Margaret Ball (1515 -1584) Was a prominent member of 16th Century Irish society,who,despite being the widow of the Mayor of Dublin, was arrested for her adherence to the Catholic faith and died of deprivation in the dungeons of Dublin Castle.She was declared a martyr for the faith by the Catholic Church and beatified in 1992,one of a group of 17 Irish Catholic Martyrs.
EARLY LIFE
She was born Margaret Bermingham in Corballis,a townland now part of the village of Skreen in County Meath,when her father, Nicholas,had purchased a farm when he emigrated from England.
The family later became politically active; her brother,William Bermingham,protested in London against Earl Thomas Radclyffe,when he imposed the Protestant Reformation on behalf of the boy-King Edward V1. When she was 16 years old,Bermingham married Bartholomew Ball,and alderman of the City of Dublin,whose wealthy family operated the bridge over the River Dodder,which is still known as Ballsbridge. She then moved to the city,were the couple lived at Ballygall House in the north county Dublin and had a town house on Merchant's Quay. She had a comfortable life with a large household and many servants,and she was recognised for organising classed for the children of local families in her home.
ARREST AND DEATH
In 1558 Queen Elizabeth 1 reversed the policy of her sister Queen Mary and imposed her Religious Settlement upon her realms. In 1570 the papacy responded with the papal bull
Regnans in Excelsis, which declared Elizabeth's to be an illegitimate usurper. During this time of religious persecution,it was well known that Ball provided 'safe houses' for any bishops or priest who might be passing through Dublin. Margaret Balls's eldest son Walter,who wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and advance his political standing,embraced the 'new religion' and was appointed Commissioner for Ecclesiastical Causes in 1577. Margaret was disappointed with her son's change of faith and tried to change his mind. On one occasion,she told him that she had 'special friend' for him to meet. Walter arrived early with a company of soldiers, and found that the 'special friend' was Dermot O' Hurley,Archbishop of Cashel. He was celebrating Mass with the family.
Immediately after his installation as Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1580,Walter had his mother and her personal chaplain arrested and taken to the dungeons of Dublin Castle. Due to her advanced age and severe arthritis, she had to be transported there by a wooden pallet.
When the family protested,Walter declared that his mother should be executed, but he had spared her. She would be allowed to go free if she 'took the Oath', which probably referred to the Oath of Supremacy. Her second son,Nicholas, who supported her,was elected Mayor of Dublin in 1582. However,Walter was still Commissioner of Ecclesiastical Causes, which was a royal appointment. He outranked Nicholas and kept him from securing their mother's release from prison. Nicholas visited her daily,bringing her food,clothing and candles.
Margaret Ball died in 1584 at the age of sixty-nine,which was an advanced age for that time. She was crippled with arthritis and had lived for three years in the cold wet dungeon of Dublin Castle with no natural light. When she died she was Buried in the cemetery at St Audoen's Church Dublin. Although she could have altered her will,she still bequeathed her property to Walter upon her death.
VENERATION
Margaret Ball remained in the dungeon when she could have returned to a life of comfort at any time by simply 'taking the oath.' Two generations later this pattern was repeated when Francis Taylor,who was Mayor of Dublin (1595-1596) and was married to Gennet Shelton,a granddaughter of Margaret Ball,was condemned to the dungeons after exposing fraud in the parliamentary elections to the Irish House of Commons. He likewise refused to 'take the Oath' and died in Dublin Castle in 1621.
Margaret Ball and Francis Taylor could not have known each other, but they were beatified togeather,along with Dermot O' Hurley and 14 other Catholic martyrs,on 27 September 1992 by Pope John Paul 11.
EARLY LIFE
She was born Margaret Bermingham in Corballis,a townland now part of the village of Skreen in County Meath,when her father, Nicholas,had purchased a farm when he emigrated from England.
The family later became politically active; her brother,William Bermingham,protested in London against Earl Thomas Radclyffe,when he imposed the Protestant Reformation on behalf of the boy-King Edward V1. When she was 16 years old,Bermingham married Bartholomew Ball,and alderman of the City of Dublin,whose wealthy family operated the bridge over the River Dodder,which is still known as Ballsbridge. She then moved to the city,were the couple lived at Ballygall House in the north county Dublin and had a town house on Merchant's Quay. She had a comfortable life with a large household and many servants,and she was recognised for organising classed for the children of local families in her home.
