Oliver Burke
Encyclopedia
Oliver Burke was a Dominican
priest
and ecclesiastical administrator, Bishop of Kilmacduagh
.
Burke was a native of Athenry
, brother of Dominic Burke
, John de Burgh (Archbishop)
, and Hugh Burke (Bishop of Kilmacduagh
1647–56) and grand-uncle to the Dominican historian, John O'Heyne
. He studied at Burgos
, and was a priest by 1627, being in that year an honours student at the Dominican College of St. Thomas in Rome
. Tomas O Floinn relates that "He was reputed to be well versed in history and prudent in business matters."
From 1629 to 1647, Burke was simultaneously vicar apostolic of Kilmacduagh
and rector
of Holy Cross college at Mont Cesar, Louvain
(1634–36). In the 1640s he was vicar to his brother, John, Archbishop of Tuam
. He also served as chaplain
to the 5th Earl of Clanricarde, and the latter's envoy to the Confederation of Kilkenny. As a result of this role, he was one of a number of representatives the clergy and nobility to draft an Irish constitution. He was in Galway in 1642, working as an intermediary between Patrick D'Arcy
, Richard Martyn
- representing the disaffected citizens of the town, and Clanricarde.
He and his family were opposed to Giovanni Battista Rinuccini
, for which he faced censure
. He departed from Galway in March 1651 as emissary
to Innocent X, and spent much of the following ten years in France. He was in London after 1664, and returned to Ireland in the household of the new Earl of Clanricarde. He died in 1672, at a place unknown. O Floinn writes that "His cosmopolitan career ... vision, initiatives and principal role have yet to be fully recovered and historically reappraised."
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
and ecclesiastical administrator, 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:...
.
Burke was a native of Athenry
Athenry
Athenry is a town in County Galway, Ireland. It lies east of Galway city, and one of the attractions of the town is its medieval castle. The town is also well-known by virtue of the song "The Fields of Athenry".-History:...
, brother of Dominic Burke
Dominic Burke
Dominick Burke was an Irish Dominican priest and political agent.Burke appears to have been a native of Athenry; he is documented as a member of the Dominican Abbey of the town, after which he studied at Bologna. From 1628 he was a collegial student in Rome where, after graduate studies, he became...
, John de Burgh (Archbishop)
John de Burgh (Archbishop)
The Most Reverend John de Burgh, or de Burgo, or Burke 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....
, and Hugh Burke (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:...
1647–56) and grand-uncle to the Dominican historian, John O'Heyne
John O'Heyne
John O'Heyne was an Irish Dominican and historian.O'Heyne was born near Athenry about 1648. His paternal grand-uncle was Dominic Burke, O.P., who infamously opposed the Papal Nuncio, Giovanni Battista Rinuccini. His maternal grand-uncle was John de Burgo, Archbishop of Tuam, and Hugh Burke, Bishop...
. He studied at Burgos
Burgos
Burgos is a city of northern Spain, historic capital of Castile. It is situated at the edge of the central plateau, with about 178,966 inhabitants in the city proper and another 20,000 in its suburbs. It is the capital of the province of Burgos, in the autonomous community of Castile and León...
, and was a priest by 1627, being in that year an honours student at the Dominican College of St. Thomas in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. Tomas O Floinn relates that "He was reputed to be well versed in history and prudent in business matters."
From 1629 to 1647, Burke was simultaneously vicar apostolic of Kilmacduagh
Kilmacduagh
Kilmacduagh is a small village in south County Galway, near Gort, in Ireland. It is best known for Kilmacduagh monastery, seat of the Diocese of that name. The diocese is now part of the Diocese of Galway and Kilmacduagh in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Diocese of Limerick and Killaloe in...
and rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of Holy Cross college at Mont Cesar, Louvain
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
(1634–36). In the 1640s he was vicar to his brother, John, 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:...
. He also served as chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
to the 5th Earl of Clanricarde, and the latter's envoy to the Confederation of Kilkenny. As a result of this role, he was one of a number of representatives the clergy and nobility to draft an Irish constitution. He was in Galway in 1642, working as an intermediary between Patrick D'Arcy
Patrick D'Arcy
Patrick D'Arcy was an Irish Catholic Confederate and lawyer who wrote the constitution of Confederate Ireland.-Background:Born in County Galway, Ireland, Darcy was the youngest son of James Riabhach Darcy by his second marriage to Elizabeth Martyn. James Riabhach was formerly Vice-President of...
, Richard Martyn
Richard Martyn
Richard Martyn was a leading figure in early New Hampshire, in business, church and government.Martyn was a merchant, and in 1671, he was one of the founders of the first church in Portsmouth. He served as Selectman, as Commissioner for the Trial of Small Causes, and as Deputy to the General...
- representing the disaffected citizens of the town, and Clanricarde.
He and his family were opposed to 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...
, for which he faced censure
Censure
A censure is an expression of strong disapproval or harsh criticism. Among the forms that it can take are a stern rebuke by a legislature, a spiritual penalty imposed by a church, and a negative judgment pronounced on a theological proposition.-Politics:...
. He departed from Galway in March 1651 as emissary
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to Innocent X, and spent much of the following ten years in France. He was in London after 1664, and returned to Ireland in the household of the new Earl of Clanricarde. He died in 1672, at a place unknown. O Floinn writes that "His cosmopolitan career ... vision, initiatives and principal role have yet to be fully recovered and historically reappraised."