Florence Conry
Encyclopedia
Flaithri Ó Maolconaire, also known as Florence Conry (Conroy, O'Mulconry; 1560 – 18 November, 1629), Irish Franciscan
and theologian, founder of the Irish College
of St. Anthony
at Louvain
, and Archbishop of Tuam
.
bardic family of Connacht
, he was born at Cluain Plocáin (now Ballymulconry), parish of Kiltrustan, County Roscommon
, in 1560. His early studies were made on the Continent, in the Netherlands
, and in Spain
. At Salamanca
he joined the Franciscans. In 1588 he was appointed provincial of the order in Ireland and as such sailed with the Spanish Armada
. There are no details as to the manner of O'Maolconaire's escape from the expedition.
, to aid with counsel and influence the Irish and their Spanish allies during the last struggle of Hugh O'Neill in Nine Years' War (Ireland)
. After the disaster of Kinsale
(1601) he accompanied Hugh Roe O'Donnell
to Spain in the hope of interesting anew the Spanish Court. But O'Donnell died at Simancus, being assisted on his death-bed by Ó Maolconaire (Four Masters, ad an. 1602) who also accompanied the remains to their last resting place in the Franciscan church at Valladolid
. Ó Maolconaire was deeply interested in the welfare of the Irish College at Salamanca .
and raise a new rebellion just previous to the Flight of the Earls
see Meehan (cited below), pp. 67-73. At Rome Father Conry was consecrated Archbishop of Tuam
in 1609 by Cardinal Maffeo Barberini (later Urban VIII).
In 1614 Conry wrote from Vallidolid a vigorous remonstrance to the Catholic members of the Irish parliament for their adhesion to the Bill of Attainder
that deprived of their estates the fugitive Irish earls and their adherents and vested six whole counties of Ulster in the English Crown.
for Irish Franciscan youth, the College of St. Anthony of Padua
, principally with means furnished by Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain
, wife of Archduke Albert, and the daughter of Philip II of Spain
(cf. V. DeBuck, "L'archeologie, irlandaise, au couvent de Saint-Antoine de Padoue a Louvain", Paris, 1869), where the first and most active Irish printing press on the Continent was long in operation.
As Archbishop of Tuam, Ó Maolconaire never took possession of his see, owing to the royal proclamations of 1606, 1614, 1623, commanding all bishops and priests, under the gravest penalties, to quit the kingdom. But he governed Tuam through vicars-general and continued to live principally at St. Anthony's in Louvain, not improbably on the bounty of the King of Spain, as was the case of many Irish ecclesiastics of the time. His influence in Irish matters at the royal court was always considerable; thus, as late as 1618 we find him presenting to the Council of Spain Philip O'Sullivan Beare
's "Relation of Ireland and the number of Irish therein", and in the following year his own "Statement of the Severities Practised by England against the Irish Catholics". Like his fellow-Franciscan, Luke Wadding
, and Peter Lombard, Archbishop of Armagh
, he was ever at the disposition of his exiled countrymen. He communicated in 1610 to the Council of Spain, a translation of the original (Irish) statement of one Francis Maguire concerning his observations in the "State of Virginia
", between 1608 and 1610, a curious and unique document of the earliest English settlements in the New World
and the life and habits of the Indian tribes (Alexander Brown, The Genesis of the United States, Boston, 1890, I, 392-99).
One of the earliest works of Ó Maolconaire was a translation form Spanish into very pure Irish of a catechism
known as "The Mirror of Christian Life" (Sgáthán an Chrábhaidh)http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G208020/index.html, printed at Louvain in 1626, but probably current in manuscript at an earlier date, both in Ireland and among the Irish troops in the Netherlands
. This was composed, as he says himself, "out of charity for the souls of the Gael".
O'Maolconaire was a scholastic theologian, very learned especially in the writings of Augustine of Hippo
. At Louvain he sat at the feet of Baius, and was also a friend of Jansenius (died 1638). He had, however, by his own efforts arrived independently at conclusions concerning the teaching of Augustine on grace and character of the sufferings of such unbaptized children. His "Peregrinus Jerichontinus, h. e. de natura humana feliciter instituta, infeliciter lapsa, miserabiter vulnerata, misericorditer restaurata" (ed. Thady MacNamara, Paris, 1641) treats of original sin, the grace of Christ, free will, etc., the "Pilgrim of Jerico" being human nature itself, the robber Satan, the good Samaritan, Our Lord. Hunter says that this edition was owing to Arnauld, and that the same ardent Jansenist is possibly the author of the (Paris, 1645) French version.
