Robert Laffan (died 3 July 1833) 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 ...

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pre ...

who served as the Archbishop of Cashel and Emly from 1823 to 1833. He was the son of Walter Laffan, Esquire, of Cashel in

County Tipperary County Tipperary ( ga, Contae Thiobraid Árann) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary, and was established in the early 13th century, shortly after t ...

, Ireland, and a grandson of Richard de Courcy, Esquire, also of Cashel. He was ordained a priest around 1794 and served as parish priest for

Moycarkey Moycarkey (), sometimes written Moycarky, is a village at the northern end of Moycarky townland in the civil parish of Moycarky in County Tipperary County Tipperary ( ga, Contae Thiobraid Árann) is a county in Ireland. It is in the pro ...

in County Tipperary, before being selected to head the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly The Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly ( ga, Ard-Deoise Chaisil agus Imligh) is an ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church ( particularly the Roman Catholic or Latin Church) located in mid-western Ireland and the metropolis ...

by the

Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

in 1823. Laffan was appointed by Pope Pius VII on 23 February 1823 and his

papal brief A papal brief or breve 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 Eugene IV (3 Marc ...

was issued on 18 March 1823. He was consecrated on 6 July 1823 by Daniel Murray, Archbishop of Dublin. Archbishop Laffan's successful career is largely attributed to the court influence of his brother

Sir Joseph de Courcy Laffan Sir Joseph De Courcy Laffan, 1st Baronet (8 May 1786 – 7 July 1848) was a noted Irish physician. Laffan treated troops in the Peninsular War, he was the personal physician (''Physician-in-Ordinary'') to Queen Victoria's father the Duke of Kent ...

, a

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14t ...

who served as personal physician to both the

Duke of Kent Duke of Kent is a title that has been created several times in the peerages of Great Britain and the United Kingdom, most recently as a royal dukedom for the fourth son of King George V. Since 1942, the title has been held by Prince Edwar ...

(father of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...

) and the Duke of York (an elder son of

King George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...

). He certainly enjoyed the endorsement of the

Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish people, Anglo-Irish soldier and Tories (British political party), Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of Uni ...

.''The Life, Times, and Correspondence of the Right Reverend Doctor Doyle'', 1861. Volume 1, page 183. He died in office on 3 July 1833.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Laffan, Robert 1790s births 1833 deaths 19th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in Ireland Roman Catholic archbishops of Cashel