John de Burgh (Archbishop)
Encyclopedia
The Most Reverend
John de Burgh, or de Burgo, or Burke (1590–1667) was an Irish
Roman Catholic
clergyman who served as Vicar Apostolic and Bishop of Clonfert from 1629 to 1647 and Archbishop of Tuam
from 1647 to 1667.
John de Burgh was a member of the Clanricarde
Burkes of County Galway
. He and his brother Hugh were taught by a member of the Ó Maolconaire
family, from whom they learned very considerable Greek
and Latin
. John and Hugh left for the continent in 1614, John to Lisbon
, Hugh to Louvain
where he joined the Franciscans. John de Burgh was ordained a priest and returned to Ireland around 1624, working for two years in the Diocese of Tuam
under Boetius Egan
. In 1627, on Egan's recommendation, he was appointed Apostolic Vicar
of the Diocese of Clonfert
by a papal brief
on 13 October 1629.
During the projected Plantation of Connacht in the 1630s, his influence on Catholic members of the 1634 Parliament was so great that Lord Stafford issued warrants for his arrest, necessitating de Burgh hideing until the Viceroy
's recall. On the recomentation of Bishop MacEgan of Elphin, he was appointed to Bishop of Clonfert on 16 October 1641, and consecrated
on 9 April 1642. He subscribed to the ordinances
agreed upon for the war against Parliament, spending almost all of his time in Kilkenny
assisting the seventy-two year old David Rothe
. During these years, Hugh de Burgh was agent for the Supreme Council at the Court of the Netherlands
.
Upon the death of Malachias O'Queely, he was appointed Archbishop of Tuam
by the Supreme Council of the Catholic Confederation of Ireland on 11 March 1647. On the same date he became archbishop, his brother, Hugh, was appointed Bishop of Kilmacduagh
. He was noted as a good administrator of his dioceses, reforming many deep abuses, had churches repaired and established schools. In matters of policy he was akin to his kinsman, Ulick Burke, Earl of Clanricarde
. He became known for founding an extensive library in Tuam, which is thought was used by the likes of John Lynch
and Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh
. He also advanced a large sum to the Jesuits to maintain a seminary in Galway, in which town he built himself a residence three stories high.
He came into conflict with Walter Lynch, Vicar-capitular of Tuam, who was the Papal Nuncio's choice for the vacant see of Clonfert; however, de Burgh wanted it for his brother, Hugh. Giovanni Battista Rinuccini
described the brothers as "hot-headed, and wishing to have everything their own way ... that it would be unwise to have two brother collated to the two best dioceses in the province ... that the Archbishop of Tuam was the most unmanageable and refractory of all the Irish prelates with whom he had to deal. He blames me for recommending Lynch, and what is worse, he blames another who is superior to us all."
He died on Holy Thursday
, 4 April 1667, and was buried in the Oratory
of St. Jarlath.
Most Reverend
The Most Reverend is a style applied to certain religious figures.*In the Roman Catholic Church , all bishops are styled "The Most Reverend", as well as monsignors of the rank of protonotary apostolic de numero.*In the Roman Catholic Church , archbishops are styled "The...
John de Burgh, or de Burgo, or Burke (1590–1667) was an Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
clergyman who served as Vicar Apostolic and Bishop of Clonfert from 1629 to 1647 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:...
from 1647 to 1667.
John de Burgh was a member of the Clanricarde
Clanricarde
Clanricarde was a term meaning both a territory and a title in Ireland between the 13th and early 20th centuries.-Territory:The territory, in what is now County Galway, Ireland, stretched from the barony of County Clare in the north-west along the borders of County Mayo, to the River Shannon in the...
Burkes of County Galway
County Galway
County Galway 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 city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
. He and his brother Hugh were taught by a member of the Ó Maolconaire
Ó 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:...
family, from whom they learned very considerable Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
and Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
. John and Hugh left for the continent in 1614, John to Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, Hugh to Louvain
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
where he joined the Franciscans. John de Burgh was ordained a priest and returned to Ireland around 1624, working for two years in the Diocese of Tuam
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tuam
The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Tuam is a Roman Catholic archdiocese in western Ireland. According to tradition, the "Diocese of Tuam" was established in the sixth century by St. Jarlath...
under Boetius Egan
Boetius Egan
Boetius Egan was a Roman Catholic Archbishop of Tuam in County Galway, Ireland.-Biography:Egan was born near Tuam, Ireland, 1734, to a family owning large estates in the County Galway. His family was reduced in position and means, and British penal laws made it then difficult for an Irish...