Conry wrote also other works expository of the teaching and opinions of Augustine, e.g. "de gratia Christi" (Paris, 1646); "De flagellis justorum" (Paris, 1644); "De Augustini sensu circa b. Mariae Virginis conceptionem" (Antwerp, 1619).
He was associated with Giolla Brighde Ó hEoghusa
.
|
|_______________________________
| |
| |
Lochlainn Muirgheas mac Pháidín Ó Maolconaire
, d. 1543.
| |
| |_____________
Séan Ruadh | |
| | |
| Eóluis ?________________
Lochlainn | | |
| | | |
| Torna Moileachlain Fláithrí, Archbishop of Tuam
, 1560-1629
Fearfeasa Ó Maol Chonaire
Attribution
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
and theologian, founder of the Irish College
Irish College
Irish Colleges is the collective name used for approximately 34 centres of education for Irish Catholic clergy and lay people opened on continental Europe in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. The Colleges were set up to educate Roman Catholics from Ireland in their own religion following the...
of St. Anthony
Anthony of Padua
Anthony of Padua or Anthony of Lisbon, O.F.M., was a Portuguese Catholic priest and friar of the Franciscan Order. Though he died in Padua, Italy, he was born to a wealthy family in Lisbon, Portugal, which is where he was raised...
at Louvain
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
, and Archbishop of Tuam
Archbishop of Tuam
The Archbishop of Tuam is an archiepiscopal title which takes its name after the town of Tuam in County Galway, Ireland. The title was used by the Church of Ireland until 1839, and is still in use by the Roman Catholic Church.-History:...
.
Early life and career
A member of the Ó MaolconaireÓ Maolconaire
Ó Maolconaire was the surname of a family of professional poets and historians in Medieval Ireland. It is now rendered Mulconry, Conroy, Conaire.-Overview:...
bardic family of Connacht
Connacht
Connacht , formerly anglicised as Connaught, is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the west of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for...
, he was born at Cluain Plocáin (now Ballymulconry), parish of Kiltrustan, County Roscommon
County Roscommon
County Roscommon is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the town of Roscommon. Roscommon County Council is the local authority for the county...
, in 1560. His early studies were made on the Continent, in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, and in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. At Salamanca
Salamanca
Salamanca is a city in western Spain, in the community of Castile and León. Because it is known for its beautiful buildings and urban environment, the Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. It is the most important university city in Spain and is known for its contributions to...
he joined the Franciscans. In 1588 he was appointed provincial of the order in Ireland and as such sailed with the Spanish Armada
Spanish Armada
This article refers to the Battle of Gravelines, for the modern navy of Spain, see Spanish NavyThe Spanish Armada was the Spanish fleet that sailed against England under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia in 1588, with the intention of overthrowing Elizabeth I of England to stop English...
. There are no details as to the manner of O'Maolconaire's escape from the expedition.
Activities during the Nine Year's War
He was again sent to Ireland, this time by Pope Clement VIIIPope Clement VIII
Pope Clement VIII , born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was Pope from 30 January 1592 to 3 March 1605.-Cardinal:...
, to aid with counsel and influence the Irish and their Spanish allies during the last struggle of Hugh O'Neill in Nine Years' War (Ireland)
Nine Years' War (Ireland)
The Nine Years' War or Tyrone's Rebellion took place in Ireland from 1594 to 1603. It was fought between the forces of Gaelic Irish chieftains Hugh O'Neill of Tír Eoghain, Hugh Roe O'Donnell of Tír Chonaill and their allies, against English rule in Ireland. The war was fought in all parts of the...
. After the disaster of Kinsale
Kinsale
Kinsale is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Located some 25 km south of Cork City on the coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the River Bandon and has a population of 2,257 which increases substantially during the summer months when the tourist season is at its peak and...
(1601) he accompanied Hugh Roe O'Donnell
Hugh Roe O'Donnell
Aodh Rua Ó Dónaill, anglicised as either Hugh Roe O'Donnell or Red Hugh O'Donnell , was An Ó Domhnaill and Rí of Tir Chonaill . He led the Irish forces against the English conquest of Ireland from 1593 and helped to lead the Nine Years' War from 1595 to 1603...
to Spain in the hope of interesting anew the Spanish Court. But O'Donnell died at Simancus, being assisted on his death-bed by Ó Maolconaire (Four Masters, ad an. 1602) who also accompanied the remains to their last resting place in the Franciscan church at Valladolid
Valladolid
Valladolid is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, situated at the confluence of the Pisuerga and Esgueva rivers, and located within three wine-making regions: Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Cigales...
