Born: 1679, Dungarvan, County Waterford
Entered: 17 November 1698, Villagarcía, Galicia, Spain - Castellanae Province (CAST)
Ordained: 1707, Valladolid, Spain
Final Vows: 02 February 1716
Died: 03 October 1743, Dungarvan, County Waterford

Alias Roche
Mission Vice-Superior 14 August 1727-1773

Entries in old books show that he belonged to :
1723 New Ross Residence
1723-1726 Waterford Residence
1737 Named Rector of Poitiers
His will made in 1743 names him as PP of St Patrick and St Olav Waterford (Thrifts Irish Wills VOL III p 75)

◆ Fr Edmund Hogan SJ “Catalogica Chronologica” :
1727 Appointed Mission Superior - as appears by a letter of his to John Harrison 13 June 1727
1729 Sent to Irish College Poitiers by General Tamburini
1733-1734 He was sent to Salamanca (Irish Ecclesiastical Record)
1743 At the Waterford Residence

◆ Fr Francis Finegan SJ :
Son of John Daniel Kelly and Helena née Roche
1700-1707 After First Vows he studied Philosophy and Theology at St Ambrose, Valladolid where he was Ordained 1707
1707-1711 Teaching Humanities at Valladolid
1711-1714 Chair of Philosophy at Bilbao
1714-1715 Tertianship
1715-1718 He was sent back to his Chair of Philosophy at Bilbao
1718-1721 Chair of Theology at Coruña
1721 Sent to Ireland and Waterford Residence and was appointed (15 September 1725) Secretary and Assistant with right of succession to the Mission Superior Anthony Knoles
1727 On the death of Knoles (14 August 1727) he became Vice-Superior of the Irish Mission, and held this Office until 1773. By his prudent government he kept his subjects free from participation in the disputes then rife amongst Catholics. He received many applications to establish houses of the Society in places with old-time Jesuit associations but by reason of the lack of Jesuits he could not accede to the requests from Limerick and Galway. In the end he was able to open the Galway Residence.
At the request of the bishops in Ireland assembled at Dublin he was able to bring influence from abroad to prevent the renewal of religious persecution. While on Visitation as Mission Superior to the Irish Colleges on the Continent, he was able to bring their perilous financial situation to the attention of the General, and thanks to his painstaking work, his successor was able to bring financial negotiations to a successful conclusion.
He was very popular with the clergy and people of Waterford who prevented his return to Spain when he had been named rector of the Irish College, Salamanca.
He died as a result of an accident returning from a sick call 03 October 1743 Dungarvan

◆ James B Stephenson SJ The Irish Jesuits Vol 1 1962

Ignatius Kelly alias Roche (1727-1733)

Ignatius Daniel Kelly, generally known in Spain and Ireland as Ignatius Roche, was the son of John Daniel Kelly, of Dungarvan, and Helena Roche. He was born at Dungarvan on or about 15th June, 1679, and entered the Society at Villagarcia in Castile on 17th November, 1698. He studied philosophy for three years, and did a four years' course of theology in the College of St Ambrose at, Valladolid, ending in 1707; after which he taught grammar for three years, and acted as Minister for one. From 1711 to 1714 he was Professor of Philosophy at Bilbao, and after an interruption of a year of third probation, he resumed his Chair of Philosophy at Bilbao for another three years, during which he made his solemn profession of four vows on 7th February, 1716. Then, after teaching theology at Coruna for two years (1718-20), he returned to Ireland early in 1721, and was stationed at Waterford. Having been appointed Secretary and Assistant to Fr Knoles, with right of succession (15th September, 1725), he became Vice-Superior of the Mission when Fr Knoles died on 14th August, 1727, and continued as such till 1733. By his prudent counsels he kept the Society free from participation in the internecine disputes then rife among Catholics. He received many applications from various places to establish Residences of the Society, but the fewness of subjects prevented compliance. The Residence of Galway, however, was re-opened in the summer of 1731, the bishops of Ireland, assembled in Dublin, requested him to use his influence abroad to thwart the hopes of the heretics, which he did with such success that the danger was averted. In 1631-32* he made a Visitation of the Irish College of Poitiers to settle the confused financial relations between it and the Irish Mission. He appealed often to be relieved of the government of the Mission, but his petitions were not heard until 1733. His end was in keeping with his life. He met with an accident on his way back from a sick call to a poor woman, and died soon after at Waterford on 1st October, 1743.

*Addendum for 1631-32 read 1731-32

◆ James B Stephenson SJ Menologies 1973
Father Ignatius Kelly 1679-1743
Ignatius Kelly, generally known in Spain and Ireland as Ignatius Roche, was born in Dungarvan in 1679. As was usual in those days, he did all his studies in Spain, where he was received into the Society in 1698. He was Professor of Theology in Bilbao and Corunna.

Having returned to Ireland he was stationed at Waterford. He acted as Socius to Fr Knoles and became Vice-Superior on his death. The following extract from a letter of his to Fr John Harrison, Santiago, 13th June 1727, will give an idea of the conditions of the time, and the various devices used in correspondence to conceal identities :
“I have written to you several times asking for news of your health, which may the Lord preserve to you for many years. Here we are few and frail. Mr Knoles is incapable of doing anything unless suffer. Senor Tamburini has relieved him of the charge of this poor Mission, and has placed it on my shoulders, and I assure you I am tired of it.I am sorry that I cannot give you a formal Patent to Dom Andrew Lynch, who will be the bearer of this. His parents are very respectable, and his parents have the necessary qualities to become an apprentice in your factory”.
In spite of the poor account that Fr Kelly gave of the state of the Mission, he was able to reopen the Galway Residence in 1729.

