Archbishop MacHale

Tuam Herald, November 15th 1930

This grand representative of the patriot priesthood of Ireland was one of the noblest of characters. He was born on the 6th of March 1791, at Tubbernafian, at the foot of Mount Naphin, the second highest mountain in Connaught on its eastern side, in the most romantic district of the County Mayo. He was the fifth child of his parents,Patrick MacHale and Mary Mulhern. He was seven years old when the French landed in Killala Bay in aid of the United Irishmen.

Having captured Ballina, and equipped 2,000 of the United Irishmen in French uniforms and given them muskets, General Humbert pushed on towards Castlebar, from which place he drove the British to Athlone, and the Archbishop often said that he remembered gazing upon them with wonder as they marched to that town past his father's cottage door. The priest of his father's parish gave a generous welcome, and some nourishment to a couple of French officers, who asked at his house for refreshment, for which act of national hospitality his Reverence was afterwards tried, condemned and duly hanged by order of a court martial presided over byLord John Brown.