Historical figures from Maynooth's past

John Blowick (d. 1972)
Ordained Priest for the diocese of Tuam in 1913.
Appointed Professor of Theology in Maynooth College, 1914-1917.
With Edward Galvin, founded the The Maynooth Mission to China
and became its first superior-general.
Died 19 June 1972.

Clotworthy Augustine McCormick (d. 1807)
Born in County Antrim; educated Paris; last Abbot-General of the ancient and celebrated monastery of Bangor; returned from the Continent as an old man to Ireland; appointed Sacristan in the new Maynooth College in 1799; died 1807; buried in Laraghbryan Cemetery.

John MacHale (1791-1881)
Ordained in Maynooth College 1814; taught Theology there until his appointment to Killala 1825; Archbishop of Tuam 1834. Strong supporter of O'Connell; prominent in the great Irish issues of the 19th century (Catholic emancipation, tithes, repeal of the Union, land question, education, etc.); for Catholic University but against Newman. Many public differences with other bishops, notably Cullen. Keen supporter of Irish language. Biography by Hilary Andrews: The Lion of the West.

Pól Breathnach (1885-1941) Paul Walsh
Léachtóir agus, níos moille, ollamh le Gaeilge i Má Nuad (1916-1928). Bhí tionchar iontach aige i bhforbairt an léinn Ghaelaigh sa tír seo agus chothaigh sé suim sa teanga i measc mhic léinn an Choláiste. Scríobh Francis Shaw S.J. ina leith 'It is probable that none since O'Donovan had such an all-round interest; a very great scholar, but he carried his learning lightly'. Fuair sé bás agus é ina shagart paróiste i Muilte Farannáin. Irish Leaders and Learning Through the Ages: Paul Walsh - Essays collected, edited and introduced by Nollaig Ó Muraíle

Laurence Renehan (1798-1857)
Student, dean, professor of Scripture (1825), vice-president (1834), bursar (1841) and President (1845-1857) at Maynooth, and presided over construction of the Pugin Buildings. Interested in music and Irish ecclesiastical history; friend of John O'Donovan and James Henthorn Todd; vice-president of Celtic Society; spent vacations travelling in Europe copying manuscripts. The great collection of his manuscripts now in the Russell Library marks him as one of the pioneers of Irish historical scholarship. His name is given to the main Boardroom in the College, Renehan Hall.

Charles W. Russell (1812-1880)
A native of Killough, Co. Down, he entered Maynooth at fourteen. At the age of twenty-three he was appointed Professor of Humanity and ordained priest. Professor of Ecclesiastical History (1845); President (1857). He died in 1880, his final years having been blighted by the effects of a fall from his horse in 1877. Over a period of forty years he maintained a prodigious scholarly output in the form of articles for the London-based Dublin Review and the Edinburgh Review. His scholarship, founded on a wide knowledge of ancient and modern languages, was astonishing in its range. He belonged to an international intellectual set that included Lord Acton and John Henry Newman; the latter attributed to Russell the largest influence on his conversion to Catholicism. Biography by Ambrose Macaulay published in 1983.

Nicholas Callan (1799-1864)
Born near Dundalk; student at Maynooth (1816-1823); professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy (1826); pioneer in the development and application of electrical science; invented the induction coil; developed a process for the protection of iron; invented the Maynooth battery; conducted some famous experiments with the help of large numbers of students. Notable writer and translator of theological and ascetical works.
Fr Nicholas Callan featured on an Irish stamp in the Millennium Year, 2000.

Éamon de Valera (1882-1975)
Dominant figure in Irish public life for sixty years.
Got a part-time and temporary appointment as lecturer in Mathematics and Mathematical Physics at Maynooth in October 1912.

 

Patrick J. Carew (d. 1855)
Professor of Humanity 1825; professor of Theology 1828; appointed Coadjutor to Vicar Apostolic of Madras 1838; transferred to Calcutta 1840; with brothers John and Stephen Fennelly started a short-lived Maynooth Mission to India; John, Bursar at Maynooth, succeeded Carew as Vicar Apostolic of Madras in 1840, and was succeeded by Stephen in 1868; Presentation sisters from Maynooth and other Irish sisters and brothers had a more lasting involvement.

