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FOREWORD

From the 7th to the 10th century, many monks and missionaries left Irelandfor mainland Europe and kept the faith alive on that continent during itsdark ages, when Barbarian invasions from the East resulted in the break-upof the Roman Empire. Most of these missionaries never returned to theirhomeland but endured a lifelong exile known as ‘white martyrdom’.

From the 1570s to the 1680s the Church in Ireland experienced periods ofviolent persecution that were in intensity, on a par with what the earlyChristians suffered at the hands of the Roman Empire. Nevertheless manypriests returned to Ireland during this period from the continent where theyhad been formed and educated. Together with people from all social classes,clergy and laity they kept the Faith alive in Ireland by shedding their bloodin what was a ‘red martyrdom’.

Tertullian said: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of faith”. In Europe,populations tended to adopt the state religion over time.In Ireland however, the vast majority of the population did not do so butremained steadfast in their faith. The witness of the martyrs must surelyhave helped to sustain the Faith in Ireland during this period. What is more,in the face of terrible injustices, these martyrs are witnesses to the power offorgiveness and love, which records often show, they freely gave theirpersecutors.

When the early Church received the freedom to worship it promoted andremembered the martyrs, adding their names to the liturgy, celebrating theirfeast days and building shrines and churches where they were buried.Unfortunately commemoration of the Irish martyrs was largely neglected.

This annual novena (see leaflet) seeks to re ignite interest in those martyrsalready honoured by the Church and also to promote the cause of the manyyet to be beatified. We, in the name of Our Lord and King, Jesus Christ,Prince of Peace and Divine Mercy, pray for forgiveness for all past hatredsand profound hurts scarring men, women and children resulting from anyviolence, abuse or apathy on this island and we offer this novena/prayer-walk for full healing and reconciliation.

“Glory be to Him, Whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more thanwe can ask or imagine, glory be to Him, from generation to generation inthe Church and in Christ Jesus forever. Amen.” Eph.3:20-21.

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But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God,and no torment will ever touch them.

In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died,and their departure was thought to be an affliction,and their going from us to be their destruction;

but they are at peace.Wisdom 3: 1-3

Bishop Patrick Healy and Fr. Conn O’ Rourke

Fr. Conn O’ Rourke was born in 1549 in Breifne of a noble family.He joined the Franciscan monastery in Dromahaire which hisgrandparents helped found and was sent to Europe for study, where hemet Bishop Patrick Healy.

Bishop Healy, one of the first bishops martyred in penal times, was bornc. 1543, became a Franciscan priest and was educated in Spain where hestood out as a brilliant academic. In 1562 he travelled to Rome and wasappointed as Bishop of Mayo there in 1576. Following time in Spain andFrance, he and Fr. Conn O’ Rourke left Brittany dressed as mariners andlanded secretly in Smerwick Co. Kerry.

While travelling to Limerick they were betrayed and Mayor JamesGoold imprisoned them. Following a secret trial by martial law with noopportunity to speak and no jury, Bishop Healy was ordered to take theOath of Supremacy. Despite having sharp spines driven through fingersresulting in amputations and bribes of high office, he refused and wascondemned to death by hanging by Sir William Drury Lord Chief Justiceof Munster.Before death he addressed bystanders exhorting them to remain faithful.He was reported to have faced death joyfully and encouraged Fr. Connto face death likewise. With Fr. Conn O Rourke, he was publicly hangedat Kilmallock Co. Limerick on 13th August 1579, the corpses being ill-treated to intimidate the people. In executing them, the governmentbroke its own laws requiring two previous convictions for maintainingpapal authority and a trial by jury.

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He who loves father or mother more than meis not worthy of me; and he who loves son ordaughter more than me is not worthy of me;

and he who does not take his crossand follow me is not worthy of me.

He who finds his life will lose it, and he wholoses his life for my sake will find it.

Matt. 10 37-39

Matthew Lambert, Robert Myler, Edward Cheevers,Patrick Cavanagh and two unidentified sailors.

