John Kenyon (priest) facts for kids

John Kenyon (1812–1869) was an Irish Catholic priest and a strong supporter of Irish independence. He was a key figure in the Young Ireland movement and the Irish Confederation. Father Kenyon was known for his very strong political and religious beliefs. These views sometimes caused disagreements with his colleagues. He was even suspended from his church duties twice. Kenyon was especially known for disagreeing with the famous Irish political leader, Daniel O'Connell. Kenyon believed that using force might be necessary to achieve political goals. He also had unusual views on slavery, which we will learn about later.

Early Life and Priesthood

John Kenyon was born on May 1, 1812, in Limerick City, Ireland. His parents were Patrick Kenyon and Mary McMahon. His family lived comfortably because his father had a successful business. Many of his brothers and sisters also chose to enter religious life.

In 1829, John Kenyon began studying to become a priest at Maynooth Seminary. This was the same year that Catholic Emancipation happened, which gave Catholics more rights in Ireland. Six years later, he became a priest. He quickly became involved in politics. His first job as a priest was in Ennis, County Clare. Later, he moved to Silvermines, County Tipperary. There, he started a campaign to encourage people to 'Buy Irish' products. He also worked with the Temperance Movement, which encouraged people to drink less alcohol. In 1842, Father Kenyon moved to Templederry, where he lived for the rest of his life. When the Young Ireland group was formed that year, he was very interested in their ideas.

The Great Famine and Its Impact

The Great Famine was a terrible time in Ireland. Many people suffered and died from hunger and disease. Father Kenyon believed that the British government was to blame for the severity of the Famine. He even told his church members to teach their children to dislike everything British.

Despite his strong political views, Father Kenyon worked very hard to help people during the Famine. He was part of local relief groups that provided aid. He also started his own work project. He hired local people to build a wall around his property, giving them jobs and money during a difficult time. He also built a house called Chapel House during the Famine. Many important people visited Chapel House, including James Fintan Lalor, John Mitchel's family, and Thomas Francis Meagher.

Belief in Physical Force

It was quite unusual for a Catholic priest to support the idea of using force. However, Father Kenyon was ready to defend his beliefs. He wrote in a newspaper that no law, either from the government or the church, made bloodshed a crime. He pointed out that in the Bible, the Jewish people sometimes used force with God's direction.

He explained that the Fifth Commandment, "Thou shalt not kill," only meant that "unjust blood-shedding" was wrong. He also noted that there were soldiers among the first followers of Christ, and their faith was strong. Kenyon believed that Irish people had never gained political rights through peaceful means alone. He thought that the success of Catholic Emancipation was not just from peaceful talk. He felt it was also because people feared that physical force might be used if their demands were not met.

Disagreement with Daniel O'Connell

The terrible conditions of the Great Famine made Father Kenyon even more angry. He felt that the British government was not doing enough to help. He also became very critical of Daniel O'Connell, who was a major Irish political leader. Kenyon believed O'Connell was helping the government, not the Irish people.

He wrote that O'Connell's leadership had led Ireland to a terrible state. He said Ireland had become "a nation of beggars." Kenyon believed that a leader should always be honest and speak their mind, even if it caused problems. He thought a leader should use their reason and conscience. He felt that O'Connell lacked these qualities.

When O'Connell died in May 1847, Father Kenyon wrote to The Nation newspaper. He criticized the Young Irelanders for showing sympathy for O'Connell. He questioned how they could have criticized him just weeks before, then praise him after his death. Kenyon stated that O'Connell's death was not a loss for Ireland. He even said that O'Connell had been harming Ireland and that his death was "rather a gain than a loss."

Role in Young Ireland

Even though his criticism of O'Connell caused some trouble, Father Kenyon was very important to the Young Ireland movement. Many leaders of the Young Ireland group were Protestants or Presbyterians. This meant that the Catholic church leaders did not fully trust the group. Most Catholic clergy supported O'Connell. Father Kenyon, as a Catholic priest, was seen as the person who could win over the Catholic population to the Young Ireland cause.

When John Mitchel, another radical leader, was sent away in 1848, Kenyon quickly took his place as the most extreme voice in the party. He suggested that the Irish Confederation should become a secret society. This society would act like a government if there was a rebellion. His idea was accepted, and the Confederation was reorganized.

Father Kenyon's involvement in preparing for a rebellion worried his church leaders. In April 1848, he encouraged a crowd of ten thousand people in Templederry to arm themselves. Because of this, his bishop immediately suspended him from his church duties. He was told he had to choose between politics and the priesthood. They reached a compromise: he agreed not to join the rebellion unless he thought it had a good chance of success. However, he did not tell his friends in the Young Ireland movement about this condition. This caused a lot of misunderstanding and anger later.

A few weeks later, on July 27, the Young Irelanders gathered in Ballingarry. Leaders like William Smith O'Brien sent people to ask Father Kenyon to bring his men to join the fight. They hoped his leadership would spread the rebellion to other areas. But Kenyon refused. He said he would not get involved in a "bootless struggle," meaning a fight that had no chance of success. Later, he wrote in his church records: "This evening I have heard of a rebellion in South Tipperary under the leadership of William Smith O'Brien – may God speed it."

The Three Johns

Father Kenyon was part of an unusual group known as 'The Three Johns'. The other two were John Mitchel and John Martin. John Mitchel was a Presbyterian, and John Martin was also a Presbyterian. Father Kenyon was a Catholic priest. These three men came from different backgrounds but became close friends through the Young Ireland movement.

Their views were very similar. Mitchel and Kenyon were especially strong in their refusal to criticize slavery. This earned Kenyon the nickname "Slave tolerating priest from Tipperary." All three believed that using force was the way to achieve freedom for Ireland. After 1848, they met three times in Paris. Their last meeting was in 1866. A portrait was made of the "Three Johns" to mark the occasion. After Kenyon and Martin left, Mitchel felt sad. He said he believed he would never see Father Kenyon again. Within three years, Father Kenyon had passed away.

Views on Slavery

Father Kenyon was known as "the slave tolerating priest from Tipperary." This was because he consistently refused to speak out against slavery. His views became clear when the Irish Confederation was discussing whether to accept money donations from America. He believed that all donations should be accepted, no matter where they came from.

The issue came up because James Haughton, a Quaker and a strong supporter of peaceful change, insisted that the new organization should be against slavery. Haughton said he would "indignantly refuse the bloodstained contributions of American slaveholders."

However, Kenyon argued that refusing such money would be a mistake. He used an example: if a drowning person was offered help by someone they didn't like, would they refuse the help and choose to drown? He made it clear that he would accept the money to help repeal the union with Britain.

He refused to condemn slavery because he said the Bible did not condemn it, and the Catholic Church had never officially called it a crime. He pointed out that priests and bishops had owned slaves in the past. He compared American slavery to the difficult situation of the Irish people. He said that if slaveholders treated their slaves badly, it was no worse than how Irish people were treated by their English landlords. He believed that sending money back to American slaveholders was not a practical solution. He advised those who disagreed to focus on solving Ireland's problems first.