Henry Ó Mealláin, O.F.M. (c. 1579 – after 1642) was an Irish Franciscan friar, and sometime Guardian of the Franciscan Friars of

Armagh Armagh ( ; ga, Ard Mhacha, , "Macha's height") is the county town of County Armagh and a city in Northern Ireland, as well as a civil parish. It is the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland – the seat of the Archbishops of Armagh, the Pri ...

. Ó Mealláin was born in

Dromiskin Dromiskin (historically ''Druminisklin'', from ) is a village and townland in County Louth, Ireland. It is situated 10 km south of Dundalk, about 1 km inland from the Irish coast. History The village was home to a monastery for h ...

County Louth County Louth ( ; ga, An Lú) is a coastal county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. Louth is bordered by the counties of Meath to the south, Monaghan to the west, Armagh to the north and Down to the ...

, and educated at the Irish College of Salamanca. He returned to Ireland in 1605 as a priest. In 1625 he was nominated for the see of Armagh, but

Aodh Mac Aingil Aodh Mac Cathmhaoil, O.F.M. ( la, Hugo Cavellus; anglicised: Hugh MacCaghwell; 1571 – 22 September 1626), was an Irish Franciscan theologian and Archbishop of Armagh. He was known by Irish speakers at Leuven (Louvain) by the honorary name ...

was chosen instead. He has been mistaken as the author of '' Cín Lae Uí Mhealláin'', which was written by his kinsman,

Tarlach Ó Mealláin Tarlach Ó Mealláin (fl. 1641–1650) was an Irish Franciscan, author of Cín Lae Uí Mhealláin. Origins and background Ó Mealláin was of a Tír Eoghain ecclesiastical family who were the hereditary keepers of the Bell of Saint Patrick ( C ...

. Tarlach attended a sermon preached by Henry at Carnteel on the first Sunday of

Lent Lent ( la, Quadragesima, 'Fortieth') is a solemn religious observance in the liturgical calendar commemorating the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke ...

in 1642, and mentioned it in his Cín Lae, demonstrating that he and Henry were two different people.

Sources

* Charles Dillon: ''Cín Lae Uí Mhealláin'', pp. 337–95 ''Tyrone:History and Society.'' * Diarmaid Ó Doibhlin (2000): ''Tyrone's Gaelic Literary Legacy'', pp. 414–17, op.cit. 17th-century Irish Roman Catholic priests 17th-century deaths Christian clergy from County Louth People of the Irish Confederate Wars Irish Friars Minor Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown {{Ireland-reli-bio-stub