William Tirry was born into a well-to-do merchant family in Cork city in 1609 and was named after an uncle who would become Bishop of Cork in 1622. The Augustinian friary in Cork had been suppressed in 1540 under Henry VIII but as often happened in Ireland, remote from London and with close links between the orders of friars and the people, the community continued to live a relatively normal life until the advent of the Cromwellians. William entered St. Austin’s Friary and made his profession about 1629. He was sent to Spain to continue his studies for the priesthood in Valladolid where he was ordained about 1634 after which he continued his studies at Paris and Brussels.
In 1637 the Provincial of the new Irish Province (founded 1620, previously a vicariate of the then defunct English province) recalled William to Ireland and by 1638 he was back in Cork. He was allowed to serve a short period as secretary to his uncle the Bishop.
Then came the rebellion of 1641, aimed largely at righting Catholic grievances. In 1643 William was transferred to the friary of Fethard, Co Tipperary where he was tutor to an important local family before being elected Prior of Fethard and Provincial secretary in 1646. When the next provincial Chapter took place, in Fethard, in 1649 the Province seemed in good health with even some new foundations among its total of twenty three houses. But all was soon to change. Two months later Oliver Cromwell and his Ironsides landed in Dublin. Life was to get much worse for the Catholic Church for which Cromwell and the Puritans had a deep hatred. William had been appointed prior of Skreen, Co Meath but was now unable to make his way there and had to remain in Fethard.
Cromwell took the town in 1650. William and another friar remained in the town at great personal risk. He found relative sanctuary in the house where previously he had been tutor and he chose a cold dark cellar for his cell. In addition to the extreme risks involved in offering any pastoral ministry and especially celebrating Mass – anathema to the Cromwellians – William imposed on himself a very strict ascetic regime. He managed to study and even write, producing two books in Latin and English defending the Faith and refuting the errors of Protestantism.
In January 1653 a government edict banished all Catholic priests from Ireland, giving them twenty days to leave or face the charge of treason. It is believed that nearly 1,000 left but many did not so the authorities offered rewards to informers and priest-hunters. Three local men well known to William betrayed him and claimed the £5 reward. When the soldiers burst in William was vested for Mass on Holy Saturday, 4th April 1654. His two books were easily found. There could hardly be more evidence for a charge of high treason with its penalty of death by hanging.
Taken to Clonmel William was lodged in the county jail with four other secular priests. He added a powerful spiritual, even ascetic, atmosphere, leading the daily Office and spending long hours in prayer and penance. When friends brought food or gifts he would distribute them to his fellow-prisoners. A Capuchin friar, Matthew Fogarty, was captured and added to the group.
On 6th May the two friars were singled out for trial. Why were they still in Ireland after the government proclamation? Tirry said he would obey the government in civil matters but only the Pope and his religious superiors in spiritual matters. A timid jury did as expected and found the two friars guilty of high treason. Fogarty’s sentence – as often happened – was later commuted to deportation but there was too much evidence against Tirry to allow for this and he was sentenced to hang.
Back in the county jail William kept up his ascetic daily regime. On hearing that he would be executed on the following day he knelt to give thanks, embraced the prison governor who brought him the news and wrote a letter to his spiritual director dated «the day before I suffer death for Christ». He had his habit brought to him and prepared his scaffold «sermon». There were many callers to the prison, some to sympathise, some to bring gifts which he redirected to the poor of Clonmel, some to go to confession. He spent most of the night in prayer. The execution was fixed for 12th May 1654. William, in his Augustinian habit and with his hands chained in front of him, prayed the Rosary from the prison to the scaffold. Crowds lined the streets to receive his blessing. He mounted the scaffold steps still preaching his final sermon and affirming the faith for which he was about to give his life. He publicly forgave his three betrayers and asked forgiveness for his own sins before indicating to an emotional commanding officer of the platoon of soldiers that he was ready. The noose was placed around his neck and the hangman pushed him from the platform. Soon it was all over. Some of the large watching crowd rushed for relics. The cult of the martyr was already beginning. Friends from Fethard claimed the body and took it back for burial in the ruined friary.
William Tirry was beatified with 16 other Irish martyrs on 27th September 1993.