. In 1627, on Egan's recommendation, he was appointed Apostolic Vicar
Apostolic vicariate
An apostolic vicariate is a form of territorial jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church established in missionary regions and countries that do not have a diocese. It is essentially provisional, though it may last for a century or more...
of the Diocese of Clonfert
Roman Catholic Diocese of Clonfert
The Diocese of Clonfert is a Roman Catholic diocese in the western part of Ireland. It is in the Metropolitan Province of Tuam and is subject to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Tuam...
by a papal brief
Papal brief
The Papal Brief is a formal document emanating from the Pope, in a somewhat simpler and more modern form than a Papal Bull.-History:The introduction of briefs, which occurred at the beginning of the pontificate of Pope Eugenius IV , was clearly prompted for the same desire for greater simplicity...
on 13 October 1629.
During the projected Plantation of Connacht in the 1630s, his influence on Catholic members of the 1634 Parliament was so great that Lord Stafford issued warrants for his arrest, necessitating de Burgh hideing until the Viceroy
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
's recall. On the recomentation of Bishop MacEgan of Elphin, he was appointed to Bishop of Clonfert on 16 October 1641, and consecrated
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
on 9 April 1642. He subscribed to the ordinances
Decree
A decree is a rule of law issued by a head of state , according to certain procedures . It has the force of law...
agreed upon for the war against Parliament, spending almost all of his time in Kilkenny
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
assisting the seventy-two year old David Rothe
David Rothe
David Rothe was a Roman Catholic Bishop of Ossory, central Ireland.-Life:He was born at Kilkenny, of a distinguished family. Having studied at the Irish College, Douai, and at the University of Salamanca, where he graduated doctor in civil and canon law, he was ordained in 1600, and proceeded to...
. During these years, Hugh de Burgh was agent for the Supreme Council at the Court of 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...
.
Upon the death of Malachias O'Queely, he was appointed 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:...
by the Supreme Council of the Catholic Confederation of Ireland on 11 March 1647. On the same date he became archbishop, his brother, Hugh, was appointed Bishop of Kilmacduagh
Bishop of Kilmacduagh
The Bishop of Kilmacduagh was an episcopal title which took its name after the village of Kilmacduagh in County Galway, Ireland. In both the Church of Ireland and the Roman Catholic Church, the title is now united with other bishoprics.-History:...
. He was noted as a good administrator of his dioceses, reforming many deep abuses, had churches repaired and established schools. In matters of policy he was akin to his kinsman, Ulick Burke, Earl of Clanricarde
Earl of Clanricarde
Earl of Clanricarde is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of Ireland, first in 1543 and again in 1800. The former creation became extinct in 1916 while the 1800 creation is still extant and held by the Marquess of Sligo since 1916....
. He became known for founding an extensive library in Tuam, which is thought was used by the likes of John Lynch
John Lynch (Gratianus Lucius)
John Lynch, pseudonym Gratianus Lucius, D.D., was an Irish Roman Catholic priest, known as a historian and Archdeacon of Tuam.-Life:...
and Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh
Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh
Dubhaltach MacFhirbhisigh, also known as Dubhaltach Óg mac Giolla Íosa Mór mac Dubhaltach Mór Mac Fhirbhisigh, Duald Mac Firbis, Dudly Ferbisie, and Dualdus Firbissius was an Irish scribe, translator, historian and genealogist...
. He also advanced a large sum to the Jesuits to maintain a seminary in Galway, in which town he built himself a residence three stories high.
He came into conflict with Walter Lynch, Vicar-capitular of Tuam, who was the Papal Nuncio's choice for the vacant see of Clonfert; however, de Burgh wanted it for his brother, Hugh. Giovanni Battista Rinuccini
Giovanni Battista Rinuccini
Giovanni Battista Rinuccini was a Roman Catholic archbishop in the mid seventeenth century. He was a noted legal scholar who became chamberlain to Pope Gregory XV, who made him the Archbishop of Fermo in Italy...
described the brothers as "hot-headed, and wishing to have everything their own way ... that it would be unwise to have two brother collated to the two best dioceses in the province ... that the Archbishop of Tuam was the most unmanageable and refractory of all the Irish prelates with whom he had to deal. He blames me for recommending Lynch, and what is worse, he blames another who is superior to us all."
He died on Holy Thursday
Maundy Thursday
Maundy Thursday, also known as Holy Thursday, Covenant Thursday, Great & Holy Thursday, and Thursday of Mysteries, is the Christian feast or holy day falling on the Thursday before Easter that commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles as described in the Canonical gospels...
, 4 April 1667, and was buried in the Oratory
Oratory
Oratory is a type of public speaking.Oratory may also refer to:* Oratory , a power metal band* Oratory , a place of worship* a religious order such as** Oratory of Saint Philip Neri ** Oratory of Jesus...
of St. Jarlath.