author
James MacCaffrey
1875–1935
An Irish priest and historian, he wrote widely on church history and became a leading figure at St Patrick’s College, Maynooth. His books are remembered for bringing major moments in Catholic history into clear, readable focus.
2 Audiobooks
About the author
Born in County Tyrone in 1875, he was educated at St Macartan’s Seminary in Monaghan and then at St Patrick’s College, Maynooth, where he was ordained in 1899. He went on to build a reputation as a scholar of theology and church history while remaining closely tied to Maynooth for most of his life.
His best-known work is the two-volume History of the Catholic Church from the Renaissance to the French Revolution, and he also wrote studies including The Black Book of Limerick. Alongside his writing, he edited early issues of Archivium Hibernicum and served as president of Maynooth, as well as pro-vice-chancellor of the National University of Ireland.
He died on November 1, 1935, still serving as president of Maynooth. For listeners interested in religious history, his work offers a careful, wide-ranging view of the Catholic world in periods of major change.