In 1733 he was relieved of office, and spent the next ten years in the ministry. He was Parish Priest of St Patrick’s Waterford from 1734-1742, and died on October 1st 1743, as a result of an accident occurred while returning from a sick call.

Born: 08 April 1641, Galway City, County Galway
Entered: 06 March 1657, Villagarcía, Galicia, Spain - Castellanae Province (CAST)
Ordained: 1666/7, Valladolid, Spain
Final Vows: 15 August 1674
Died: 06 February 1694, Dublin City, County Dublin

Superior of Mission 30 April 1689-06 February 1694

1660 At Oviedo College
1665-1678 At Valladolid 2nd year Theology teaching Philosophy
1678 At Medina del Campo (CAST) Teaching Philosophy and Theology
1681 At Valladolid Teaching Philosophy and Theology
There were two of this name - see letter of Fr General April 1689 to Fr De Burgo, Superior of Mission

◆ Fr Edmund Hogan SJ “Catalogica Chronologica” :
Writer;
1693 Superior of the Mission and living in Dublin
Four volumes of “Institutuines Philosophicae” of his are in Salamanca (de Backer “Biblioth. des Écrivains SJ”)
Note from Andrew Lynch Entry :
1672 Rector at Santiago, between whom and Father Andrew Lincol, Rector of Salamanca, Father Patrick Lynch was arbitrator in the case of Nicholas’ Wise’s will in 1672

◆ Fr Francis Finegan SJ :
Had already studied Philosophy at Santiago 1655-1657 before Ent 06 March 1657 Villagarcía
After First Vows he then was sent on regency to Oviedo before resuming studies at St Ambrose, Valladolid where he was Ordained 1666/7.
1667-1670 He then did further studies at Royal College Salamanca, after which he taught Philosophy at Valladolid for three years.
1675-1685 After Tertianship he taught Theology at Santiago, Medina del Campo and Valladolid
1685 Sent to Ireland and made Superior of the Mission 30/04/1689. It was a period of uncertainty and hardship for the Mission following the Williamite victory in 1692.He left Dublin for Galway, but by Spring 1692 he was back in Dublin. Already four of the Mission’s Residences had been destroyed, and the others were under threat. Most of the Jesuits at this stage were dispersed, some had been arrested and deported. In the middle of all this, he died unexpectedly 06/02/1694

◆ James B Stephenson SJ The Irish Jesuits Vol 1 1962
Patrick Lynch (1689-1694)

Patrick Lynch was born in Galway on or about 27th October, 1640. Having studied philosophy for two years he entered the Novitiate of the Society at Villagarcia in Castile. He taught grammar at Oviedo, finished his course of philosophy, and studied theology at the College of St Ambrose in Valladolid, He was then given a couple of years (1667-69) to repeat his philosophy and theology at the Royal College of Salamanca. Having made his tertianship, he began his professional career by lecturing for four years on theology at Santiago, where he made his solemn profession of four Vows on 15th August, 1674. After the interval of a year spent in the College of Medina del Campo, he returned in 1678 to the College of St Ambrose in Valladolid, where he lectured on philosophy for four years and on scholastic theology for three. Some theological treatises of his are still extant in manuscript. He was recalled to Ireland in 1685, and four years later was appointed Superior of the Mission on 30th April, 1689. The years that followed were years of warfare and disaster. On 8th September, 1690, Fr Lynch reported from Galway, whither he had retired, that four of the Jesuit houses had been destroyed, and the rest were on the point of dissolution; the Fathers were dispersed, and several had been arrested. After the defeat of the Catholic army at Aughrim, Fr Lynch, retired to Limerick, but returned to Dublin early in 1692. The indigence of the Fathers was great, and they had to depend on occasional alms received from foreign Provinces. All religious who were caught were banished, and slavedrivers seized young boys and girls and shipped them to the West Indian plantations. In the midst of scenes like this Fr Patrick Lynch died unexpectedly at Dublin on 6th February, 1694, after nominating Fr Antony Knoles as Vice Superior.

◆ James B Stephenson SJ Menologies 1973
Father Patrick Lynch SJ 1640-1694
Fr Patrick Lynch was Superior of the Irish Mission from 1689-1694.

He was a native of Galway, entering the Society at Villagarcia in Spain. For quite a number of years he was Professor of Theology at Santiago and Valladolid. A copious writer on philosophical themes, many of his manuscripts are still extant.

Being recalled to Ireland in 1685, he was appointed Superior four years later. His term of office was marked by warfare and disaster. In 1690 he wrote from Galway, where he had taken refuge, that 4 of the Jesuit houses had been destroyed, and the rest on the verge of collapse.

After the Battle of Aughrim Fr Lynch came to Limerick and then on to Dublin in 1692. In the midst of all the calamity and ruin, Fr Lynch died suddenly in Dublin on February 6th 1694 after nominating Fr Anthony Knoles as Vice-Superior.

◆ George Oliver Towards Illustrating the Biography of the Scotch, English and Irish Members SJ
LYNCH, PATRICK, was Superior of his Brethren in Dublin, in 1693, and 1694.
Query. Was he not related to John Lynch, Archdeacon of Tuam, Author of that rare octavo volume, printed at St.Malo, in 1669. “Pet Antistititi Icon, sivc dc Vita et Mortc, Rmi D Francisci Kirruani Auadensis Epiacopi” It fetched at Heher s sale, December, 1834. 181. 10s.