Paul Cullen (1803-78) was the outstanding figure in Irish history between the death of Daniel O'Connell and the rise of Charles Stewart Parnell. Yet this powerful prelate remains an enigmatic figure. This new study of his career sets out to reveal the real nature of his achievements in putting his stamp so indelibly on the Irish Catholic Church.
After several years spent in Rome, at a time when the papal states were under constant attack,...