Patrick O'Hely () (born between 1543 - 1546, died 31 August
1579) was an Irish Franciscan priest from
Creevelea Abbey, near
Dromahair,
County Leitrim
County Leitrim ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht and is part of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the village of Leitrim, County Leitr ...
, and illegal and underground
Bishop of Mayo, who was tortured and executed as part of the
Elizabethan era
The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The Roman symbol of Britannia (a female ...
religious persecution
Religious persecution is the systematic oppression of an individual or a group of individuals as a response to their religion, religious beliefs or affiliations or their irreligion, lack thereof. The tendency of societies or groups within socie ...
of the
Catholic Church in Ireland
The Catholic Church in Ireland, or Irish Catholic Church, is part of the worldwide Catholic Church in communion with the Holy See. With 3.5 million members (in the Republic of Ireland), it is the largest Christian church in Ireland. In ...
. Bishop O'Hely was Beatified, along with his fellow Franciscan Friar and companion in martyrdom, Conn Ó Ruairc, by
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005.
In his you ...
along with 15 other
Irish Catholic Martyrs on 27 September 1992. Their martyrdom is commemorated every year on 20 June.
[CREAZIONE DI VENTUNO NUOVI BEATI: OMELIA DI GIOVANNI PAOLO II]
Piazza San Pietro - Domenica, 27 settembre 1992.
Biography
Although little or nothing is known of his early life, Patrick O'Hely is believed to have been born between 1543 and 1546. He later described himself in a letter dated 24 June 1575, and which survives in the
Archivo General de Simancas as ''fray Patricio Oheli de Petra''. ''Petra'' is believed by some historians to be a shorthand rendering of ''Petra Patricii'', the usual
Hiberno-Latin
Hiberno-Latin was a learned style of literary Latin first used and subsequently spread by Irish monks during the period from the sixth century to the twelfth century.
Vocabulary and influence
Hiberno-Latin was notable for its curiously learn ...
rendering of (), the name in
Connaught Irish for the hill upon which stood
Creevelea Abbey (), the
Franciscan
The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...
Friary at
Dromahair,
County Leitrim
County Leitrim ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht and is part of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the village of Leitrim, County Leitr ...
. If so, it would suggest that O'Hely was a native of the region, an alumnus of the Friary, or both.
English Franciscan
Thomas Bourchier roomed from 1578-1579 with Patrick O'Hely in Paris and became his late friend's first biographer. According to Bouchier, O'Hely received a classical
Christian education during his youth in Ireland and was sent, due to his great intellectual brilliance, four years after his profession to Rome. In 1562, O'Hely arrived in Rome and presented himself to
Francisco Zamora de Cuenca Minister General of the Franciscan Order. Zamora was very impressed with O'Hely and arranged for him to continue his education in the Franciscan Province of
Cartagena.
In Spain, O'Hely first studied grammar for two years in the Friary at
Molina de Aragón
Molina de Aragón is a municipality located in the province of Guadalajara, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. According to the 2009 census ( INE), the municipality had a population of 3,671 inhabitants. It held the record (−28.2 °C) for the lowes ...
, then studied philosophy for four years at the Friary at
San Clemente
San Clemente (; Spanish for " St. Clement" ) is a coastal city in southern Orange County, California, United States. It was named in 1925 after the Spanish colonial island (which was named after a Pope from the first century). Located in the O ...
, where he was formally incardinated into the Province of Cartagena. His superiors next sent him to
Alcalá de Henares
Alcalá de Henares () is a Spanish municipality of the Community of Madrid. Housing is primarily located on the right (north) bank of the Henares River, Henares. , it has a population of 193,751, making it the region's third-most populated Municip ...
, where he continued his studies at the
University of Alcalá
The University of Alcalá () is a public university located in Alcalá de Henares, a city 35 km (22 miles) northeast of Madrid in Spain and also the third-largest city of the region. It was founded in 1293 as a ''Studium Generale'' for t ...
, where he surpassed his contemporaries in sacred studies.
