captured by a member of the diocese and friend.

Professional background

When Richard met Archbishop Eames he was a journalist and photographer, a career path he followed since leaving school. At the time of Archbishop Eames’ appointment as Primate, Richard was working for a local newspaper based in Dungannon, the Tyrone Courier. He was also a cameraman for UTV. Through his work, he had the opportunity to meet the Archbishop at numerous events during the Troubles.

In July 2024, Richard Scott was invited to view his compilations at Armagh Robinson Library and meet cataloguer, AC Hunter. The short interview below gives an insight into Richard’s compilations, his relationship with Lord and Lady Eames, and his reaction to their inclusion in this archival collection.

Introduction to Archbishop Eames and their relationship

Richard met Archbishop Eames on the night of his enthronement. He struck up a friendship with both Lord and Lady Eames which lasted the length of their time in Armagh. They came through a lot of good and bad times together. Good times were the happy events, sad times related to the Troubles.

As a photographer, Richard covered many Confirmations in Armagh diocese. He couldn’t be at them all, but would have focused on Dungannon and Armagh districts. The Archbishop was appreciative of Richard’s efficiency during Confirmations, as Richard always made sure to have the seating and location for the group photographs prepared in advance. Often, Archbishop Eames would be rushing from one Confirmation service to another; he often attended three or four events in one day, and Richard remarked on how impressed he was with the Archbishop’s stamina.

Richard also followed all of the media coverage of Archbishop Eames – he often spoke on television and radio, and was frequently documented in newspapers. He noted that Archbishop Eames was always articulate and was equal to any interviewer. Richard witnessed both Lord and Lady Eames speaking at different events, which included numerous church services. Both were fluent speakers and rarely looked at notes, and held their audience’s attention through their knowledgeable and interesting addresses.

Rosemary, Richard’s late wife, had taken over from her mother as the Mothers’ Union Armagh Diocesan Secretary, a role which she held for around five years. She often met Lady Eames at various Mothers’ Union meetings, which was one of the reasons for the enduring friendship between Lord and Lady Eames and the Scotts.

What inspired Richard Scott to start compiling scrapbooks?

Working as a press photographer and journalist meant that Richard would get all of the daily newspapers. It was notable that Lord Eames had a such a high profile and he was in the media every day. Richard asked the Archbishop about all of the newspaper articles and whether or not he saved them.

Archbishop Eames said he did get most of them, however that they tended to accumulate at his house and his wife, Christine, would end up binning them. Richard asked him whether he would like him to keep cuttings, which led to the scrapbooks being compiled. Being in the newspaper business was of benefit to Richard, as he was able to collate stories that he had done himself and those from other newspapers.

Richard Scott’s reaction to his compilations being preserved in the Eames Papers

On viewing his scrapbooks, containing newspaper cuttings and photographs, and photograph albums, Richard expressed his delight with the work that has been put into cataloguing these items for posterity. He said that it is only now that he realises how much he produced for Archbishop Eames over the years.

It also brought back pleasant memories of a shared interest: both Archbishop Eames and Richard Scott were the proud owners of a Rover 75 car, both purchased from Donnelly Brothers dealership in Dungannon. They had many conversations about their cars!

A final note

Richard Scott took both the first and the last picture of Archbishop Eames during his primacy. The archive collection has the first picture catalogued at NI APL RHAE 06.20.007 under the title, Confirmations at Brackaville, Co. Tyrone.

Images in this article reproduced by kind permission of Richard Scott.

Items in the catalogue compiled or created by Richard Scott

For detailed catalogue descriptions of the items below, please go to the Eames online catalogue and using the numbers below.

To view images, or the scrapbooks in their entirety, an appointment can be made at Armagh Robinson Library.