Sir Dominic Corrigan (1802-1880)
Student of the early Lay College in Maynooth (this College was supressed in 1817); later at Trinity College and Edinburgh; appointments in Jervis Street and Richmond Hospitals; with Robert Graves and William Stokes one of the giants of the influential 'Dublin School' of clinical medicine; prominent and controversial role during the Famine; after considerable struggle elected to Royal College of Physicians and was first Catholic to become its President; elected MP 1869; keen interest in temperance and in university education.
Conscience and Conflict: A biography of Sir Dominic Corrigan - Eoin O'Brien

Peadar Ó Laoghaire (1839-1920)
Oirníodh an tAthair Peadar i Má Nuad ar 11 Meitheamh 1867. Chuidigh sé go mór le Conradh na Gaeilge. Is iad Séadna agus a bheatháisnéis Mo Scéal Féin na leabhair is mó a tharraing clú air. In Mo Scéal Féin tá cur síos ar na blianta a chaith sé i Má Nuad. Léirítear an Coláiste mar áit mhífholláin ina raibh sláinte mhaith de dhíth ar na scoláirí.

Patrick A. Sheehan (1852-1913)
The well-known Canon Sheehan, author of My New Curate, Glenanaar, Luke Delmege, The Graves of Kilmorna and many other books on Irish Catholic life. Entered Maynooth in 1869. He died as parish priest of Doneraile in 1913.

John Blake Dillon (1816-1866)

Spent two years in Maynooth; retained an 'affectionate remembrance' of the college; co-founder of The Nation and frequent contributor; lawyer and prominent public figure, later Young Irelander; after failure of 1848 rebellion escaped to USA, where he spent some years; elected MP 1865.

Patrick Murray (1811-82)
Priest of the diocese of Clogher; notable theologian; professor at Maynooth (1838-1882). Frequently credited with an influence on the final formulation of the definition of Papal Infallibility at Vatican I (1870).

Theobald Matthew (1790-1856)
Later to be known for his work among the poor and as the Apostle of Temperance, entered Maynooth in 1807 but soon afterwards was expelled for inviting other students to a party in his room; became a Capuchin priest.
A later time spent in Maynooth proved more rewarding; after his talk on temperance in June 1840 about half the staff (8) and half the students (250) took a pledge of total abstinence.

Daniel Mannix (1866-1963)
A native of Charleville, Co. Cork. Ordained at Maynooth in 1890, he was appointed to a chair of Philosophy the next year and to a chair of Theology in 1894. Became President in 1903. It was due largely to Mannix's vision and effort that Maynooth came to provide NUI courses and degrees in Arts and Science. In 1911 he was appointed coadjutor Archbishop of Melbourne. His episcopal career of over fifty years was distinguished and occasionally controversial. Arrested at sea off England and prevented from visiting Ireland in 1920.

Eoghan Ó Gramhnaigh (1863-1899)
Ollamh le Gaeilge (teanga, litríocht agus seandacht). Bhí sé ina cheannródaí I gConradh na Gaeilge agus ina eagarthóir ar an Gaelic Journal. B'éigean dó éirí as a phost i Má Nuad de bharr drochshláinte agus chuaigh sé go dtí na Stáit Aontaithe (1894). Fuair sé bás i Los Angeles (1899). Sa bhliain 1903 áfach tugadh a chorp ar ais go Má Nuad agus cuireadh é sa 'Mhásailéam' i reilig an Choláiste.

Kevin O'Higgins (1892-1927)
Entered Maynooth in 1910 for the diocese of Kildare and Leighlin.
After several warnings, expelled for smoking in 1911.

Later prominent minister in the Free State government and vice-president of the Executive Council.

Walter McDonald (1854-1920)
Professor of Theology 1881; prefect of Dunboyne Establishment 1888. His book Motion: Its Origin and Conservation was referred to Rome, where it was condemned 1898; much of his later writing was not published or aroused controversy. Founder of the Irish Theological Quarterly 1906, (which is still published in the College), though after three years he withdrew from the editorial board. Supporter of Michael O'Hickey, who was dismissed in 1909 as Maynooth Professor for his conduct in the controversy over Irish as a matriculation subject for the NUI. His Reminiscences of a Maynooth Professor was published posthumously.

Patrick Whitney (1894-1942)
While a seminarian for the diocese of Ardagh & Clonmacnois, Patrick responded to Bishop Shanahan's appeal at Maynooth during his Fourth Divinity year in February 1920 for volunteers for Nigeria. Returned from Africa to win support and to gain funds, especially for the Holy Rosary Sisters just recently established. Founded Saint Patrick's Missionary Society, Kiltegan in 1930; died 1942.