["Patrick O'Hely." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 11. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 20 Feb. 2014]
/ref>
During his residence in Spain, O'Hely became a fluent speaker of the Catalan language
Catalan () is a Western Romance languages, Western Romance language and is the official language of Andorra, and the official language of three autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous communities in eastern Spain: Catalonia, the Balearic I ...
and was by all accounts a very gifted and effective preacher.
While residing in the Aracoeli
The Basilica of Saint Mary of the Altar in Heaven (, ) is a Titular church, titular basilica and conventual church of the Order of Friars Minor, Franciscan Convent of Aracoeli located the highest summit of the Capitoline Hill in churches of Rome, ...
monastery in Rome, O'Hely was proposed to the Pope at the 4 July 1575 consistory meeting for the bishopric of Mayo,[Webb, red. "Bishop Patrick O'Hely", ''A Compendium of Irish Biography'', Dublin, M.H. Gill & Son, 1878]
/ref> later merged in the archbishopric of Tuam. As the Catholic Church in Ireland
The Catholic Church in Ireland, or Irish Catholic Church, is part of the worldwide Catholic Church in communion with the Holy See. With 3.5 million members (in the Republic of Ireland), it is the largest Christian church in Ireland. In ...
was still strictly illegal and underground, Pope Gregory XIII
Pope Gregory XIII (, , born Ugo Boncompagni; 7 January 1502 – 10 April 1585) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 May 1572 to his death in April 1585. He is best known for commissioning and being the namesake ...
empowered Bishop O'Hely to officiate in adjoining dioceses, if no Catholic bishop were at hand, and supplied him generously with money. At Paris he took part in public disputations at the Sorbonne university, amazing his hearers by his mastery of patristic
Patristics, also known as Patrology, is a branch of theological studies focused on the writings and teachings of the Church Fathers, between the 1st to 8th centuries CE. Scholars analyze texts from both orthodox and heretical authors. Patristics em ...
, Renaissance humanist, and Counter-Reformation
The Counter-Reformation (), also sometimes called the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to, and as an alternative to or from similar insights as, the Protestant Reformations at the time. It w ...
theology, as well as of Scotist philosophy.
In autumn, 1579, he sailed from Brittany
Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...
and arrived off the coast of Kerry after James Fitzmaurice had landed at Ard na Caithne from Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
with the remnant of Thomas Stukeley's expedition. All Munster
Munster ( or ) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the island. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (). Following the Nor ...
was up in arms.
The House of Desmond was divided, and the Earl had withdrawn from the scene of action. The bishop and his companion, Conn O'Rourke ( Irish: ''Conn Ó Ruairc,'' born c. 1549), a Franciscan
The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...
Friar
A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders in the Catholic Church. There are also friars outside of the Catholic Church, such as within the Anglican Communion. The term, first used in the 12th or 13th century, distinguishes the mendi ...
, son of Brian
Brian (sometimes spelled Bryan (given name), Bryan in English) is a male given name of Irish language, Irish and Breton language, Breton origin, as well as a surname of Occitan language, Occitan origin. It is common in the English-speaking world. ...
, Lord of Breifne, came ashore at Corca Dhuibhne and sought hospitality at Askeaton Castle, where, in the Earl's absence, the Countess entertained them. Next day, they departed for Limerick
Limerick ( ; ) is a city in western Ireland, in County Limerick. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. W ...
; but the Countess, probably so instructed, for the Rebel Earl later claimed the merit afterwards, gave information to the Lord Mayor
Lord mayor is a title of a mayor of what is usually a major city in a Commonwealth realm, with special recognition bestowed by the sovereign. However, the title or an equivalent is present in other countries, including forms such as "high mayor". A ...
of Limerick
Limerick ( ; ) is a city in western Ireland, in County Limerick. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. W ...
, who three days later seized the two ecclesiastics and sent them to Kilmallock
Kilmallock () is a town in south County Limerick, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, near the border with County Cork, 30 km south of Limerick city. There is a Dominican Priory in the town and King John's Castle (Kilmallock), King's Castle (or K ...
, where Lord Justice Sir William Drury then was with an army.[
As ]Lord President of Munster
The post of Lord President of Munster was the most important office in the English government of the Irish province of Munster from its introduction in the Elizabethan era for a century, to 1672, a period including the Desmond Rebellions in Munste ...
