Arthur Price, Bishop of Cashel
Encyclopedia
Arthur Price was Church of Ireland
Archbishop of Cashel
from 1744 until his death. Previously he had been Church of Ireland
Bishop of Clonfert (1724–1730), Ferns and Leighlin
(1730–1734) and Meath
(1734–1744).
and Straffan
in the diocese of Dublin
and, from 1672, prebendary of Kildare
. Arthur Price entered Trinity College Dublin, on 2 April 1696, aged seventeen, and was elected a scholar in 1698. He graduated BA in 1700 and DD on 16 April 1724.
After taking holy orders he was successively curate of St Werburgh's Church, Dublin, and vicar of Celbridge, Feighcullen, and Ballybraine. His father’s friendship with William "Speaker" Conolly
(1662–1729) placed him in the way of the political patronage vital for advancement in the established church at the time.
Arthur became William Conolly's chaplain and was named prebendary of Donadea on 4 April 1705. Arthur was appointed canon and archdeacon of Kildare
on 19 June 1715. A few months later Conolly was elected as speaker of the Irish House of Commons
, confirming his position as chief undertaker now that the Whigs had returned to power in London. This was crucial for Price's future success. On 31 March 1721 Price became dean of Ferns and Leighlin. Two years later he received the benefice of Louth in Armagh.
He granted leases of some of the most valuable holdings to Price. In 1724 when Price was Dean of Ferns
, but on his way to further promotions, had a fine stone house erected close by the old house of his father in Oakley Park in the recently renamed Celbridge
.
At the time of Conolly’s ascendancy, as his speakership coincided with the Lord Lieutenancy of Charles Fitzroy, Duke of Grafton, Price was appointed to the see of Clonfert on 1 May 1724, a promotion that was described as “highly provocative” by the Irish chancellor, Alan Brodrick
(1st Viscount Midleton), a former friend of Conolly’s who resented Conolly's emergence as chief manager or ‘undertaker’ of the government's parliamentary business.
to help him expand the brewery, first in 1755 on a new site in Leixlip
and from 1759 in St James’s Gate in Dublin. Some of the blocked up doors from the original Price-Guinness brewery can still be seen on the perimeter walls of the Catholic Church forecourt in Celbridge
.
, where he had served as dean. On 2 February 1734 he was transferred to Meath
, "on account of his loyalty to George II
and his service to the House of Lords."
While bishop of Meath he began to build an Episcopal residence at Ardbraccan
to the design of Richard Castle
but he left the diocese before it was completed, and the house remained unfinished for 40 years with the Bishops living in one of the wings. Eventually it was completed in the 1770s by Bishop Henry Maxwell.
In May 1744 Dr Price succeeded Theophilus Bolton as archbishop of Cashel
. He overruled plans already in train to restore the old cathedral, claiming that it was incapable of being re-roofed despite advice to the contrary. Using political contacts in the Irish Privy Council on 10 July 1749 he got permission to build a new cathedral. In 1783 a new cathedral building was completed on the site of St John's. In the meantime, what remained of the Rock of Cashel
after Price had ordered its gutting and de-roofing, has become a primary tourist destination. Price's decision to remove the roof on what had been the jewel among Irish church buildings was criticised before and since.
In 1747 he was made vice-chancellor of Trinity College Dublin.
Price died in 1752 and was buried beneath the aisle of St Mary's church, Leixlip
, County Kildare
.
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
Archbishop of Cashel
Archbishop of Cashel
The Archbishop of Cashel is an archiepiscopal title which takes its name after the town of Cashel, County Tipperary in Ireland. The title is still in use in the Roman Catholic Church, but in the Church of Ireland it was downgraded to a bishopric in 1838....
from 1744 until his death. Previously he had been Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
Bishop of Clonfert (1724–1730), Ferns and Leighlin
Bishop of Ferns and Leighlin
The Bishop of Ferns and Leighlin was the Ordinary of the Church of Ireland diocese of Ferns and Leighlin in the Province of Dublin. The diocese comprised all of counties Wexford and Carlow and part of counties Wicklow and Laois in Ireland....