ARREST AND DEATH
In 1558 Queen Elizabeth 1 reversed the policy of her sister Queen Mary and imposed her Religious Settlement upon her realms. In 1570 the papacy responded with the papal bull
Regnans in Excelsis, which declared Elizabeth's to be an illegitimate usurper. During this time of religious persecution,it was well known that Ball provided 'safe houses' for any bishops or priest who might be passing through Dublin. Margaret Balls's eldest son Walter,who wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and advance his political standing,embraced the 'new religion' and was appointed Commissioner for Ecclesiastical Causes in 1577. Margaret was disappointed with her son's change of faith and tried to change his mind. On one occasion,she told him that she had 'special friend' for him to meet. Walter arrived early with a company of soldiers, and found that the 'special friend' was Dermot O' Hurley,Archbishop of Cashel. He was celebrating Mass with the family.
Immediately after his installation as Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1580,Walter had his mother and her personal chaplain arrested and taken to the dungeons of Dublin Castle. Due to her advanced age and severe arthritis, she had to be transported there by a wooden pallet.
When the family protested,Walter declared that his mother should be executed, but he had spared her. She would be allowed to go free if she 'took the Oath', which probably referred to the Oath of Supremacy. Her second son,Nicholas, who supported her,was elected Mayor of Dublin in 1582. However,Walter was still Commissioner of Ecclesiastical Causes, which was a royal appointment. He outranked Nicholas and kept him from securing their mother's release from prison. Nicholas visited her daily,bringing her food,clothing and candles.
Margaret Ball died in 1584 at the age of sixty-nine,which was an advanced age for that time. She was crippled with arthritis and had lived for three years in the cold wet dungeon of Dublin Castle with no natural light. When she died she was Buried in the cemetery at St Audoen's Church Dublin. Although she could have altered her will,she still bequeathed her property to Walter upon her death.
VENERATION
Margaret Ball remained in the dungeon when she could have returned to a life of comfort at any time by simply 'taking the oath.' Two generations later this pattern was repeated when Francis Taylor,who was Mayor of Dublin (1595-1596) and was married to Gennet Shelton,a granddaughter of Margaret Ball,was condemned to the dungeons after exposing fraud in the parliamentary elections to the Irish House of Commons. He likewise refused to 'take the Oath' and died in Dublin Castle in 1621.
Margaret Ball and Francis Taylor could not have known each other, but they were beatified togeather,along with Dermot O' Hurley and 14 other Catholic martyrs,on 27 September 1992 by Pope John Paul 11.
Margaret Ball (1515 -1584) Was a prominent member of 16th Century Irish society,who,despite being the widow of the Mayor of Dublin, was arrested for her adherence to the Catholic faith and died of deprivation in the dungeons of Dublin Castle.She was declared a martyr for the faith by the Catholic Church and beatified in 1992,one of a group of 17 Irish Catholic Martyrs.
EARLY LIFE
She was born Margaret Bermingham in Corballis,a townland now part of the village of Skreen in County Meath,when her father, Nicholas,had purchased a farm when he emigrated from England.
The family later became politically active; her brother,William Bermingham,protested in London against Earl Thomas Radclyffe,when he imposed the Protestant Reformation on behalf of the boy-King Edward V1. When she was 16 years old,Bermingham married Bartholomew Ball,and alderman of the City of Dublin,whose wealthy family operated the bridge over the River Dodder,which is still known as Ballsbridge. She then moved to the city,were the couple lived at Ballygall House in the north county Dublin and had a town house on Merchant's Quay. She had a comfortable life with a large household and many servants,and she was recognised for organising classed for the children of local families in her home.
ARREST AND DEATH
In 1558 Queen Elizabeth 1 reversed the policy of her sister Queen Mary and imposed her Religious Settlement upon her realms. In 1570 the papacy responded with the papal bull
Regnans in Excelsis, which declared Elizabeth's to be an illegitimate usurper. During this time of religious persecution,it was well known that Ball provided 'safe houses' for any bishops or priest who might be passing through Dublin. Margaret Balls's eldest son Walter,who wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and advance his political standing,embraced the 'new religion' and was appointed Commissioner for Ecclesiastical Causes in 1577. Margaret was disappointed with her son's change of faith and tried to change his mind. On one occasion,she told him that she had 'special friend' for him to meet. Walter arrived early with a company of soldiers, and found that the 'special friend' was Dermot O' Hurley,Archbishop of Cashel. He was celebrating Mass with the family.