. Ó Maolconaire was deeply interested in the welfare of the Irish College at Salamanca .
The Flight of the Earls
When the native Irish leaders, Hugh Ó Neill, 2nd Earl of Tyrone and Rory Ó Donnell, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell, fled from Ireland in 1607, Ó Maolconaire accompanied them to Rome. For the so-called "Revelations" of Christopher St. Laurence, Baron of Howth, implicating Father Conry and the principal Irish in a plot to seize Dublin CastleDublin Castle
Dublin Castle off Dame Street, Dublin, Ireland, was until 1922 the fortified seat of British rule in Ireland, and is now a major Irish government complex. Most of it dates from the 18th century, though a castle has stood on the site since the days of King John, the first Lord of Ireland...
and raise a new rebellion just previous to the Flight of the Earls
Flight of the Earls
The Flight of the Earls took place on 14 September 1607, when Hugh Ó Neill of Tír Eóghain, Rory Ó Donnell of Tír Chonaill and about ninety followers left Ireland for mainland Europe.-Background to the exile:...
see Meehan (cited below), pp. 67-73. At Rome Father Conry was consecrated Archbishop of Tuam
Archbishop of Tuam
The Archbishop of Tuam is an archiepiscopal title which takes its name after the town of Tuam in County Galway, Ireland. The title was used by the Church of Ireland until 1839, and is still in use by the Roman Catholic Church.-History:...
in 1609 by Cardinal Maffeo Barberini (later Urban VIII).
In 1614 Conry wrote from Vallidolid a vigorous remonstrance to the Catholic members of the Irish parliament for their adhesion to the Bill of Attainder
Bill of attainder
A bill of attainder is an act of a legislature declaring a person or group of persons guilty of some crime and punishing them without benefit of a judicial trial.-English law:...
that deprived of their estates the fugitive Irish earls and their adherents and vested six whole counties of Ulster in the English Crown.
The College of Louvain
In 1616 Archbishop Ó Maolconaire founded, at LouvainLeuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
for Irish Franciscan youth, the College of St. Anthony of Padua
Padua
Padua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...
, principally with means furnished by Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain
Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain
Isabella Clara Eugenia of Austria was sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands in the Low Countries and the north of modern France, together with her husband Albert. In some sources, she is referred to as Clara Isabella Eugenia...
, wife of Archduke Albert, and the daughter of Philip II of Spain
Philip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
(cf. V. DeBuck, "L'archeologie, irlandaise, au couvent de Saint-Antoine de Padoue a Louvain", Paris, 1869), where the first and most active Irish printing press on the Continent was long in operation.
As Archbishop of Tuam, Ó Maolconaire never took possession of his see, owing to the royal proclamations of 1606, 1614, 1623, commanding all bishops and priests, under the gravest penalties, to quit the kingdom. But he governed Tuam through vicars-general and continued to live principally at St. Anthony's in Louvain, not improbably on the bounty of the King of Spain, as was the case of many Irish ecclesiastics of the time. His influence in Irish matters at the royal court was always considerable; thus, as late as 1618 we find him presenting to the Council of Spain Philip O'Sullivan Beare
Philip O'Sullivan Beare
Philip O'Sullivan Beare was an Irish soldier who became more famous as a writer.He was son of Dermot O'Sullivan and nephew of Donal O'Sullivan Beare, Prince of Beare. He was sent to Spain in 1602, and was educated at Compostela by Vendamma, a Spaniard, and John Synnott, an Irish Jesuit.He served...
's "Relation of Ireland and the number of Irish therein", and in the following year his own "Statement of the Severities Practised by England against the Irish Catholics". Like his fellow-Franciscan, Luke Wadding
Luke Wadding
Luke Wadding was an Irish Franciscan friar and historian.-Life:Wadding was born in 16 October 1588 at Waterford to Walter Wadding of Waterford, a wealthy merchant, and his wife, Anastasia Lombard . Educated at the school of Mrs...
, and Peter Lombard, Archbishop of Armagh
Peter Lombard, Archbishop of Armagh
Peter Lombard was a Roman Catholic archbishop of Armagh during the Counter Reformation.-Early life:...