1579 in Ireland saw rebellion around the country, beginning with thelanding of James Fitzmaurice in Smerwick Co. Kerry on the 18th of July,to proclaim war for defence of the Faith against the State. Revolts againstthe Queen’s army occurred in Munster and patches of Leinster andConnaught.

In July 1580 Viscount Baltinglass of Leinster took up arms for the Popebut despite some gains in Wicklow, the Irish were defeated and he hadto flee for his life.

He eventually found refuge with Matthew Lambert who fed him and hischaplain Fr. Rogert Rochford and tried to arrange a safe passage forthem. They were betrayed however and with five sailors: Robert Myler,Edward Cheevers, Patrick Cavanagh and two unidentified others, werearrested, imprisoned and hanged, drawn and quartered in Wexford onthe 5th of July 1581, following torture.

At their trial, to all questions about matters of politics and religion,about the Pope and the Queen, Matthew Lambert gave the simpleanswer: “I am not a learned man, I am unable to debate with you, but Ican tell you this, I am a Catholic and I believe whatever Our HolyMother the Catholic Church believes.” The sailors too were tortured butprofessed their faith despite pleas from their families to retract.

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“Remember the word that I said to you,‘A servant is not greater than his master'If they persecuted me, they will persecuteyou; if they kept my word, they will keep

yours also.”

John 15:20

Bishop Dermot O’Hurley

He was born in 1530 in Emly Co. Tipperary into a well-off family. Hestudied at Louvain, and then taught as professor of philosophy andlaw in Rheims and Rome. Although a layman, in 1581 Pope GregoryXIII made him Archbishop of Cashel, a position vacant for threeyears.

He travelled to Ireland in 1583 and landed in Holmpatrick, Skerries,but his documents sent separately had been intercepted. He shelteredwith the Baron of Slane, where he was recognised. After Bishop O’Hurley left for Carrick-On-Suir, Slane was summonsed by Lord ChiefJustices Wallop and Loftus who threatened him. As a result Slanewrote to Bishop O’ Hurley urging him to return to extricate him fromcharges of treason which he did.

On arrival in early October 1583, he was imprisoned in Dublin Castle.His feet were placed in boots filled with oil and roasted over a firebut he never recanted. In order to secure the death penalty heunderwent trial by martial law. On the 20th of June 1584, he was takenearly to Hoggen Green (near St. Stephen’s Green) to be hanged insecret. However a group of archers up early to practise for acompetition, came upon the execution... His final words were: “I ama priest anointed and also a bishop, although unworthy of so sacreddignities and no cause could they find against me that might in theleast degree deserve the pains of death, but merely my function ofpriesthood, wherein they have proceeded against me in all pointscruelly contrary to their own laws.” His remains were buried in St.Kevin’s Park Camden Row which became a site of pilgrimage.

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Margaret Bermingham Ball

Born c. 1515, she married Bartholomew Ball of Balrothery at the age of15, a leading merchant, who became Bailiff and Mayor of Dublin in1553. She herself was well known for having established a school andfor giving frequent refuge to priests. A widow in 1568, she wasarrested in 1570 with a priest who had been saying Mass in her house.Through money and the influence of her son Nicholas (who laterbecame Lord Mayor and an M.P.) she was freed.

Conflict resulted when Walter her eldest converted to Protestantismand despite her attempts to influence him by inviting him to dinnerwith Catholic intellectuals, remained an avid promoter of his ownbeliefs.During his own time as Lord Mayor, he had Margaret arrested,dragged through the streets on a hurdle and thrown into prison whereshe remained for three years in harsh conditions until her deatharound 1584 aged about 70 years.

We are not discouraged; rather, although our outer self iswasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.For this momentary light affliction is producing for us aneternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we looknot to what is seen, but to what is unseen; for what is seen

is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal.

