Patrick O'Loughran

Patrick O'Loughran (in Irish: Pádraig Ó Lochráin) (died 1 February 1612) was a priest of the archdiocese of Armagh and an Irish Catholic Martyr.

Born in County Tyrone, Father O'Loughran administered the sacraments to exiled Irish noblemen who had fled to Belgium. He returned to Ireland in June 1611 and was arrested in Cork. Under interrogation, O'Loughran admitted that he had given sacraments to the exiled noblemen, and that he had assisted the Irish bishop, Blessed Conor O'Devany. Upon his confession he was committed to a dungeon and in January 1612, he and Bishop O'Devany were condemned to death.

On 1 February 1612, they were brought from Dublin Castle to George's Hill. The bishop asked to die last so that he could provide Father O'Loughran moral support in his moments before death, but the request was refused.[1] Father O'Loughran replied: "Aid me by your prayers with God, by whose help I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor anything else, will separate me from the love of Christ or from my companionship with you." Bishop O'Devany knelt to pray for O'Loughran before they were both drawn and quartered.

The remains were buried on George's Hill but disinterred the following night and given honourable burial. One source which claims the testimony of an eyewitness records simply that they were buried ‘with other martyrs’. This may mean St. Kevin's churchyard.[1]