, Drury had taken severe measures, in one year executing four hundred persons "by justice and martial law
Martial law is the replacement of civilian government by military rule and the suspension of civilian legal processes for military powers. Martial law can continue for a specified amount of time, or indefinitely, and standard civil liberties ...
"; some he sentenced "by natural law
Natural law (, ) is a Philosophy, philosophical and legal theory that posits the existence of a set of inherent laws derived from nature and universal moral principles, which are discoverable through reason. In ethics, natural law theory asserts ...
, for that he found no law to try them by in the realm".
At first, he offered to secure Bishop Ó hÉilí in his see for the Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland (, ; , ) is a Christian church in Ireland, and an autonomy, autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the Christianity in Ireland, second-largest Christian church on the ...
if he would take the Oath of Supremacy
The Oath of Supremacy required any person taking public or church office in the Kingdom of England, or in its subordinate Kingdom of Ireland, to swear allegiance to the monarch as Supreme Governor of the Church. Failure to do so was to be trea ...
and disclose all business of the Holy See
The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...
. The bishop replied that he could not barter his faith for life or honours. Bishop O'Hely also confessed that he belonged to the Franciscan Order and was the Bishop of Mayo. He explained that his reasons for returning to Ireland were purely religious and that his mission was always intended to be a peaceful one.
Drury responded, "And do you dare to defend the authority of the Pope against the laws of the Queen and Parliament?!"
O'Hely replied, "I repeat what I have said and I am ready if necessary to die for that sacred truth." Friar O'Rourke replied in the same strain.
Even though O'Hely had advised the Vatican to support the First Desmond Rebellion, to all questions from Drury about future plans by the Pope and King Philip II of Spain
Philip II (21 May 152713 September 1598), sometimes known in Spain as Philip the Prudent (), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from 1580, and King of Naples and List of Sicilian monarchs, Sicily from 1554 until his death in 1598. He ...
for invading Ireland he made no answer and, in response, he was delivered to torture.
According to Cardinal Patrick Francis Moran
Patrick Francis Moran (16 September 183016 August 1911) was a prelate of the Catholic Church and the third Archbishop of Sydney and the first cardinal appointed from Australia.
Early life
Moran was born at Leighlinbridge, County Carlow, Irel ...
, "These orders from Drury were executed with an uncommon degree of barbarity. The two prisoners were first placed on the rack, their arms and feet were beaten with hammers, so that their thigh bones were broken and sharp iron points and needles were cruelly thrust under their nails, which caused an extreme agony of suffering."
According to Cardinal William Allen, the Elizabethan era
The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The Roman symbol of Britannia (a female ...
English use of torture by the driving of needles and spikes under the finger- and toenails was, "one torment that people in Spain imagine to be that which will be worked by the Antichrist
In Christian eschatology, Antichrist (or in broader eschatology, Anti-Messiah) refers to a kind of entity prophesied by the Bible to oppose Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ and falsely substitute themselves as a savior in Christ's place before ...
as the most dreadfully cruel of them all." The Cardinal further explained that whenever a Recusant or Catholic priest would not "confess" or take the Oath of Supremacy
The Oath of Supremacy required any person taking public or church office in the Kingdom of England, or in its subordinate Kingdom of Ireland, to swear allegiance to the monarch as Supreme Governor of the Church. Failure to do so was to be trea ...
under other forms of torture, the iron spikes would be used, "so that the nails of their fingers and toes were turned back."
Cardinal Moran continues, however, "For a considerable time they were subjected to these tortures, which the holy confessors bore patiently for the love of Christ, mutually exhorting one another to constancy and perseverance."
Also according to Cardinal Moran, "When the martyr-prelate was being hurried to execution, he turned to Drury, and warned him that before many days he himself should appear before the tribunal of God to answer for his crimes."
Bishop O'Hely and Friar Conn O'Ruairc were hanged from a tree just outside the gates of Kilmallock on 22nd/31rd August 1579. Their bodies were left suspended from this improvised gallows for fourteen days, during which both bodies were used for target practice by the local military garrison of the Tudor Army. Patrick O'Hely was the first Bishop of the Catholic Church in Ireland
The Catholic Church in Ireland, or Irish Catholic Church, is part of the worldwide Catholic Church in communion with the Holy See. With 3.5 million members (in the Republic of Ireland), it is the largest Christian church in Ireland. In ...
to be executed following Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...