2 Corinthians 4: 16-186

Fr. Maurice MacKenraghty

He was born in Kilmallock living under the patronage of the Earl ofDesmond. However between 1569 to 1573 and 1579 to 1583, Munster wasdevastated by the 1st and 2nd Desmond wars. Desmond captured andsacked Youghal in November 1579 and Fr. Maurice was his chaplain untilhis capture on 17 September 1583. He was sent to prison in Clonmel fortwo years but his release was secured by a Mr. Victor White who askedthe chief jailor for permission to have the priest say Mass and hearconfessions on Holy Saturday night. The chief jailor however betrayedthem and the house was raided as he was about to say Mass. He escaped,but upon hearing Victor White was threatened with death, he sent word toWhite that he would surrender. White responded that he would prefer ‘tolose liberty and life’ rather than that the priest should die. But Fr.MacKenraghty gave himself up.

He was repeatedly asked to renounce the Catholic faith, acknowledge theQueen and name names of those who had attended the sacraments. Onsentence of death, he advised bystanders to be obedient to the Pope. Hewas executed under martial law, with no jury. On the 20th of April 1585, hewas hanged, drawn and beheaded, his head exposed in a prominent place.keenness of Your justice, and

I consider everything as a loss because ofthe supreme advantage of knowing myLord and Saviour Jesus Christ. ForHim, I have accepted the loss of allthings and I consider them so muchrubbish, that I may gain Christ and befound in Him…., depending on faith toknow Him and the power of hisresurrection and the sharing of Hissufferings by being conformed to Hisdeath, if somehow I may attain theresurrection from the dead

Philippians 3: 8-9a, 9c-11 7

Br. Dominic Collins

Br. Dominic Collins was born in Youghal Co. Cork in 1566. In 1586, hemoved to France where he had a successful military career, notablyrefusing a large bribe from Henry of Navarre to return a capturedchateau to the Huguenots.After moving to Spain he met Fr Thomas White S.J. and in 1598 at 32years of age, joined the novitiate of the Society of Jesus. During aplague when many were dying he stayed to nurse colleagues puttinghis own life at risk though others reportedly fled.Following that he was appointed to accompany Fr. James Archer withthe Spanish fleet dispatched by the Spanish King in 1601 to assist theembattled northern earls O’ Neill and O’ Donnell in their fightingagainst the Crown’s forces. After the disastrous defeat of Kinsale,Collins accompanied the Gaelic chieftain O’ Sullivan Beare to hisstronghold in Dunboy. There in June 1602 a siege resulted in all beingexecuted except Collins who was transferred to Cork prison. It isthought that he was kept alive in the hope that his military prowesswould be used against the local resistance. He was exhorted torenounce the faith and his vocation but refused despite torture andoffers of high ecclesiastical office.On October 31st, he was marched through the streets and hanged atYoughal. He spoke so eloquently that the hangman refused to do hiswork and a poor fisherman was dragooned. His last words were thathe had come to Ireland to preach the catholic faith.

The message of the cross isfoolishness to those who areperishing but to us who are beingsaved it is the power of God.

1 Cor 1: 18

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The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we arechildren of God and if children then heirs, heirs of Godand joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so

that we may also be glorified with him.

Romans: 8: 16-17

Bishop Conor O’ Devany

He was born in Raphoe c. 1532. He became a Franciscan and wasappointed Bishop of Down and Connor on the 27th of April 1582. By1587, the Dublin government had extended its authority all overIreland and was exerting increasing pressure on Ulster. In 1588Bishop O’Devany was captured and imprisoned during thedeputyship of Sir John Perrot. At the beginning of his time in prisonhe was in danger of death from hunger and thirst and was savedonly by the charity of fellow prisoners. He petitioned to be releasedin November 1590, which petition was granted probably becausePerrot was himself found guilty of treason and died in the Tower ofLondon. He was released on the 16th of November 1590 by Perrot’sarch enemy Lord Chief Justice Loftus.

The King in 1611 commanded that “there must be a uniform orderset down for the suppression of papistry”. It was then suggested thatit would be well if some titular bishops could be punished in anexemplary manner, provided it could be made clear that they werenot being punished for strictly religious activities.