, he was ever at the disposition of his exiled countrymen. He communicated in 1610 to the Council of Spain, a translation of the original (Irish) statement of one Francis Maguire concerning his observations in the "State of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
", between 1608 and 1610, a curious and unique document of the earliest English settlements in the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
and the life and habits of the Indian tribes (Alexander Brown, The Genesis of the United States, Boston, 1890, I, 392-99).
Legacy
Ó Maolconaire died in Madrid in 1629. In 1654 his body was brought back from Madrid and buried in the collegiate chapel of St. Anthony's, near the high altar, where an epitaph by Nicolas Aylmer recorded his virtues, learning and love of country:--- Ordinis altus honor, fidei patriaeque honos, Pontificum merito laude perenne jubar.
One of the earliest works of Ó Maolconaire was a translation form Spanish into very pure Irish of a catechism
Catechism
A catechism , i.e. to indoctrinate) is a summary or exposition of doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious teaching from New Testament times to the present...
known as "The Mirror of Christian Life" (Sgáthán an Chrábhaidh)http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G208020/index.html, printed at Louvain in 1626, but probably current in manuscript at an earlier date, both in Ireland and among the Irish troops in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. This was composed, as he says himself, "out of charity for the souls of the Gael".
O'Maolconaire was a scholastic theologian, very learned especially in the writings of Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo , also known as Augustine, St. Augustine, St. Austin, St. Augoustinos, Blessed Augustine, or St. Augustine the Blessed, was Bishop of Hippo Regius . He was a Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province...
. At Louvain he sat at the feet of Baius, and was also a friend of Jansenius (died 1638). He had, however, by his own efforts arrived independently at conclusions concerning the teaching of Augustine on grace and character of the sufferings of such unbaptized children. His "Peregrinus Jerichontinus, h. e. de natura humana feliciter instituta, infeliciter lapsa, miserabiter vulnerata, misericorditer restaurata" (ed. Thady MacNamara, Paris, 1641) treats of original sin, the grace of Christ, free will, etc., the "Pilgrim of Jerico" being human nature itself, the robber Satan, the good Samaritan, Our Lord. Hunter says that this edition was owing to Arnauld, and that the same ardent Jansenist is possibly the author of the (Paris, 1645) French version.
Conry wrote also other works expository of the teaching and opinions of Augustine, e.g. "de gratia Christi" (Paris, 1646); "De flagellis justorum" (Paris, 1644); "De Augustini sensu circa b. Mariae Virginis conceptionem" (Antwerp, 1619).
He was associated with Giolla Brighde Ó hEoghusa
Giolla Brighde Ó hEoghusa
Giolla Brighde Ó hEoghusa, aka Bonaventura Ó hEoghusa Gaelic-Irish poet, fl. 1608-1614.Some details of Giolla Brighde survive. He was a member of the Ó hEoghusa family of Ulster. He arrived at Louvain in 1606 and was ordained there in 1608, where he took the name Bonaventura...
.
Family tree:An Sliocht Pháidín
Paidín mac Lochlainn meic Maelsechlainn Ó Maolconaire, d. 1506 (a quo Sliocht Pháidín)|
|_______________________________
| |
| |
Lochlainn Muirgheas mac Pháidín Ó Maolconaire
Muirgheas mac Pháidín Ó Maolconaire
Muirgheas mac Pháidín Ó Maolconaire, Gaelic-Irish scribe, died 1543.Muirgheas was a native of Cluain Plocáin , parish of Kiltrustan, County Roscommon. It lies close to an inlet of the river Shannon, north of Strokestown....
, d. 1543.
| |
| |_____________
Séan Ruadh | |
| | |
| Eóluis ?________________
Lochlainn | | |
| | | |
| Torna Moileachlain Fláithrí, Archbishop of Tuam
Archbishop of Tuam
The Archbishop of Tuam is an archiepiscopal title which takes its name after the town of Tuam in County Galway, Ireland. The title was used by the Church of Ireland until 1839, and is still in use by the Roman Catholic Church.-History:...
, 1560-1629
Fearfeasa Ó Maol Chonaire
Fearfeasa Ó Maol Chonaire
Fearfeasa Ó Maol Chonaire, co-compiler and scribe of the Annals of the Four Masters, fl. 1620's-1640's.-Family background:Ó Maol Chonaire was a member of the Ó Maolconaire brehon family of north County Roscommon...
External links
Attribution