's break with Rome.
Cardinal Moran writes of Drury, however, "On the fourteenth day after, this unhappy man expired in great agony, at Waterford
Waterford ( ) is a City status in Ireland, city in County Waterford in the South-East Region, Ireland, south-east of Ireland. It is located within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster. The city is situated at the head of Waterford H ...
, of a distemper that baffled every remedy." Drury Lane
Drury Lane is a street on the boundary between the Covent Garden and Holborn areas of London, running between Aldwych and High Holborn. The northern part is in the borough of London Borough of Camden, Camden and the southern part in the City o ...
in London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
is still named in his honour.
Despite his own role in their arrest, the Rebel Earl of Desmond arranged for both Franciscans' bodies to be buried in the monastery Church of their Order in Clonmel
Clonmel () is the county town and largest settlement of County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The town is noted in Irish history for its resistance to the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, Cromwellian army which sacked the towns of Dro ...
, County Tipperary
County Tipperary () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary (tow ...
. In 1647, the relics were re-exhumed and solemnly reburied alongside the bodies of the Earls of Desmond at Askeaton Abbey, County Limerick
County Limerick () is a western Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Reg ...
.
Legacy
The torture and martyrdom of Bishop O'Hely and Friar Conn remains highly significant as a contributing cause for the Nine Years War
The Nine Years' War was a European great power conflict from 1688 to 1697 between France and the Grand Alliance. Although largely concentrated in Europe, fighting spread to colonial possessions in the Americas, India, and West Africa. Relat ...
, which formally began when Red Hugh O'Donnell
Hugh Roe O'Donnell II (; 20 October 1572 – 30 August 1602), also known as Red Hugh O'Donnell, was an Irish Chief of the Name, clan chief and senior leader of the Irish confederacy during the Nine Years' War (Ireland), Nine Years' War. He was ...
expelled English High Sheriff of Donegal
The High Sheriff of Donegal was the British Crown's judicial representative in County Donegal in Ulster, Ireland, from the late 16th century until 1922, when the office was abolished in the new Irish Free State and replaced by the office of Donega ...
Humphrey Willis. According to Philip O'Sullivan Beare, "Being surrounded there illissurrendered to Roe by whom he was dismissed in safety with an injunction to remember his words, that the Queen and her officers were dealing unjustly with the Irish; that the Catholic religion was contaminated by impiety; that holy bishops and priests were inhumanely and barbarously tortured; that Catholic noblemen were cruelly imprisoned and ruined; that wrong was deemed right; that he himself had been treacherously and perfidiously kidnapped; and that for these reasons he would neither give tribute or allegiance to the English."
In September 1992, Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005.
In his you ...
beatified O'Rouke and O'Hely alongside 15 other Irish Catholic Martyrs.[ Edited by Patrick J. Cornish and Benignus Millet (2005), ''The Irish Martyrs'', Four Courts Press, Dublin. Pages 19-31.]
References
Sources
*
External links
O'Healy, Patrick
Dictionary of Irish Biography
The ''Dictionary of Irish Biography'' (DIB) is a biographical dictionary of notable Irish people and people not born in the country who had notable careers in Ireland, including both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
History
The ...
O'Rourke, Conn
Dictionary of Irish Biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ohely, Patrick
1579 deaths
People of Elizabethan Ireland
People executed under Elizabeth I as Queen of Ireland
People from Dromahair
Irish Franciscans
Franciscan martyrs
Franciscan beatified people
Franciscan saints
Roman Catholic archbishops of Tuam
Irish beatified people
Executed Irish people
People executed by the Kingdom of Ireland by hanging
Victims of anti-Catholic violence in Ireland
16th-century Irish bishops
16th-century Roman Catholic martyrs
16th-century venerated Christians
University of Alcalá alumni
Year of birth unknown
Bishops of Tuam or Killala or of Achonry
Bishops of Mayo
24 Irish Catholic Martyrs
Executed people from County Leitrim