His final capture and imprisonment came in early 1611. At his triallater in 1612, now 80 years of age, Bishop O’ Devany was accused ofhaving assisted Hugh O’Neill in his treason which resulted in thebattle of Kinsale. However there is evidence against this.

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Fr. Patrick O’Loughran

Born c.1577. He was chaplain to Gaelic chieftain Hugh O’Neill’shousehold and participated in the flight of the earls following thedefeat at Kinsale. He spent time studying in Rome and Douai. On hisreturn to Ireland in 1611 he was immediately arrested and freelyadmitted to being a priest. He was imprisoned in Dublin and triedwith Bishop O’Devany though there is no evidence that they had evenmet before.On the 1st of February 1612, the bishop and priest were drawn on cartsto George’s Hill. A crowd of several thousand witnessed the executionof the two. The old bishop was now nearly 80 years of age. Right up tothe time of execution offers of pardon and preferment were made ifonly the prisoners would take the Oath of Supremacy but theyrefused. Bishop O’Devany blessed the public and exhorted them to beconstant in the Catholic faith. The purpose of the executions had beento intimidate the population. However five days after the executions,Lord Deputy Chichester reported to London:“how a titular bishop and a priest, being lately executed here fortreason, are thought martyrs and adored for saints.”Ironically the executions planned to frighten the Catholic population,stiffened its resolve particularly among the old English andparadoxically united the old Irish and old English.

Into thy hands I commit my spirit;thou hast redeemedme, O LORD, faithful God.Thou hatest those who pay regardto vain idols; but Itrust in the LORD.I will rejoice and be glad for thysteadfast love.

Psalm 31: 5-7a

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Francis Taylor

He was born c. 1550 in Swords Co. Dublin into an important family andmarried well. He was active in civic roles in Dublin for 27 years beforehis death. He was a well-known protector of priests. In 1595 he waselected as Mayor of Dublin. Arrested after a controversialparliamentary election, he never recanted his faith or took the Oath ofSupremacy. There is no record of a trial. He died on 30th of January 1621in prison after 7 years in harsh conditions.

Fr. Peter Higgins

He was born in Dublin about 1600. By 1627 he was living in Spain andprobably returned to Ireland to become Dominican Prior of Naas inthe 1630s. During the rebellion of 1641, Fr. Higgins made efforts torestrain the violent and he sheltered the homeless. He intervened tosave the Protestant rector of Donadea, William Pilsworth, who wasabout to be put to the gallows by Catholics and rebuked them for theirunchristian behaviour.

In January 1642 the Earl of Ormond mobilised a Protestant force inDublin to strike back at Catholics. Among those taken into custodywas Fr. Higgins whom Ormond tried to save by presenting petitionsfrom at least 20 Protestants who had known Higgins, urging that hislife be spared. However Sir Charles Coote had him executed withouttrial.

At the gallows, Fr. Higgins was offered a chance to deny his faith, butdeclined saying: "I die a Catholic and a Dominican priest. I forgivefrom my heart all who have conspired to bring about my death. Deogratias."

Among the crowd Reverend Pillsworth tried to intervene crying out:"This man is innocent, this man is innocent. He saved my life." Hiswords fell on deaf ears. On the morning of 23rd March 1642, Fr. PeterHiggins was hanged from a gallows reputedly at George’s Hill inDublin.

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Bishop Terence Albert O'Brien,Dominican

Terence O'Brien was born into a well-off family near Cappamore,Limerick in 1601. He became a Dominican in 1621 taking the nameAlbert and studied in Toledo, Spain, where he was ordained in 1627.Returning to Ireland, he became the Provincial of the Irish province in1643. He attended the general chapter of his order in Rome in 1644where he made known the martyrdom of Father Peter Higginsmentioned above. On his way home while in Portugal, he learned ofhis appointment as co-adjutor to the ailing Bishop of Emly in 1648.

