Odaly, Daniel

O'Daly, Daniel an Irish monastic, was born in 1595, in the County of Kerry. He was educated in Flanders, and there took the vows in the Order of the Dominicans. Having been called. to the court of Spain he insinuated himself so much into the favor of Philip IV, that this prince, who was then master of Portugal, charged him to oversee the foundation of a convent in Lisbon for the Irish monks. He became the first superior of it. On the accession of the duke of Braganza to the throne he saw his credit increase, and was employed in the most considerable affairs of the kingdom. In 1655 he went to Louis XIV in the capacity of ambassador, in order to negotiate a treaty of alliance and commerce. Having arrived at Paris, he wished no other lodgings than the convent of the Dominicans, in the street Saint- Honore, where he dwelt during all the time of his embassy. "This beautiful eulogy has been given to him," says P. Baron, "that no one has ever made a more happy union of piety with prudence, of modesty and religious humility with the gravity and wisdom of an ambassador." This modesty, however, did not hinder him from discharging the duties of his order, such as censor of the Inquisition, visitor-general and vicar-general of the kingdom. He died at Lisbon June 30, 1662. We have of his works, Initium, increentumn et exitus familice Giraldinorum Desmoniae comitum Kierria in Hibernia (Lisbon, 1655, 8no). See V. Baron, Apologetiques, lib. ii, p. 448; lib. iv, p. 241; Iehard et Quotif, Script. ord. praedicat. 2:617.