Henry Ó Mealláin, O.F.M. (b. c. 1579; died after 1642) was an Irish

Irish people

The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...

 Franciscan friar, and sometime Guardian of the Franciscan Friars of Armagh

Armagh

Armagh is a large settlement in Northern Ireland, and the county town of County Armagh. It is a site of historical importance for both Celtic paganism and Christianity and is the seat, for both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland, of the Archbishop of Armagh...

.

Ó Mealláin was born in Dromiskin

Dromiskin

Dromiskin is a village and townland in County Louth, Ireland. It is situated 10 km south of Dundalk, about 1 km inland from the Irish Sea coast, and is located in one of Louth's most historical areas.-History:...

, County Louth

County Louth

County Louth is a county of Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Louth. Louth County Council is the local authority for the county...

, and educated at the Irish College of Salamanca

Salamanca

Salamanca is a city in western Spain, in the community of Castile and León. Because it is known for its beautiful buildings and urban environment, the Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. It is the most important university city in Spain and is known for its contributions to...

. He returned to Ireland in 1605 as a priest. In 1625 he was nominated for the see of Armagh, but Aodh Mac Aingil was chosen instead.

He has been mistaken as the author of Cín Lae Uí Mhealláin

Cín Lae Uí Mhealláin

Cín Lae Uí Mhealláin is an account of the Irish Confederate Wars written by Tarlach Ó Mealláin, OFM.Described as "an account of the progress of the Confederate war from the outbreck of rebellion in 1641 until February 1647" its text "reflected the Ulster Catholic point of view."-Description:The...

, which was written by his kinsman, Tarlach Ó Mealláin

Tarlach Ó Mealláin

Tarlach Ó Mealláin was an Irish Franciscan, author of Cín Lae Uí Mhealláin.-Origins and background:Ó Mealláin was of a Tír Eoghain ecclesiastical family who were the hereditary keepers of the Bell of Saint Patrick . They ruled an area known as An Mheallánacht, located between Slieve Gallon and...

. Tarlach attended a sermon preached by Henry at Carnteel

Carnteel

Carnteel is a hamlet and townland about 2 miles northeast of Aughnacloy in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.-References:...

 on the first Sunday of Lent

Lent

In the Christian tradition, Lent is the period of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer – through prayer, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial – for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and...

in 1642, and mentioned it in his Cín Lae, demonstrating that he and Henry were two different people.

Sources

• Charles Dillon: Cín Lae Uí Mhealláin, pp. 337–95 Tyrone:History and Society. ISBN 0906602 718
• Diarmaid Ó Doibhlin (2000): Tyrone's Gaelic Literary Legacy, pp. 414–17, op.cit.