Biography.guide
Home › People › Catholic priest › Francis Joseph O'Finan
Portrait of Francis Joseph O'Finan

Francis Joseph O'Finan

1772 – 1847

Catholic bishop

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Francis Joseph O'Finan

Lived 1772 – 1847 (aged 74–75). Francis Joseph O'Finan was a catholic priest and catholic bishop.

Francis Joseph O'Finan, O.P. (–1847) was an Irish Dominican friar who served in the Roman Catholic Church as the Bishop of Killala from 1835 until 1847.

O'Finan was elected Bishop of the Diocese of Killala by the Propaganda Fide on 26 January 1835, which was approved by Pope Gregory XVI on 1 February 1835. His papal brief was issued on 13 February 1835 and consecrated by Cardinal Giacomo Filippo Fransoni on 21 March 1835. However, O'Finan faced strong local opposition from supporters of the previous bishop, John MacHale. These were members of the lower clergy favoured by MacHale and were angered that one of their members had not succeeded MacHale. On 19 November 1838, Pope Gregory XVI approved the decree of the Propaganda Fide to allow O'Finan to retain the title Bishop of Killala, but deprived jurisdiction of the Diocese of Killala. The following year, Tommaso Feeny was appointed Papal Administrator of Killala on 18 July 1839.

Bishop O'Finan died on 27 November 1847, aged 76, and was succeeded by Tommaso Feeny.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Born
1772
Birth century
Died
1847
Positions held
Diocesan bishop

People in Francis Joseph O'Finan's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Francis Joseph O'Finan's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Francis Joseph O'Finan?

Catholic bishop

When was Francis Joseph O'Finan born?

Francis Joseph O'Finan was born in 1772.

When did Francis Joseph O'Finan die?

Francis Joseph O'Finan died in 1847.

What was Francis Joseph O'Finan's occupation?

Francis Joseph O'Finan was a catholic priest and catholic bishop.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Francis Joseph O'Finan

· Wikidata: Q5481569

· DBpedia: Francis Joseph O'Finan

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Francis Joseph O'Finan. https://biography.guide/francis-joseph-o-finan/

MLA: "Francis Joseph O'Finan." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/francis-joseph-o-finan/.

Chicago: "Francis Joseph O'Finan." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/francis-joseph-o-finan/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:32 UTC