Daniel William Cahill of Seafort Academy, Williamstown and Prospect, Blackrock.
Daniel Cahill married Catherine Brett
born circa 1754
died circa 1836
Daniel Cahill born circa 1754 was an engineer and surveyor. He married Catherine Brett
youngest daughter of Oliver Brett. According to O’Hart Catherine’s family were
descendants of Sir Philip le Brett, Governor of Leighlin and her father was ‘of Seville’.
Daniel took part in the rebellion of 1798 and their house in Queen’s County was burned
on a number of occasions. Daniel was imprisoned in Maryborough (Portlaoise) Garrison
with his younger brother. He produced a survey of Queen’s County in 1802 which had
taken him three years to complete. Daniel died in 1836 aged 82.
1 Oliver Brett Cahill married Maria Hickey, daughter of Thaddeus Hickey. They
lived at Ashfield, Arles. She died a widow aged 81 on 27 Jun 1882 at Castletown,
Queen’s County, the residence of her son Patrick.
1 Patrick Cahill was educated at Carlow College. He was founder and editor
of the Leinster Leader. He was arrested under the ‘Person and Property
Protection Act’ in 1882 and was committed to Kilkenny Gaol, he was later
charged under the ‘Coercion Act’. He died a bachelor on 19 May 1883 at
Naas, late of Castletown and was buried at Arles. He left 1K in personal
estate and his aunt Jane Hickey was his executor.
2 Thomas Cahill born 1827 in Co Carlow was educated at Maynooth College
and was ordained Deacon. He entered the Jesuit Order and continued
his education in Laval in France and was raised to the priesthood in 1857.
He occupied a professorial chair at Macao University, a training centre for
missionaries. In 1872 he went to Australia as Superior of the Australia
Mission and took up duties as rector of St Patricks in East Melbourne. He
was also the first rector of Xavier College, Kew and was attached to St
Ignatius’ Church in 1895. He died 19 Apr 1908 (Easter Sunday) at St
Ignatius Presbytery, Richmond, Victoria, Australia.
3 Henry Cahill born circa 1831 joined the Bank of Ireland, he was the
manager at Baltinglass and later Carlow. He died a bachelor on 19 Apr 1878
and was buried at Arles.
2 John Cahill a civil engineer of Cloneybacon married Margaret Kelly.
1 Thomas Cahill ordained Maynooth in 1841 and served with the Cistercians
at Mount Melleray as Father Paul. Father Cahill died in January 1894.
2 Maria Cahill baptised 29 Jun 1836 at Arles.
3 Daniel William Cahill third son born 28 Nov 1794 at Ballynagal, Arles, Queens
County. He attended Ferris’ Academy in Athy, Co Kildare, Carlow Lay College and
later Maynooth. He was ordained and awarded a doctorate of divinity by the Pope.
He was fluent in Italian and French and played violin. He was a professor of
Philisophy at Carlow College in 1827 and later professor of Natural Philosophy at
Maynooth. He resigned in 1834 and opened Seafort School at Williamstown in 1835.
In 1836 he removed Greek and Latin from the curriculum to concentrate on
astronomy and chemistry. The school could accommodate 100 boarders and 100
day pupils and charged 50 guineas per year per student. He was Professor of
Theology and principal of Prospect Seminary in 1840 and was much in demand for
charity sermons and lectures on astronomy and science. By 1846 the school is
gone and he commences a lecture tour of the country and Scotland. His residence
was Ballyroan Cottage, Rathfarnham from 1856 and the household furniture was
put up for sale in 1859 as he was going on a short tour of America. He was said to
be 6’5”, good looking and extremely charismatic. He was extremely well educated
and was a letter writer and pulpit orator. He was very fluent and easy to listen to,
and his sermons were easily understood by his audience. He preached on Faith
and how the reading of the bible was secondary to having Faith which was orally
handed down. His arguments were well thought out and he tackled controversial
Roman Catholic beliefs such as transubstantiation and the Virgin birth head on.
When it came to slavery his views were as odds with his compassionate stance. He
was a supporter of Julia Tyler and referred to the Duchess of Lancaster’s petition of
anti-slavery as ‘sainted cruelty’. It seems he thought slaves in America, who got
three meals a day, were in a better position than the Irish poor and had little
sympathy. He also had an issue with St Patrick Day parades, seeing them as an
excuse for drinking stating it had originated as a temperance parade that just
happened to be held on that same day. He went to America in 1859 and his letters
describing his journey from city to city were published in the Catholic Telegraph. He
was in Canada in 1862 and returned to Boston where he died 28 Oct 1864 at the
Sisters of Charity’s Residence. His body was embalmed and entombed at Holyhood
Cemetery in Boston awaiting the decision of his relatives. In 1885 his body was
exhumed and a requiem Mass was held at St Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. His
body was repatriated via the Wyoming steamer and buried in Glasnevin where a life
size statue was erected over the grave.
