Obeirne, Thomas Lewis, Dd

O'beirne, Thomas Lewis, D.D., an Irish prelate of some note, was born in the Coulty of Longford in 1747. He enjoyed excellent educational advantages, and after taking holy orders rapidly rose to positions of trust in the Church. In 1775 he accompanied lord Howe to this country as chaplain. In 1796 he was elevated to the episcopate and given the see of Ossory; in 1798 he was transferred to that of Meath. He died in 1822. "As a preacher, Dr. O'Beirne ranked in the first class. His sermons seldom related to the thorny points of controversial theology. He was generally satisfied with expatiating on the grand and essential doctrines of Christianity, and his diction was perspicuous, animated, and nervous. He was occasionally sublime, frequently pathetic, always intelligible" (Annual Biogr. vol. vii). The bishop published, besides three volumes of his sermons (1799, 1813, 1821), a poem on the Crucifixion (1775, 4to), several political pamphlets, and a comedy. See Allibone, Dict. of Brit. and Amer. Authors, vol. ii, S. V.