William Carrigan facts for kids
William Carrigan was an Irish priest and a very important historian. He lived from 1860 to 1924. He became a high-ranking priest, called a canon, in the Diocese of Ossory. He is best known for writing a huge history book about this area of Ireland.
Contents
William Carrigan's Early Life
William Carrigan was born in 1860 in Ballyfoyle, County Kilkenny. He was the youngest of 13 children in his family.
He went to school at Ballyfoyle National School. Later, he studied in Kilkenny City. He then went to St Kieran's College and St. Patrick's College, Maynooth.
In 1884, he became a priest. His first job was in Ballyragget. The local Bishop, Francis Moran, was also a historian. He started the Ossory Archaeological Society. Bishop Moran encouraged William's interest in history. William joined the society in 1884. His first history paper was published in 1886.
How Carrigan Wrote History
In the 1800s, many people became very interested in history. Other big history books about Kilkenny were published around this time. Priests often helped with these history projects.
William Carrigan was very keen on local history. The Bishop of Ossory, Dr Brownrigg, asked him to write a history of the Ossory area. The Bishop even paid for his travels and promised to buy copies of the finished book.
Carrigan traveled all over the Ossory area. He talked to older people for a long time. He wrote down their stories and local traditions. Thanks to him, we still know these old tales today.
He also read many old books and documents. He worked hard to sort out different stories that didn't agree. He spent all his holidays in Dublin's Public Records Office. There, he found lots of information about Ossory.
The History and Antiquities of Ossory
William Carrigan was 45 years old when he finished his main work. It was called The History and Antiquities of Ossory. This huge project took him six years to write, from 1897 to 1903.
The book has four large parts, called volumes. The first volume tells the overall history of the Ossory area. It covers ancient times, how Christianity arrived, and the stories of past Bishops and priests.
The other three volumes look closely at each parish in Ossory. He wrote about their buildings, churches, and castles. He also explained the names of towns and important families. He even included old tombstone writings.
Carrigan added many pictures to his book. He used early photography to show the places he wrote about. A company in Dublin printed the books. They had a lot of experience printing history books.
Many people, 738 in total, ordered the book before it was even finished. About 840 copies were sold. Sadly, 160 copies were lost in Dublin during the 1916 Rising. When the book came out, people liked it a lot. Even today, it is known for how much detail it has.
Later Life and Legacy
In 1907, the Pope gave Carrigan a special honor, making him a D.D. In 1911, he became the main priest, called a parish priest, in Durrow, County Laois.
He kept writing and collecting historical information. He planned to write another book, but it was never published. His writings that were not published are kept safe in the church archives at St Kieran's College.
Canon Carrigan passed away on December 12, 1924. He became sick with influenza.
See also
- Kingdom of Ossory
- Upper Ossory