In 1649 the parliamentarians under Cromwell abolished the monarchyand Cromwell wreaked havoc in Ireland. During the siege of Limerickin 1651, Ireton the attacking general had made it clear that Catholicismwould not be tolerated after the city fell. Bishop O'Brien, who hadencouraged citizens to resist, was captured as he tended the sick in theplague house. Tried by court-martial, he was condemned to death. Ashe went to the gallows, he spoke to the people: "Do not weep for me,but pray that being firm and unbroken in this torment of death, I mayhappily finish my course." After his death by strangulation his bodywas left hanging for three hours and treated with indignity by thesoldiers. They cut off his head and spiked it on the river gate. His bodywas buried near the old Dominican priory of Limerick in the groundsof St Mary's Convent of Mercy.

O LORD, who shall sojourn in thy tent?Who shall dwell on thy holy hill?He who walks blamelessly, and does what isright, and speaks truth from his heart;who does not slander with his tongue,and does no evil to his friend,nor takes up a reproach against his neighbour

Psalm 15: 1-3

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Fr. John Kearney, Franciscan

John Kearney was born in Cashel in 1619 of a prominent Catholicfamily. Ordained a priest in 1642 after his studies in Louvain, he wascaptured on his return to Ireland, but managed to escape. Heministered as a priest first in Cashel and later in Waterford. In 1653he was captured again, taken to Clonmel and charged withfunctioning as a priest in defiance of the law. Witnesses testified thathe had celebrated and administered the sacraments. He was hangedon the 11th March 1653.

Fr. William Tirry

Fr. William Tirry was born in Cork in 1608 into a prominentmerchant family. He joined the Augustinians in 1627 studying inParis and Brussels.He returned to Cork in the 1630s where he was chaplain to his uncle,the Bishop of Cork and Cloyne. He was captured in Fethard inCounty Tipperary in the house of a relative Mrs. Amy Everardwhere he had spent several years hiding in seclusion although heused to receive people. He had just vested for Mass on 25th of Marchon Holy Saturday 1654, when the soldiers entered the house andtook him under armed escort to Clonmel. From a number ofaccounts at the time he was noted for his saintliness before andduring the trial.He was executed on the 2nd of May 1654 by hanging in MarketSquare Clonmel exhorting the people to faithfulness and to belief inthe real presence in the Blessed Sacrament.

And they have conquered him by the blood of theLamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved

not their lives even unto death...Revelation 12:11

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Oliver Plunkett was born 1st Nov 1625 of a noble Irish family inOldcastle Co. Meath. He went to Rome, where he was a student of theIrish College. He stayed on in Rome as Professor of Theology from 1647-1669 because of the oppression in Ireland, during which time his ownfamily was dispossessed of their land. He finally returned to Ireland in1670 where in his 10 years as Archbishop he had two periods on the run.However he still actively reformed the Irish Church in which theEpiscopal presence had been practically non-existent duringCromwellian times.He was betrayed by some of his own to agents of the State who borefalse witness against him but he forgave his persecutors. In his finalletter, he wrote:“I am as innocent of all treason as the child born yesterday... so Godforgive them and I do forgive all who had a hand directly or indirectlyin my death and in my innocent blood.”On July 1st 1681 he was dragged the 2miles from Newgate prison toTyburn.He was hanged, drawn and quartered. Some of his remains were savedand his head is now kept in St. Peter’s Church, Drogheda. He wasbeatified by Benedict XV in 1920. In 1975, he was canonised a saint byPope Paul VI.

St. Oliver Plunkett, Archbishop of Armagh

Born 1625 Martyred 1st July 1681

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John Roche,

Blessed John Roche, a boatman, died at Tyburn on 30th of August 1588for helping Blessed Margaret Ward, a gentle-woman, to help a priestescape. She had visited in the Bridewell prison, Fr. Richard Watson, asecular priest and had smuggled him a rope, but in making use of it toescape, he had fallen and broken an arm and a leg. He was gotten awayby Margaret's young Irish serving-man, John Roche, who, to assist thepriest's escape, changed clothes with him and so, was himself arrested.When charged, both Blessed Margaret and Blessed John refused todisclose his whereabouts. So they were condemned. "Their feast day isAugust 28.

