John Mchale, an Irish archbishop, born at Tubbernavine, county Mayo, in 1790. He studied at Maynooth college, and in 1814 was ordained priest, and appointed professor of dogmatic theology. While there he published under the signature of " Hierophilus " a series of controversial letters on Bible societies, the Protestant establishment in Ireland, and Catholic emancipation. In 1825 he was appointed coadjutor to the bishop of Killala, with the title of bishop of Maronea in partibus infide-lium. In 1827 he published "Evidences and Doctrines of the Catholic Church" (2d ed., London, 1842; 3d ed., Dublin, 1852), which was immediately translated into French and German. A second series of letters under his own name appeared at this time, and, being chiefly on the subject of Catholic emancipation, aided powerfully to stimulate public opinion. He also constructed a cathedral at Bal-lina, the residence of the bishop, and labored successfully to promote the education of poor Catholic children. He went to Rome in 1831, and returned to Ireland in 1832, after preaching in the church of San Marcello a series of sermons, which were translated into Italian and published by Monsignore de Luca. In May, 1834, he became titular bishop of Killala, and in the following August was appointed archbishop of Tuam. Besides completing the cathedral begun by Archbishop Kelly, he repaired or built anew more than 100 churches in his diocese, established 14 for the Franciscan monks with free schools attached to them, and three large houses and schools for the Christian brothers.

He has been the consistent advocate of separate free schools for Catholics since 1825, and has succeeded in opening one in almost every parish of his diocese. In 1848 he went to Rome, and obtained (Oct. 18) an official condemnation of the " queen's colleges;" and he has since devoted his energies to counteracting the labors of Protestant missionary societies among his flock, and promoting the establishment of exclusively Catholic schools and colleges. In 1869 he took a prominent part in procuring the censure of mixed education by a council of Irish bishops. He has published an Irish version of a part of Moore's " Irish Melodies," in the same metre as the original, with the ancient airs; an Irish version in heroic metre of six books of the Iliad (Dublin, 1861); and an English and Irish translation of the Pentateuch (1863), to be followed by the other books of the Old Testament.