Life

Kirwan was born in the town of Galway

Galway

Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...

 to Matthew Kirwan and Juliana Lynch, both members of The Tribes of Galway. He was educated on the continent, returning to Ireland in 1614 to be ordained a priest. He returned to France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 the following year, becoming professor of philosophy at Dieppe

Dieppe, Seine-Maritime

Dieppe is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in France. In 1999, the population of the whole Dieppe urban area was 81,419.A port on the English Channel, famous for its scallops, and with a regular ferry service from the Gare Maritime to Newhaven in England, Dieppe also has a popular pebbled...

 in 1618.

He returned to Ireland during the 1620s serving as vicar-general from Archbishop Flaithri Ó Maolconaire of Tuam

Tuam

Tuam is a town in County Galway, Ireland. The name is pronounced choo-um . It is situated west of the midlands of Ireland, and north of Galway city.-History:...

. He returned to France in 1638, remaining at Caen

Caen

Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....

 for several years. He settled in Paris

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

, becoming a close friend of Vincent de Paul

Vincent de Paul

Vincent de Paul was a priest of the Catholic Church who became dedicated to serving the poor. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion. He was canonized in 1737....

.

He was consecrated Bishop of Killala

Bishop of Killala

The Bishop of Killala is an episcopal title which takes its name after the town of Killala in County Mayo, Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with other bishoprics.-History:...

 in May 1645 at the church of Saint Lazare, Paris; the ceremony was attended by thirteen bishops, fifteen abbots and thirty doctors of the Sorbonne

Sorbonne

The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...

. On his return to Ireland he joined the party of Rinuccini

Rinuccini

Rinuccini is a surname, and may refer to:*Giovanni Battista Rinuccini, an Italian archbishop.*Ottavio Rinuccini an Italian poet and librettist....

 against the Ormond

Ormond

-Places:* Ormond , an ancient kingdom in the Province of Munster* Ormond Beach, Florida, a city in Florida* Ormond-By-The-Sea, Florida, a city in Florida** Ormond Beach Middle School, a middle school located in the city of Ormond Beach...

 peace. When the war in Ireland was over he was left a fugitive and was compelled to return to France in 1655.