John Carey, Patrick Salmon and Fr. JohnCornelius

Blessed Fr. John Cornelius was born in Bodmin Cornwall, of Irishparents and graduated from Oxford. He was ordained a seminary prieston the Continent and became a Jesuit. He was sent as a missionary toEngland and laboured there for nearly ten years. He practisedmortification, was devoted to meditation, and showed much zeal in theministry. While acting as chaplain to Lady Arundell, he was arrested on24 April, 1594, at Chideock Castle, by the sheriff of Dorsetshire. ThomasBosgrave, a relative of the Arundell family, met them and offered Fr.John his own hat, as the priest had been dragged out bareheaded (as asign of disrespect). Thereupon Bosgrave was also arrested. Two servantsof the castle, Blesseds John (or Terence) Carey and Patrick Salmon,natives of Dublin, shared the same fate on 4th July 1594 and together thefour are known as the Dorchester martyrs.

BEATIFIED IRISHMARTYRSWHODIEDABROAD

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Fr. Ralph Corby (Corbington)

Blessed Ralph Corby (Corbington): He was born of English parents on25th March 1598 and spent his early years in Maynooth Co. Kildarewhere his father was employed by the Countess of Kildare. The familymoved back to his father’s native place in Durham. All members of thefamily took vows including his parents. After harassment, he moved toSaint Omer in France and later in Spain. He was ordained a seminarypriest and then joined the Jesuits in 1631. He returned to England tominister to the covert English Catholics in Durham. He was arrestedwith his friend Fr. John Duckett. A reprieve was apparently won forhim, however he refused it as he felt Fr. Duckett was the younger manbut Fr. Duckett refused wishing him to accept. They died together inTyburn 7th Sept 1644 in middle of English civil war when theparliamentarians put them to death, being hanged, drawn and quarteredand their bodies burned to avoid relics being taken.

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shallbe no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying norpain any more, for the former things have passed away.

Rev 21:4

Fr. Charles Mihan (Meehan)

Blessed Charles Mihan (Meehan): a Franciscan left Ireland for theContinent due to persecution and spent some time there. Ontravelling back to Ireland, he was shipwrecked in Wales. He said:“Now God Almighty is pleased I should suffer martyrdom, his HolyName be praised, since I die for my religion. But you have no Right toput me to death in this Country, though I confessed myself to be apriest, for you seized me as I was going to my native country Ireland,being driven at Sea on this Coast, for I never used my function inEngland before I was taken, however God forgive you, as I do andshall always pray for you, especially for those that were so good tome in my distress, I pray God bless our King, and defend him from hisenemies, and convert him to the Holy Catholic Faith, Amen.” He wastried and hanged, drawn and quartered at Ruthin on 12th of August1679.

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Litany to the martyred saints of Ireland:

Lord, have mercy, Lord have mercy on us.Christ, have mercy, Christ have mercy on us.Lord, have mercy,. Lord have mercy on us.Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.

The refrain is: Have mercy on us.God, the Father of Heaven: have mercy on us.God the Son, Redeemer of the world: ,, ,, ,,God the Holy ghost, Sanctifier of the Elect: ,, ,, ,,Holy Trinity, one God, ,, ,, ,,

The refrain is: Pray for us.

