lietween the years 1834 and 1861 the Koman Catholic population shows a decline of 1,930,795 persons — the dinVrcnce between 6,436,060 in 1834 and 4,505,265 in 1«61— or nearly a third of what was their entire number in 1«31; and, distributing this loss over the oriiiiiial
Vear.
Schools.
Pupils.
Parliam. Grants.
Vear.jSchooIs.
Pupils.
Parliam. Grants.
1S40 1845 IS.W
1978 3426 4321
232,51)0 432,844 480,623
X 67,600 .•iO,000 75,1-00 120.(100
1855 1860 1865 1868
6124 6632 6372 6586
635.905 804,000 92f,n84 967,563
£215,200 270,722 325,583 : 60,195
The religious denomination of the children who, on Dec. 31, 1868, were on the rolls of the national schools, was as follows :
Established Church.
Roman Catholic
Preshy-
Denom.
Total.
leinster
Munster
Ulster
6852
4806
54,220
4424
201,815 250,839 174,619
967
622
105,.333
489
868 558 6635 196
209,992 256,825 339,807
Cnnnaufrht ....
160,820
Total
70,:»2
782,9N4
107,401
6767
967,444
See Herzog, A llgem. lieal-EncyUop. vii, 63 ; Wiggers, Kirchliche Geoyr. ii. Staiistik; 'Neher, Ki7-ch I. Geof/r. u. StatisiikjU, 1 sq.; Thom, Irish Almanac; Porter, t'c/wf. A nnal. eccl. Ilib. (Rom. 1690) ; Wariseus, Hibernia Saci-a. (Dubl.1717); Lanigaii,£;cd/y/*^(//re/a«c/(Dubl.l829).
IRELAND
647
IRENiEUS
I
Ireland, Council of {Concilium Ilihernicum'), a title of foiir (litfereut councils. The first of these was hcl I about 45(5. By this council were published thirty- four canons under St. Patrick's name, and two other bish- cps, Au:ciliu3 ami Jeserinus (or Iserinus). From the Cth of these canons it is evident that tlie priests, deacons, and other clergy (to whom they arc adibressed) were mar- ried (comp. Wilkins, Cone, i, 2). Another council was held about the same time, or shortly after, also said to have been presided over by St. Patrick ; but for this as- sertion no evidence exists, and there is not only no pos- sibility of determining the presiding officer, but even the place "and date where and when it convened are very doubtful, except that the mention of a heathm popula- tion in Canon 2 makes it certain that it cannot have been much later than the council above alluded to. By this council, which, for convenience sake, we may call the 2il, 32 canons were published, tha 7th of which ibr- bids " to rebaptize any who have rocciveil the outward form, by whomsoever administered, since the iniquity of tlie sower infects not the seed itself." A third coun- cil was held in G8 1, according to Slansi, who adds that the canons of this and other councils held about this time form together the code known as the " Irish Code" (part of it is given in the Spicile.yium of D'Achery, i, 491). Another council was held about 10D7, but its en- actments are of but little importance. See Landon, JIfaiiual of Councils, p. 267 sq. ; Labbc, x, Gli5 ; AVilkins, CWc//.i,4,374. (J. II.W.)
Ireland, Joiix, D.D., an eminent English divine, was born at Ashbnrton, Devonshire, in 1701. He ma- trifulated at Oxford as Bible clerk of Oriel College in 1781), and afterwards became successively vicar of Croy- don, Surrey, in 1793, prebendary of Westminster in 1802, dean of Westminster and rector of Islip in 1816. He died in 1842. lie was one of the earlier writers for the Qitdftcrli/ Rerieic, and founded four scholarships, an ex- hibition, and a professorship at Oxford. His principal works are, Fice Discourses, -with notes (Loud. 1796, 8vo): — Vindicice ref/ice ; or, a defence of tiie kingly office (Lond. 2d ed. 1797, 8vo) : — Nnpfix sticra; ; or, an inquiry Into the scriptural doctrine of marriage and divorce (Loud. 1821, 8vo): — Paganism and Christiunitij com- \mred (Lond. 1809, 8vo) : — The Pla;;iie of Marseilles in lie ijeur 1720 (Lond. 1834, 4to).— Darling, Cyclop. Bib. \. V. ; Alllbone, Did. of A uthors, i, 933.
Irenseus (E/pj; vaioe), one of the most distinguished )f the early Church fathers, standing, with his disciple Hippolytus, " both of Greek education, but both belong- ing, in their ecclesiastical relations and labors, to tlie tV'est," at the head of the old Catholic controversial- ists, and called by Theodoret '• the Light of the Western Church," was bishop of Lyons, in France, during the lat- ter half of the 2d century.
I. /.('/('. — Of the personal history of Iren:T?us, especial- ly in his youth, but little is known. The dates of his birth are very variably given by different critics. Thus Dodwell places it about A.D. 97, (Jrabe about 108, Til- Icmont about 120, Du Pin about 140. Most of the lat- est students of the Church fathers incline to put it be- tween the years 120 and 140. The place of his birth, also, is not definitely known. It is probable, however, from his very early acquaintance with Polycarj), the illustrious bishop of Smyrna, of which he himself tells us (iii, 3,4; comp. luisebius, Eccles. Hist. p. 191, Bohn's edition), that he was born somewhere in Asia Minor and some have assigned the city of Sm_\Tna as his na- tive jilace. Harvey, one of the editors of his works, however, thmks that Irenajus was born in Syria, and that he came to Smyrna while yet very young ; was there attracted by the teaching of bishop Polycarp, <ind became at once one of his most ardent disciples. " Through this link he still was connected with the Jo- ■haiinean age. The spirit of his preceptor passed over to him." Addressing a former friend of his own, Flori- nus, who had lapsetl to Valentinianism. whom he earn- estly endeavored to bring back to the Church, he bears