(1730–1734) and Meath
Bishop of Meath
The Bishop of Meath is an episcopal title which takes its name after the ancient Kingdom of Meath. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains as a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with another bishopric.-History:...
(1734–1744).
Childhood and patronage
Arthur was the son of Samuel Price, vicar of KildroughtCelbridge
Celbridge is a town and townland on the River Liffey in County Kildare, Ireland. It is west of Dublin. As a town within the Dublin Metropolitan Area and the Greater Dublin Area, it is located at the intersection of the R403 and R405 regional roads....
and Straffan
Straffan
Sruthán was mistakenly cited by Thomas O'Connor in the Ordnance Survey Letters in 1837, and adopted as the Irish form of Straffan. Seosamh Laoide used it in his list of Irish names of post-offices published in Post-Sheanchas . An Sruthán gained currency among those involved in the Irish revival...
in the diocese of Dublin
Diocese of Dublin and Glendalough
The United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough is a diocese of the Church of Ireland in the east of Ireland. It is headed by the Archbishop of Dublin who is also styled the Primate of Ireland...
and, from 1672, prebendary of Kildare
History of County Kildare
County Kildare, Ireland was first defined as a diocese in 1111, shired in 1297 and assumed its present borders in 1836. Its location in the Liffey basin on the main routes to the south and west meant it was a valuable possession and important theatre of events throughout Irish history.-Ancient...
. Arthur Price entered Trinity College Dublin, on 2 April 1696, aged seventeen, and was elected a scholar in 1698. He graduated BA in 1700 and DD on 16 April 1724.
After taking holy orders he was successively curate of St Werburgh's Church, Dublin, and vicar of Celbridge, Feighcullen, and Ballybraine. His father’s friendship with William "Speaker" Conolly
William Conolly
William Conolly , also known as Speaker Conolly, was an Irish politician, Commissioner of Revenue, lawyer and landowner.-Career:...
(1662–1729) placed him in the way of the political patronage vital for advancement in the established church at the time.
Arthur became William Conolly's chaplain and was named prebendary of Donadea on 4 April 1705. Arthur was appointed canon and archdeacon of Kildare
Kildare
-External links:*******...
on 19 June 1715. A few months later Conolly was elected as speaker of the Irish House of Commons
Irish House of Commons
The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland, that existed from 1297 until 1800. The upper house was the House of Lords...
, confirming his position as chief undertaker now that the Whigs had returned to power in London. This was crucial for Price's future success. On 31 March 1721 Price became dean of Ferns and Leighlin. Two years later he received the benefice of Louth in Armagh.
He granted leases of some of the most valuable holdings to Price. In 1724 when Price was Dean of Ferns
Ferns Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of St Edan is a cathedral of the Church of Ireland in Ferns, County Wexford in Ireland. It is in the ecclesiastical province of Dublin....
, but on his way to further promotions, had a fine stone house erected close by the old house of his father in Oakley Park in the recently renamed Celbridge
Celbridge
Celbridge is a town and townland on the River Liffey in County Kildare, Ireland. It is west of Dublin. As a town within the Dublin Metropolitan Area and the Greater Dublin Area, it is located at the intersection of the R403 and R405 regional roads....
.
At the time of Conolly’s ascendancy, as his speakership coincided with the Lord Lieutenancy of Charles Fitzroy, Duke of Grafton, Price was appointed to the see of Clonfert on 1 May 1724, a promotion that was described as “highly provocative” by the Irish chancellor, Alan Brodrick
Alan Brodrick, 1st Viscount Midleton
Alan Brodrick, 1st Viscount Midleton PC was an Irish lawyer and politician.-Background:He was the second son of Sir St John Brodrick of Ballyannan, near Midleton in County Cork, by his wife Alice , daughter of Laurence Clayton of Mallow, County Cork and sister of Colonel Randall Clayton M.P., of...
