Henry S. J. Fitzsimon

Life
1566-1643; ed. Hart Hall, Oxon.; zealous Protestant, converted to Catholicism by Thomas Darbyshire; SJ in 1592; prof. of Philosophy at Douia, arrested on mission to Dublin in 1599; imprisoned five years; disputed with Ussher and others; Spain, Flanders and Rome; army chaplain in Boehmia, 1620; historian of the campain; returned Ireland 1630; involved in Rebellion of 1641; theological works. No DIB/W etc. ODNB

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References

Joep. Leerssen, Mere Irish & Fior Ghael (Amsterdam 1986): Jesuit Henry Fitzsimon, a Palesman, b. Dublin 1566, imprisoned 1599-1604, answered John Rider Protestant Dean of St. Patrick’s challenge to prove certain teachings from Catholic doctrine with ‘Brief collections from the Scriptures’, MS (1601); Rider answered with a printed pamphlet, A friendly caveat to Ireland’s Catholics, and at the next turn with Rescript. On the continent, Fitzsimon published A Catholike confutation of Mr John Rider’s claym to antiquitie, and a caulming comfort against his Caveat (Rouen 1608), with a ‘dedicatorie epistle’ to ‘the Catholickes of Ireland and of all Estates and Degrees’. Fitzsimon later issued Justification and exposition of the divine sacrifice of the masse, and of all rites and ceremonies therto belonging ([Douai] 1611), also against Rider. See Joseph Leerssen, Mere Irish & Fíor Ghael (1986), p.294.

Note: Leerssen also cites Fitzsimon, list of Irish saints, Catalogus aliquorum (or praecipuorum) sanctorum Hiberniae (Douai 1615; Liege 1619; Antwerp 1621); appeared also in O’Sullivan Beare’s Compendium (1621) and in Kilkenny born David Roth’s sive antiquioris Scotia vindiciae adversus immodestam parechasim Thomae Dempsteri, moderni Scoti, nuper editam (also 1621). [Ibid., 304-05]

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