Brian McGurk

Brian McGurk (Maguirc) was a Catholic Dean of Armagh during the Penal Times in Ireland, and was Vicar-General to St Oliver Plunkett.

He was imprisoned in Armagh by British Crown Forces in 1712 while in his late eighties. He died in Gaol aged 91 years^[1]

Brian McGurk was Dean of Armagh for forty years and parish priest of Termonmagurk 1660-1672, arrested five times under the penal law statute, but who out-witted the courts with his knowledge of canon and civil laws yet dying at ninety-one in Armagh gaol. He is still revered as a 'white martyr' in Termonmagurk where both churches, Catholic and Protestant are under the patronage of St. Columcille, the McGurks being the saint's coarbs and erenaghs in that parish.^[2]

Brian was born and raised in the townland of Aughnagreggan, near Carrickmore, Co.Tyrone. A secondary school in the village is named after him. A Celtic cross stands in the grounds of the Roman Catholic Church dedicated to his memory.

References

• T. MacDonald (1948), Dean Bryan McGurk, a hero of the penal days; with historical notes on his times and his native parish, Termonmagurk, Co. Tyrone

Notes

1. ^ Oliver P. Rafferty (1994), Catholicism in Ulster, 1603-1983: An Interpretative History, pp. 68-9.
2. ^ The Catholics of Ulster: A History. Marianne Elliott. Allen Lane: The Penguin Press. [pound]25.00. 642 pp. ISBN 0-713-96464-9.

Persondata
Name	Macgurk, Brian
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death