Life
1730-1804; b. Dublin, Augustinian priest, ed. Louvain, ord. 1755; fnd. school, St. John’s Lane; served as Augustinian prior, Dublin, 1770-78 and 1803-04; Provincial Irish Augustinians, 1782-86; gained public fame over the case of Dr. Butler, the apostate Catholic bishop of Cork, when he was subpoena'd and imprisoned for refusing to reveal Dunboye’s
death-bed secrets, 1785; issued sermons and moral discourses, and popular devotional works incl. Manual of Catholic Piety (1788), which was reprinted as late as 1927. ODNB DIW DIB
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References
Brian Cleeve & Ann Brady, A Dictionary of Irish Writers [rev. 1 vol. edn.] (Dublin: Lilliput 1985), gives bio-data [as supra] and cites A Manual of Catholic Piety (1788, 1927); Compendious Abstract of the History of the Church of Christ (1793, NY 1871); ed. Bourdaloue SJ; Spiritual Retreat (Dublin 1801, 1893); the Manual was rep. with more than 50 eds in different countries for 150 years; Gahan
was involved in reorganising Catholic religious life after [Catholic] Relief (1760, [1773]).
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Notes
Dr. John Butler was Catholic bishop of Cork who succeeded to Barony of Dunboye under attainder in 1783, resigning his see to became a Protestant and afterwards marrying, though purportedly reconverting afterwards; William Gahan was prosecuted for refusing to reveal his death-bed confidences.
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