(1st Viscount Midleton), a former friend of Conolly’s who resented Conolly's emergence as chief manager or ‘undertaker’ of the government's parliamentary business.
Guinness connection
Price took over the Kildrought town brewery in 1722 and placed his land steward Richard Guinness in charge of production of "a brew of a very palatable nature". After his death in 1752, Dr Price's estate bequeathed £100 to Richard's son, the 27-year-old Arthur GuinnessArthur Guinness
Arthur Guinness was an Irish brewer and the founder of the Guinness brewery business and family.He was also an entrepreneur, visionary and philanthropist....
to help him expand the brewery, first in 1755 on a new site in Leixlip
Leixlip
-Politics:Since 1988 Leixlip has had a nine member Town Council , headed by a Cathaoirleach , which has control over many local matters, although it is limited in that it is not also a planning authority...
and from 1759 in St James’s Gate in Dublin. Some of the blocked up doors from the original Price-Guinness brewery can still be seen on the perimeter walls of the Catholic Church forecourt in Celbridge
Celbridge
Celbridge is a town and townland on the River Liffey in County Kildare, Ireland. It is west of Dublin. As a town within the Dublin Metropolitan Area and the Greater Dublin Area, it is located at the intersection of the R403 and R405 regional roads....
.
Four times a bishop
After Conolly’s death in 1729 Price was translated from Clonfert on 26 May 1730, to the see of Ferns and LeighlinBishop of Ferns and Leighlin
The Bishop of Ferns and Leighlin was the Ordinary of the Church of Ireland diocese of Ferns and Leighlin in the Province of Dublin. The diocese comprised all of counties Wexford and Carlow and part of counties Wicklow and Laois in Ireland....
, where he had served as dean. On 2 February 1734 he was transferred to Meath
Bishop of Meath
The Bishop of Meath is an episcopal title which takes its name after the ancient Kingdom of Meath. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains as a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with another bishopric.-History:...
, "on account of his loyalty to George II
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
and his service to the House of Lords."
While bishop of Meath he began to build an Episcopal residence at Ardbraccan
Ardbraccan
Ardbraccan is an ancient place of Christian worship in County Meath, Ireland. It is the location of the former residence of the Roman Catholic, then, after the Reformation, the Church of Ireland Bishop of Meath. It is located approximately 30 miles from Dublin.-Origins:Ardbraccan originated as a...
to the design of Richard Castle
Richard Castle
Richard Edgar "Rick" Castle is a fictional character portrayed by Nathan Fillion in the ABC crime series Castle.-Family life:...
but he left the diocese before it was completed, and the house remained unfinished for 40 years with the Bishops living in one of the wings. Eventually it was completed in the 1770s by Bishop Henry Maxwell.
Archbishopric and death
Archbishop of Cashel
The Archbishop of Cashel is an archiepiscopal title which takes its name after the town of Cashel, County Tipperary in Ireland. The title is still in use in the Roman Catholic Church, but in the Church of Ireland it was downgraded to a bishopric in 1838....
. He overruled plans already in train to restore the old cathedral, claiming that it was incapable of being re-roofed despite advice to the contrary. Using political contacts in the Irish Privy Council on 10 July 1749 he got permission to build a new cathedral. In 1783 a new cathedral building was completed on the site of St John's. In the meantime, what remained of the Rock of Cashel
Rock of Cashel
The Rock of Cashel , also known as Cashel of the Kings and St. Patrick's Rock, is a historic site in Ireland's province of Munster, located at Cashel, South Tipperary.-History:...
after Price had ordered its gutting and de-roofing, has become a primary tourist destination. Price's decision to remove the roof on what had been the jewel among Irish church buildings was criticised before and since.
In 1747 he was made vice-chancellor of Trinity College Dublin.
Price died in 1752 and was buried beneath the aisle of St Mary's church, Leixlip
Leixlip
-Politics:Since 1988 Leixlip has had a nine member Town Council , headed by a Cathaoirleach , which has control over many local matters, although it is limited in that it is not also a planning authority...
, County Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
.