Henry Staunton, (d. 2 September 1814) often called Dean Staunton, was an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

and first president of

St. Patrick's, Carlow College St Patrick's, Carlow College, is a liberal arts college located in Carlow, Ireland. The college is the second oldest third level institution in Ireland and was founded in 1782 by James Keefe, then Roman Catholic Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, an ...

in 1792.

Life

Henry Staunton was born at Hill House, Kellymount,

Paulstown Paulstown () is a small village in County Kilkenny in Ireland. Paulstown is located at the (northern) junction of the N9 and N10 National primary roads. It is 21 km south of Carlow and 19 km east of Kilkenny. Scoil Bhride is the p ...

County Kilkenny County Kilkenny ( gle, Contae Chill Chainnigh) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the South-East Region. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. Kilkenny County Council is the local authority for the cou ...

, around 1746. He was educated locally and went to study for the priesthood in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. Upon returning to Ireland, he served in the parish of

Graiguenamanagh Graiguenamanagh or Graignamanagh () is a town on the River Barrow in County Kilkenny, Ireland. Part of the settlement, known as Tinnahinch, is on the County Carlow side of the river, and Carlow County Council refers to the whole village as "Grai ...

. Following the death of Dean Gernon, P.P. of Carlow, in March 1787, Henry Staunton was appointed his successor;Obit, ''The Orthodox Journal, and Catholic Monthly Intelligencer'', Volumes 1-2, p. 364
/ref> he was also appointed Dean of Leighlin. In 1787, Staunton built a sizeable church on the later site of Carlow Cathedral. With the closing of the seminaries in France during the Revolution, in 1793, Bishop

Daniel Delany Daniel Delany DD (February 1747, in Paddock, Mountrath, Laois, Ireland – 9 July 1814, in Tullow, County Carlow) was the Roman Catholic Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin. Educated at the Irish College in Paris, he taught at the English Boys Col ...

, of the

Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin The Roman Catholic Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin (; ga, Deoise Chill Dara agus Leithghlinn) is a Roman Catholic diocese in eastern Ireland. It is one of three suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Dublin and is subject to the ...

, founded a diocesan College at Carlow. Dr. Staunton was appointed its first president. Dean Staunton approached the founding of the college with zeal, however he was known somewhat as an eccentric. He never accepted a salary for his position in Carlow College. In 1811 he helped the

Presentation Sisters The Presentation Sisters, officially the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, are a religious institute of Roman Catholic women founded in Cork, Ireland, by the Venerable Honora "Nano" Nagle in 1775. The Sisters of the congre ...

set up in

Carlow Carlow ( ; ) is the county town of County Carlow, in the south-east of Ireland, from Dublin. At the 2016 census, it had a combined urban and rural population of 24,272. The River Barrow flows through the town and forms the historic bounda ...

, by giving them money to purchase a house. In 1813 he also founded a free school in Carlow. Dean Staunton died on 2 September 1814 initially he was buried in his own parish church but around 1828 his remains were re-interred in Carlow College cemetery.Carlow College Cemetery.
/ref> He was replaced as president of Carlow College by Rev. Andrew Fitzgerald.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Staunton, Henry 1746 births 1814 deaths Christian clergy from County Kilkenny 18th-century Irish Roman Catholic priests Burials at Carlow College Cemetery 19th-century Irish Roman Catholic priests People from Paulstown