Francis Moylan
Encyclopedia
Francis Moylan was the Roman Catholic Bishop of Cork
.
, where he was graduated as doctor of theology, he was ordained priest in 1761 and for some years laboured in Paris.
Returning to Cork he was appointed pastor of St. Finbarr's in the city, and remained there till 1775, when he became Bishop of Ardfert and Aghadoe
. In 1787 he was transferred to the See of Cork
and continued to rule that diocese till his death.
Like Dr. Troy of Dublin, Moylan had no sympathy with violence as a means of redressing wrong, and therefore he condemned the Whiteboys
; and, in 1796, he urged his flock to resist the French, when Hoche
's fleet was in Bantry Bay
.
Moylan had a share in the establishment of Maynooth College
and was one of its first trustees. He also supported the Union, and was one of the bishops who agreed to the "veto
" in 1799. He regretted, however, having done this, for he found that he had been tricked by Pitt
and Lord Castlereagh, and when the veto question was revived (1814) he opposed it. During his time in Cork, the Christian Brothers
were introduced and also the Ursulines
and Presentation Nuns. He was for many years the trusted friend and adviser of Nano Nagle
.
Bishop of Cork
The Bishop of Cork was a separate episcopal title which took its name after the city of Cork in southern Ireland. The title is now united with other bishoprics...
.
Life
He was the son of a rich merchant. As the penal laws made it impossible for him to obtain a suitable education at home, he was sent to Paris, and educated there. His father desired that he should adopt a mercantile calling; but young Moylan's vocation being for a religious life he wished to join the Carthusians. Delicate health, however, stood in his way, and after finishing his course at the University of ToulouseUniversity of Toulouse
The Université de Toulouse is a consortium of French universities, grandes écoles and other institutions of higher education and research, named after one of the earliest universities established in Europe in 1229, and including the successor universities to that earlier university...
, where he was graduated as doctor of theology, he was ordained priest in 1761 and for some years laboured in Paris.
Returning to Cork he was appointed pastor of St. Finbarr's in the city, and remained there till 1775, when he became Bishop of Ardfert and Aghadoe
Bishop of Ardfert and Aghadoe
The Bishop of Ardfert and Aghadoe was an episcopal title which took its name after the village of Ardfert and townland of Aghadoe, both in County Kerry, Ireland.-History:...
. In 1787 he was transferred to the See of Cork
Bishop of Cork
The Bishop of Cork was a separate episcopal title which took its name after the city of Cork in southern Ireland. The title is now united with other bishoprics...
and continued to rule that diocese till his death.
Like Dr. Troy of Dublin, Moylan had no sympathy with violence as a means of redressing wrong, and therefore he condemned the Whiteboys
Whiteboys
The Whiteboys were a secret Irish agrarian organization in 18th-century Ireland which used violent tactics to defend tenant farmer land rights for subsistence farming...
; and, in 1796, he urged his flock to resist the French, when Hoche
Lazare Hoche
Louis Lazare Hoche was a French soldier who rose to be general of the Revolutionary army.Born of poor parents near Versailles, he enlisted at sixteen as a private soldier in the Gardes Françaises...
's fleet was in Bantry Bay
Bantry Bay
Bantry Bay is a bay located in County Cork, southwest Ireland. The bay runs approximately from northeast to southwest into the Atlantic Ocean. It is approximately 3-to-4 km wide at the head and wide at the entrance....
.
Moylan had a share in the establishment of Maynooth College
St Patrick's College, Maynooth
St Patrick's College, Maynooth is the "National Seminary for Ireland" , and a Pontifical University, located in the village of Maynooth, 15 miles from Dublin, Ireland. The college and seminary are often referred to as Maynooth College. The college was officially established as the Royal College...
and was one of its first trustees. He also supported the Union, and was one of the bishops who agreed to the "veto
Royal veto of the appointment of bishops
A proposed Royal veto of the appointment of bishops was a contentious topic in the politics of the United Kingdom, in the period 1808 to 1829. According to the proposal, any restoration of the full episcopal hierarchy of the Catholic Church, in Great Britain, should be subject to a veto of the...
" in 1799. He regretted, however, having done this, for he found that he had been tricked by Pitt
William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger was a British politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He became the youngest Prime Minister in 1783 at the age of 24 . He left office in 1801, but was Prime Minister again from 1804 until his death in 1806...
and Lord Castlereagh, and when the veto question was revived (1814) he opposed it. During his time in Cork, the Christian Brothers
Congregation of Christian Brothers
The Congregation of Christian Brothers is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Blessed Edmund Rice. The Christian Brothers, as they are commonly known, chiefly work for the evangelisation and education of youth, but are involved in many ministries, especially with...
were introduced and also the Ursulines
Ursulines
The Ursulines are a Roman Catholic religious order for women founded at Brescia, Italy, by Saint Angela de Merici in November 1535, primarily for the education of girls and the care of the sick and needy. Their patron saint is Saint Ursula.-History:St Angela de Merici spent 17 years leading a...
and Presentation Nuns. He was for many years the trusted friend and adviser of Nano Nagle
Nano Nagle
Honora "Nano" Nagle founded the "Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary" in Ireland . Of the many schools founded by the Presentation Sisters - a number are named after Nano Nagle.- Family background and historical context :The time of Nagle's birth was one of dark sorrow for...
.