Fr Curtis story is well worth honouring
THIS might be a task for new St Peter’s PP, Fr Eugene Sweeney to take on, but I think it would be worth celebrating the 200th anniversary of the elevation of Patrick Curtis to Archbishop of Armagh in 1819.
Buried under the altar in St Peter’s (pictured), Fr Curtis was best known as a spy! - working with the Duke of Wellington.
He had been the Rector of the Irish College in Salamanca, Spain and professor at the University of Salamanca, where he was known as Don Patricio Cortés. Whilst in Spain he was spymaster of a network that provided intelligence to Wellesley’s Anglo-Portuguese Army during the Peninsular War. Taking place between 1807 - 1814, the Peninsular War was a military conflict between Napoleon’s empire and the allied powers of Spain, Britain and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars He was arrested as a spy by the French in Salamanca in 1811.
It is clear that he gave very valuable information to Wellington and there can be no doubt from the duke’s frequent mention of his valuable services, and high recommendations of him to the Spanish authorities.
He was probably one of those informants in high places of whom Wellington speaks, and Curtis entertained Wellington under his roof during the English occupation of Salamanca in 1812, just before the battle near that city.
He eventually had to flee the country and returned to Dublin where he was recommended to Pope Gregory XVI to be Archbishop. His episcopal ordination took place on 28 October 1819. He supported Catholic Emancipation, and spoke in the House of Lords on the state of Ireland on 21 March 1825.
He lived on Fair Street and died from cholera in 1832.
He was featured in the Sharpe (TV series) where he was portrayed by the actor John Kavanagh (actor).