Maurice O'Fihely

O'Fihely, Maurice, or Maurice de Portu, Archbishop of Tuam, was born near Baltimore, in the County of Cork, in the middle of the 15th century. Educated at Oxford, he proceeded to Italy, continued his studies at Padua, and acted as corrector for the press (then an office of considerable emolument) to two early Venetian printers — Octavian Scott and Benet Locatelli. He became a Franciscan friar, and in 1506 was consecrated Archbishop of Tuam by Julius II. In 1512 he assisted at the first two sessions of the Lateran Council. He died at Galway, 25th May 1513, where he was buried in the church of the Franciscans. Harris's Ware says: "He was a prelate of such wonderful esteem with some for his learning and other endowments, that they gave him the name of Flos Mundi." He was also known as "Maurice of Ireland." Wood's Athenae Oxonienses notes twelve of his works written in Latin. Two of them, published at Venice in 1499, were commentaries upon the writings of Duns Scotus, of whom he was an ardent disciple.

Sources

14a. Athenae Oxonienses: Anthony A. Wood, edited by Philip Bliss. 4 vols. London, 1813-'20.

339. Ware, Sir James, Works: Walter Harris. 2 vols. Dublin, 1764.