John Lanigan (historian) facts for kids

John Lanigan (1758 – 7 July 1828) was an important Irish historian. He was born in County Tipperary, Ireland. He studied to become a priest at the Irish College in Rome. Later, he became a professor at the University of Pavia in Italy. There, he earned a special degree called a Doctor of Divinity.

When Napoleon's army took over the city, John Lanigan lost almost everything he owned. He had to return to Ireland with very little. It was hard for him to find a job as a priest. This was because some people thought he had ideas from a controversial religious movement called Jansenism. He eventually became a sub-librarian at the Royal Dublin Society. He also played a big part in Dublin's literary world.

Dr. Lanigan is best known for his huge and detailed book. It is called The Ecclesiastical History of Ireland. This important work was published in four volumes.

Early Life and Education

John Lanigan was born in 1758 in Cashel, County Tipperary, Ireland. He was the oldest of sixteen children. His parents were Thomas and Mary Anne Lanigan. His father worked as a schoolmaster. John learned a lot from his father. He also went to a private Protestant school in Cashel. At that time, Catholic schools were not allowed in Ireland.

John decided he wanted to become a priest. In 1776, when he was sixteen, he got a special scholarship. This allowed him to study at the Irish College at Rome. He traveled from Cork to London. There, a fellow traveler stole his money. Luckily, a kind priest helped him until he received more money from home. Then he could continue his journey to Rome.

Studies in Italy

In Italy, John Lanigan found inspiration from a scholar named Ludovico Antonio Muratori. He and his classmate, Charles O'Conor, joined a group called the Academy of Cortona. This group studied the ancient Etruscan culture. Cortona was also a place where a religious movement called Jansenism was popular. This movement was started by Cornelius Otto Jansen. He tried to reform the Catholic Church, but the Pope did not agree with his ideas.

John Lanigan was a very good student. He finished his studies quickly and became a priest. A supporter of Jansenism, Pietro Tamburini, advised him to leave Rome. So, John accepted a job as a professor. He taught church history and Hebrew at the University of Pavia. He worked there from 1789 to 1796. In 1786, he chose not to join a famous church meeting called the Synod of Pistoia.

In 1793, he published his book Institutionum biblicarum pars prima. This book was about the history of the Old and New Testaments. He had planned two more parts, but they were never written. On June 28, 1794, he earned his Doctor of Divinity degree from the University of Pavia.

Return to Ireland and Later Career

Two years later, Napoleon's army invaded Pavia. The city was attacked, and the university closed. John Lanigan had to leave so quickly that he left most of his belongings behind. He returned to Ireland, arriving in Cork with nothing. He asked the Bishop of Cork, Francis Moylan, for help. But the bishop did not help him. This was probably because the bishop thought John Lanigan had Jansenist ideas. This was due to his connections with Tamburini and other clergy in Pavia.

John had to walk to Cashel, where his family welcomed him. He tried to get a job as a priest in his home area, but it did not work out. So, he went to Dublin. There, he became an assistant priest at the old Francis Street Chapel. Soon after, he was offered a job as a professor at Maynooth College. This was thanks to the Archbishops of Armagh and Dublin. However, Bishop Moylan caused problems again. He wanted Lanigan to sign a special statement. This statement was used to check if French priests, who were seeking safety in Ireland, were truly Catholic. John Lanigan felt this was unfair and refused. He then resigned from the college.

Work at the Royal Dublin Society

With help from Charles Vallancey, John Lanigan found work at the Royal Dublin Society. He worked as a sub-editor. His tasks included translating, cataloging, and proof-reading. After a few years, he became an assistant librarian. It was here that he began working on his most famous book. It was called Ecclesiastical History of Ireland from the first introduction of Christianity among the Irish to the beginning of the thirteenth century. This book was finally published in 1822. It helped correct mistakes made by other writers about Irish church history. In his book, Lanigan also suggested that the Irish round towers were built by pagans, not Christians.

In 1807, he helped found the Gaelic Society of Dublin. This group was the first effort to save the Irish language. John Lanigan was very involved in Dublin's literary scene. He often wrote articles for newspapers. He supported equal rights for Catholics. He also strongly opposed the idea of the British King having a say in choosing Irish bishops. He sometimes wrote articles about church history for Dublin newspapers. He used the pen name "Ireneaus."

Later Years and Legacy

In 1813, John Lanigan's health began to get worse. He was given time off to go back to his home in Cashel. His sisters took care of him there. He got well enough to return to his work in Dublin. However, after a period of illness, he went to Dr. Harty's Asylum in Finglas, Dublin. He became a permanent patient there. Doctors said he had a gradual softening of the brain. Over the years, his body became very thin. His friend and former classmate, Charles O'Conor, also joined him at the asylum.

John Lanigan passed away on July 7, 1828, when he was about seventy years old. He was buried in the churchyard of Finglas Church nearby. Many years later, in 1861, people who admired his writings put up a cross in his memory. It had words written in both Latin and Irish. Long after his death, his important research for his History was truly valued.

Published Works

Besides his famous history book, John Lanigan also wrote other works:

• "De origine et progressu hermeneuticae sacre" (Pavia, 1789)
• "Saggio sulla maniera d'insegnare ai giovani ecclesiastici la scienza de' libri sacri" (Pavia). This book was written in strong and clear language.
• "The Present State ... of the Church of England and the Means of effecting a Reconciliation of the Churches". This was an introduction to another book called "Protestant Apology for the Roman Catholic Church" (Dublin, 1809).

He also helped prepare the first edition of the Breviary printed in Ireland. He edited Alban Butler's Meditations and Discourses, which came out in 1845.