Holy Mary, Queen of Ireland:Holy Mary, Queen of saints and martyrs:Holy Angels, Guardians of Ireland:Glorious St. Patrick, Apostle of Ireland:St. Brigid, Muire na nGael:St. Columba, Saint of the Eucharist, pray for us:

St. Oliver Plunkett: Archbishop of Armagh, primate of all Ireland:Model for Irish laity, priests and bishops:Whose heart was on fire with zeal for God:Who openly risked death by returning home:Peacemaker and reconciler in disputes:Who reformed the Irish Church:Who forgave his betrayers and persecutors:Who laid down his life for his flock:Hanged, drawn and quartered, at Tyburn:

Blessed Dermot Hurley: Archbishop of Cashel:Who exchanged a brilliant academic career for a life on the run:Who sacrificed himself to save his host: Baron Flemming of Slane:Tortured by burning rather than deny his faith:Who refused all bribes or temptations of high office:Who proclaimed his innocence from the gallows:

Blessed Conor O’Devany: Bishop of Down and Connor:Who applied the reforms of Council of Trent over 30 years of oppression,Who endured starvation in prison to the point of near death:Who stayed when his protectors left in the ‘Flight of the Earls’:Who at 80 years of age, refused pardon and bribes to spare his life:Who at the gallows encouraged everyone to keep the Faith:

Bishop Patrick Healy: Bishop of Mayo and Franciscan priest:Who was betrayed, tortured and tried in secret.:Who refused enticements and bribes of high office:Who exhorted bystanders at his hanging to remain faithful.Who encouraged and supported Fr. Conn O’Rourke before death.

Bishop Albert Terence O Brien:Bishop of Emly, Provincial, Dominican priest:Who stayed with the people of Limerick during its siege:Who was captured attending to the sick:Who endured death by strangulation at Gallow’s Green in Limerick:

Fr.s MacKenraghty, Kearney and Tirry: Three martyrs of Clonmel:Imprisoned and executed for celebrating the SacramentsWhere vocations surged after their deaths:

Fr. Peter Higgins, Dominican Priest:Who protected protestant settlers from catholic attacks:Who saved Rev.William Pilsworth from lynching by a Catholic mob:Who rebuked catholics who were attacking protestants,Whom Rev. Pilsworth and many protestants tried to save from hanging:Who arrested without trial, forgave his executioners and joyfully praisedGod at the gallows:

Fr. Patrick O’ Loughran: Chaplain to Hugh O Neill’s household:Who returned to Ireland after the Flight of the Earls,Who freely on arrest admitted to being a priest and was executed withArchbishop O’Devaney at George’s Hill.

Br. Dominic Collins: Jesuit scholasticWho exchanged success in the military for service to God,Who stayed nursing the sick when others fled the plague,Who was kept alive by the Crown to serve them militarily,Who refused to renounce his vocation under torture,Publicly hanged at Youghal Co. Cork,

Margaret Ball: (laywoman, mother, wife)Defender and protector of priests:Arrested by her son Walter, Lord Mayor of Dublin,Dragged publicly to Dublin Castle on a hurdle and died aged 70 in prison,

Francis Taylor: Lord Mayor of Dublin: Defender and protector of priests:Imprisoned without trial,Who refused to take the Oath of Supremacy,Who died after seven years in prison,

Matthew Lambert, (baker) Robert Myler, Patrick Cavanagh, EdmundCheevers and two unknown sailors : Martyrs of Wexford)Who attempted to arrange safe passage for a priest,Who were arrested and publicly defended their faith,Tortured hanged drawn and quartered in Wexford:

Closing Prayer:

Lord be with us as we pray for Ireland through the intercession of hersaints and martyrs, who laid down their lives for You and Your people. Webeg you again for the gift of peace and true reconciliation in Ireland andthank you for the courage of all peacemakers past and present.

Grant that through their merits and prayers we may be a living Church aswitnessed by the way we live our lives, by restoring all things in Christ. Wepray for all those hurt or abused in this country, that they may receiveyour profoundly healing touch. Pour out Your Spirit on your people, yourclergy and laity in a new Pentecost. Lord may we never abandon You butdefend the Faith of our Fathers with love, as did the martyrs before us.Amen. Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be.

Published by C&R Print 053 9235295

With special thanks to Monsignor John J. Hanly,postulator of the cause of the Irish martyrs andFr. Steven Redmond S.J. who has written on theDublin and Wexford martyrs in ‘So Great aCloud’ , A record of Christian Witness.