The Irish Martyrs Podcast

The martyrdom in 1617 of Franciscan Thomas Fitzgerald commissary & visitor of the Irish province. (From Bruodin’s Propugnaculum, p.499) HE was descended from the very ancient family of the Earls of Desmond. [1] From his very childhood he was so virtuous that he was considered a saint.  When he was enrolled in the Seraphic Order, not only did he strengthen himself by vows in the virtues which h...

The martyrdom of the Carmelite Thomas Aquinas of Jesus in 1642. (From F. Eusebius’ Enchiridion, p.202) FATHER THOMAS AQUINAS was a distinguished preacher and a zealous missionary, who earned for himself the hatred of the heretics by the assiduity and successful results of his preaching and labours in confirming the oppressed and persecuted Catholics in the faith, and in winning several back who ha...

(From Challoner’s Memoirs, [3] 3.168) JOHN CORNELIUS was born at Bodmin, [4] in Cornwall of Irish parents, & brought up at school in the same town; from whence he was sent to Oxford by Sir John Arundel, who was much taken with his rare genius and diligence in learning.  But Mr. Cornelius, liking the old religion better than the new, left Oxford and went beyond the seas to Rheims (the English c...

The story of the martyrdom of Cornelius O'Neill, Bishop of Limerick and the other Trinitarians of that city. 25th June 1539 CORNELIUS O’NEILL, BISHOP OF LIMERICK,AND THE RELGIOUS OF THE TRINTARIAN CONVENT OF THAT CITY The Convent of Limerick was dedicated to the Holy Cross; it was one of the largest of the whole country, its inmates numbering forty-six religious. Cornelius O’Neill, then Bisho...

O'Hurley was born in Lickadoon Castle, Ballyneety, County Limerick, around the year 1530. His father, William, was the O'Hurley clan's Chief of the Name and steward to James FitzGerald, 14th Earl of Desmond. The O'Hurley clan claims descent from the Dál gCais, one of the more powerful Irish clans in Munster's history. O'Hurley was educated by tutors and then sent to F...

Comemorate 9th June date of appointment in 1625 of Baothgalach Mac Aodhagáin, the contemporary Bishop of Elphin 1642. RAYMOND KEOGHY, O.P.  (From the Acts of the General Chapter, OP., 1656 [1] ) THIS year F. Keoghy, of the Convent of Roscommon, [2] was seized by the heretics and put to death through hatred of the Catholic faith, and so found eternal life in death. The Acts of the General Chapter o...

. EDMUND TANNER, BISHOP OF CORK He was a native of the city of Cork. [1] He lived for some years in the Society of Jesus, and during that time made extraordinary progress in virtue; but after some years, owing to illness, he left the Order, with the full consent of the Fathers. [2] He was appointed Bishop of Cork [3] November 5th 1574. But hardly had the burthen of the episcopate been laid on him,...

(From Molanus’ Idea, p. 73) Comemorate 30th May , date of Papal appointment   HE was a Doctor of Theology, and Vicar Apostolic of the diocese of Ross. [1] This active and courageous labourer in promoting the cause of Catholicity, both by his prayers and his exhortations to others, received a wound from a body of armed heretics, who fell on him and left him for dead.  His friends found him still br...

1639. JOHN MEAGH, [1] S.J. (From Alegamb’eS MorteS lllustreS, p. 538) JOHN MEAGH was a native of Cork, in the province of Munster.  To remove him from the persecution of the heretics, he was taken by his father first to France, and then to Naples. After his father’s death, he entered the service of the Duke of Ossuna, the Viceroy.  But disliking the frivolous amusements of the Court, he began to t...

1642. CORMAC EGAN, O.P. Comemorate on the 26th of May , anniversary of death in 1644 of Dominican bishop of Kildare Ros MacAodhagáin, (Ross Geoghegan) HE was a laybrother of the Dominican Order.  He was hanged by the heretics about this time. Please pray for final perseverance for all of us! May the martyrs of old inspire us all.

NICHOLAS NUGENT, [1] DAVID SUTTON, JOHN SUTTON, THOMAS EUSTACE, JOHN EUSTACE, WILLIAM WOGAN, ROBERT SHERLOCK, JOH CLINCH, THOMAS NETHERFIELD AND ROBERT FITZGERALDN. AMONG the chiefs who took up arms in defence of the Catholic faith professed by their ancestors against the unjust persecutions of Queen Elizabeth about the year 1580, we must reckon these illustrious champions, Viscount Baltinglass [2...

(From Bruodin’s Propugnaculum, p. 449) PATRICK O’CONOR was descended from the very ancient and royal stock of the O’Conors in Connaught.  Abandoning the deceitful pleasures of the world in the flower of youth, he made his religious profession in the celebrated monastery of Boyle, [1] in the diocese of Elphin, in Connaught, among the most observant of the disciples of the Mellifluous Doctor, [2] in...

(From Broudin’s Propugnaculum, p. 469) THIS priest was a native of Connaught, and of noble birth. Having overcome various torments in defence of the Catholic faith, broken down by the noisomeness and hardships of the prison in which he was confined in the company of robbers, he gave up his soul to God on May 15th, 1601  Please pray for final perseverance for all of us! May the martyrs of old inspi...

From Hartry’s Synopsis, p278 I WILL set down what I have learned from trustworthy persons.  Robert Shiel was born in lveagh, Co. Down.  He asked for the habit of the holy Cistercian Order, and was admitted by the Patrick Barnwell, [1] Abbot, for his own monastery of Mellifont, and was professed under the name of Malachy.  His superior to entrusted to Malachy the care of souls within the jurisdicti...

THE first was the son of John O’Hara, chief of his very extensive family and owner of large possessions [2] in County Sligo in Connaught.  The territory of the O’Haras was Luigne, conterminous with the present diocese of Achonry, comprising parts of counties Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo. Burning with love for a life of poverty such as Christ led, he entered the Order of the Friars Minors in the 21st...

From Rothe’s Analecta, p482 He was chaplain to Gerald of Desmond. When the Earl joined the united chieftains, he attached himself to them to combat Satan in their hearts.[2] ‘For to the pure all things are pure, and blessed is he that condemneth not himself in that which he alloweth.’[3] Theologians agree that the lesser obligation must give way to the greater, the human to the divine, the positiv...

(From Bruodin’s Propugnaculum, p. 427) FERGALL WARD, a native of Tyrconnell, [1] a member of the Seraphic Order of St. Francis, was a very eloquent preacher and most observant of poverty.  He had laboured zealously for three years in the vineyard of the Lord, and was then promoted to be Guardian of the convent of Armagh about the year 1575. At this time the plague of heresy, introduced by Elizabet...

(Bruodin’s Propugnaculum P.467 or following) April 24th, 1601 HE was born of a noble family, was a priest, and vicar of the diocese of Kilialoe.  This brave soldier and truly apostolic pastor did not fear to expose his life to danger when the wild beasts were laying the vineyard waste, opposing the heretics by word and deed.  He was seized by the heretical soldiers in a certain part of Ormond whic...

(From Mooney’s Provincia Hibernia Description) ABOUT the beginning of the year 1569, though there seems to be some doubt as to the precise date, a certain brother, Daniel O’Duillian, of the convent of Youghal, [1] (Founded by Maurice Fitzgerald, 2nd baron of Offaly, in 1232) overcame the persecutors very bravely. For when one Captain Dudal and his troops were torturing him, by order of Lord Arthur...