John George de la Poer Beresford

Beresford was son of the second earl of Tyrone and first Marquess of Waterford, and his wife Elizabeth Monck born in Dublin, Ireland. He graduated Oxford with a BA 1793, MA 1796, and DD in 1805. He was ordained deacon in 1795 and priest in 1797 beginning his episcopal career in his family rectorate of Clonegam and Newtownman in the Lismore diocese. In 1799 he obtained the deanary of St Macartan’s in Clogher, in 1801 the rectory of Termonmaguirk in the diocese of Armagh, in 1805 the bishopric of Cork and Ross then in 1807 he was translated to the see of Raphoe then Clogher in 1819. This trajectory continued as by 1820 he was archbishop of Dublin and privy councillor of Ireland. Finally, he was translated to the archbishopric of Armagh and the primacy of all Ireland in 1822, his diocese was combined in 1850, after the death of the bishop of Clogher, with the former. He spent a significant proportion of his income on charitable services such as erecting a £3000 belltower on the University of Dublin campus and £6000 to St Columba College which was intended to perform the same function as Eaton College for the Irish gentry. He was against the catholic emancipation.