This account of the Irish Jesuits from 1695 to 1811 is concerned with those who lived and worked in Dublin and, in particular, with a central figure, the quite remarkable educationalist and pastor, Thomas Betagh.

This account of the Irish Jesuits from 1695 to 1811 is concerned with those who lived and worked in Dublin and, in particular, with a central figure, the quite remarkable educationalist and pastor, Thomas Betagh. As we shall see, two other Jesuits also played a large part in the life of Betagh: John Austin, who was his teacher and subsequently a colleague, and James Philip Mulcaile, who was a friend, colleague and near contemporary. The life and work of Betagh can only be understood in the context of his time: not only the history of Ireland in the eighteenth century, but also the political, cultural and religious developments in western Europe.