Maynooth College Act 1795

The Maynooth College Act 1795 (35 Geo. 3. c. 21 (I)) was an act of the Parliament of Ireland that established and arranged the funding for St Patrick's College, Maynooth as Ireland's Catholic seminary.^[1]

Maynooth College Act 1795^[a]

Act of Parliament
Parliament of Ireland
Long title	An Act for the better Education of Persons professing the Popish, or Roman Catholick Religion.
Citation	35 Geo. 3. c. 21 (I)
Territorial extent	Ireland
Dates
Royal assent	5 June 1795
Commencement	5 June 1795[b]
Other legislation
Amends	Statute Law Revision (Ireland) Act 1879
Relates to	Maynooth College Act 1845
Text of statute as originally enacted

Irish Catholic priests had traditionally been educated on the Continent in seminaries but in the aftermath of the French Revolution and during its ensuing wars many of these seminaries were either closed down or became inaccessible. Bishops were also worried that students on the Continent might become exposed to the "contagion of sedition and infidelity".^[2] The Dublin Castle administration had supported the passage of the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1793 but was opposed to full Catholic emancipation.

Subsequent developments

The act was substantially repealed by section 1 of, and the schedule, to the Statute Law Revision (Ireland) Act 1879 (42 & 43 Vict. c. 24).

See also

• Maynooth College Act 1845

Notes

1. Short title given by the Statute Law Revision Act 2007 (No. 28)
2. The Acts of Parliament (Commencement) Act (Ireland) 1795.