Patrick Duigenan facts for kids

Patrick Duigenan (1735–1816) was an important Irish lawyer and politician. He was born in County Leitrim, Ireland, to a Catholic farming family. His original family name was Ó Duibhgeannáin.

Thanks to a local Protestant clergyman who saw his potential, Patrick received a scholarship in 1756. This allowed him to study at Trinity College, Dublin, a famous university. After his studies, he became a "fellow," which means he was a senior member of the college. At some point, he changed his religion and became a member of the Anglican faith.

Becoming a Lawyer

Patrick Duigenan decided to study law. He trained at the Middle Temple in London, which is one of the places where lawyers learn their trade. In 1767, he officially became a lawyer in Ireland. He became very successful, especially in cases related to "tithes."

Tithes were payments that people had to make to the official church, the Church of Ireland. At that time, most people in Ireland were Roman Catholic, but they still had to pay these tithes to the Protestant church. This made tithes very unpopular. Even though Patrick was Anglican, he made sure his Catholic wife had a special chapel at home. He also arranged for a priest to hold Sunday Mass for her.

His Political Views

Patrick Duigenan is mostly remembered for his strong political opinions. He was a member of the Irish House of Commons, which was like the parliament for Ireland before it joined with Great Britain. He later became a Member of Parliament (MP) in the first Parliament of the United Kingdom.

He strongly disagreed with another famous Irish politician, Henry Grattan. Grattan wanted more rights for Catholics in Ireland. Duigenan, however, was against giving more rights to Catholics, a movement called "Catholic emancipation." He wrote pamphlets and spoke out against it in parliament.

Patrick Duigenan was a big supporter of the Act of Union. This act joined Ireland and Great Britain to form the United Kingdom in 1801. He was also appointed Grand Secretary of the Orange Order in 1801, a Protestant organization.

Life in Parliament

Patrick Duigenan represented different areas in parliament. From 1791 to 1798, he was an MP for Old Leighlin. Then, he represented Armagh Borough until 1801. After the Union, he became an MP for Armagh City in the new United Kingdom Parliament.

In 1808, he became a member of the Privy Counsel of Ireland. This was a group of important advisors to the King. He was a well-known person at Westminster, where the British Parliament meets, until he passed away on April 11, 1816.

Family Life

Patrick Duigenan was married twice. His first wife was Angelina Berry, whom he married around 1782. She was the daughter of Thomas Berry from Eglish Castle in King's County. His second marriage was on October 2, 1807, to Hester Watson. She was the widow of George Heppenstall, a solicitor for the Dublin police. Patrick Duigenan did not have any children from either marriage.

Images for kids

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  Patrick Duigenan.

See also

• Clan O Duibhgeannain