© June Bow & Karen Poff - August 2023
Daniel Cahill married Catherine Brett
born circa 1754
died circa 1836
Daniel Cahill born circa 1754 was an engineer and surveyor. He married Catherine Brett
youngest daughter of Oliver Brett. According to O’Hart Catherine’s family were
descendants of Sir Philip le Brett, Governor of Leighlin and her father was ‘of Seville’.
Daniel took part in the rebellion of 1798 and their house in Queen’s County was burned
on a number of occasions. Daniel was imprisoned in Maryborough (Portlaoise) Garrison
with his younger brother. He produced a survey of Queen’s County in 1802 which had
taken him three years to complete. Daniel died in 1836 aged 82.
1 Oliver Brett Cahill married Maria Hickey, daughter of Thaddeus Hickey. They
lived at Ashfield, Arles. She died a widow aged 81 on 27 Jun 1882 at Castletown,
Queen’s County, the residence of her son Patrick.
1 Patrick Cahill was educated at Carlow College. He was founder and editor
of the Leinster Leader. He was arrested under the ‘Person and Property
Protection Act’ in 1882 and was committed to Kilkenny Gaol, he was later
charged under the ‘Coercion Act’. He died a bachelor on 19 May 1883 at
Naas, late of Castletown and was buried at Arles. He left 1K in personal
estate and his aunt Jane Hickey was his executor.
2 Thomas Cahill born 1827 in Co Carlow was educated at Maynooth College
and was ordained Deacon. He entered the Jesuit Order and continued
his education in Laval in France and was raised to the priesthood in 1857.
He occupied a professorial chair at Macao University, a training centre for
missionaries. In 1872 he went to Australia as Superior of the Australia
Mission and took up duties as rector of St Patricks in East Melbourne. He
was also the first rector of Xavier College, Kew and was attached to St
Ignatius’ Church in 1895. He died 19 Apr 1908 (Easter Sunday) at St
Ignatius Presbytery, Richmond, Victoria, Australia.
3 Henry Cahill born circa 1831 joined the Bank of Ireland, he was the
manager at Baltinglass and later Carlow. He died a bachelor on 19 Apr 1878
and was buried at Arles.
2 John Cahill a civil engineer of Cloneybacon married Margaret Kelly.
1 Thomas Cahill ordained Maynooth in 1841 and served with the Cistercians
at Mount Melleray as Father Paul. Father Cahill died in January 1894.
2 Maria Cahill baptised 29 Jun 1836 at Arles.
3 Daniel William Cahill third son born 28 Nov 1794 at Ballynagal, Arles, Queens
County. He attended Ferris’ Academy in Athy, Co Kildare, Carlow Lay College and
later Maynooth. He was ordained and awarded a doctorate of divinity by the Pope.
He was fluent in Italian and French and played violin. He was a professor of
Philisophy at Carlow College in 1827 and later professor of Natural Philosophy at
Maynooth. He resigned in 1834 and opened Seafort School at Williamstown in 1835.
In 1836 he removed Greek and Latin from the curriculum to concentrate on
astronomy and chemistry. The school could accommodate 100 boarders and 100
day pupils and charged 50 guineas per year per student. He was Professor of
Theology and principal of Prospect Seminary in 1840 and was much in demand for
charity sermons and lectures on astronomy and science. By 1846 the school is
gone and he commences a lecture tour of the country and Scotland. His residence
was Ballyroan Cottage, Rathfarnham from 1856 and the household furniture was
put up for sale in 1859 as he was going on a short tour of America. He was said to
be 6’5”, good looking and extremely charismatic. He was extremely well educated
and was a letter writer and pulpit orator. He was very fluent and easy to listen to,
and his sermons were easily understood by his audience. He preached on Faith
and how the reading of the bible was secondary to having Faith which was orally
handed down. His arguments were well thought out and he tackled controversial
Roman Catholic beliefs such as transubstantiation and the Virgin birth head on.
When it came to slavery his views were as odds with his compassionate stance. He
was a supporter of Julia Tyler and referred to the Duchess of Lancaster’s petition of
anti-slavery as ‘sainted cruelty’. It seems he thought slaves in America, who got
three meals a day, were in a better position than the Irish poor and had little
sympathy. He also had an issue with St Patrick Day parades, seeing them as an
excuse for drinking stating it had originated as a temperance parade that just
happened to be held on that same day. He went to America in 1859 and his letters
describing his journey from city to city were published in the Catholic Telegraph. He
was in Canada in 1862 and returned to Boston where he died 28 Oct 1864 at the
Sisters of Charity’s Residence. His body was embalmed and entombed at Holyhood
Cemetery in Boston awaiting the decision of his relatives. In 1885 his body was
exhumed and a requiem Mass was held at St Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. His
body was repatriated via the Wyoming steamer and buried in Glasnevin where a life
size statue was erected over the grave.
© June Bow & Karen Poff - August 2023