Immediately after his installation as Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1580,Walter had his mother and her personal chaplain arrested and taken to the dungeons of Dublin Castle. Due to her advanced age and severe arthritis, she had to be transported there by a wooden pallet.
When the family protested,Walter declared that his mother should be executed, but he had spared her. She would be allowed to go free if she 'took the Oath', which probably referred to the Oath of Supremacy. Her second son,Nicholas, who supported her,was elected Mayor of Dublin in 1582. However,Walter was still Commissioner of Ecclesiastical Causes, which was a royal appointment. He outranked Nicholas and kept him from securing their mother's release from prison. Nicholas visited her daily,bringing her food,clothing and candles.
Margaret Ball died in 1584 at the age of sixty-nine,which was an advanced age for that time. She was crippled with arthritis and had lived for three years in the cold wet dungeon of Dublin Castle with no natural light. When she died she was Buried in the cemetery at St Audoen's Church Dublin. Although she could have altered her will,she still bequeathed her property to Walter upon her death.
VENERATION
Margaret Ball remained in the dungeon when she could have returned to a life of comfort at any time by simply 'taking the oath.' Two generations later this pattern was repeated when Francis Taylor,who was Mayor of Dublin (1595-1596) and was married to Gennet Shelton,a granddaughter of Margaret Ball,was condemned to the dungeons after exposing fraud in the parliamentary elections to the Irish House of Commons. He likewise refused to 'take the Oath' and died in Dublin Castle in 1621.
Margaret Ball and Francis Taylor could not have known each other, but they were beatified togeather,along with Dermot O' Hurley and 14 other Catholic martyrs,on 27 September 1992 by Pope John Paul 11.
EARLY LIFE
She was born Margaret Bermingham in Corballis,a townland now part of the village of Skreen in County Meath,when her father, Nicholas,had purchased a farm when he emigrated from England.
The family later became politically active; her brother,William Bermingham,protested in London against Earl Thomas Radclyffe,when he imposed the Protestant Reformation on behalf of the boy-King Edward V1. When she was 16 years old,Bermingham married Bartholomew Ball,and alderman of the City of Dublin,whose wealthy family operated the bridge over the River Dodder,which is still known as Ballsbridge. She then moved to the city,were the couple lived at Ballygall House in the north county Dublin and had a town house on Merchant's Quay. She had a comfortable life with a large household and many servants,and she was recognised for organising classed for the children of local families in her home.
ARREST AND DEATH
In 1558 Queen Elizabeth 1 reversed the policy of her sister Queen Mary and imposed her Religious Settlement upon her realms. In 1570 the papacy responded with the papal bull
Regnans in Excelsis, which declared Elizabeth's to be an illegitimate usurper. During this time of religious persecution,it was well known that Ball provided 'safe houses' for any bishops or priest who might be passing through Dublin. Margaret Balls's eldest son Walter,who wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and advance his political standing,embraced the 'new religion' and was appointed Commissioner for Ecclesiastical Causes in 1577. Margaret was disappointed with her son's change of faith and tried to change his mind. On one occasion,she told him that she had 'special friend' for him to meet. Walter arrived early with a company of soldiers, and found that the 'special friend' was Dermot O' Hurley,Archbishop of Cashel. He was celebrating Mass with the family.
Immediately after his installation as Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1580,Walter had his mother and her personal chaplain arrested and taken to the dungeons of Dublin Castle. Due to her advanced age and severe arthritis, she had to be transported there by a wooden pallet.
When the family protested,Walter declared that his mother should be executed, but he had spared her. She would be allowed to go free if she 'took the Oath', which probably referred to the Oath of Supremacy. Her second son,Nicholas, who supported her,was elected Mayor of Dublin in 1582. However,Walter was still Commissioner of Ecclesiastical Causes, which was a royal appointment. He outranked Nicholas and kept him from securing their mother's release from prison. Nicholas visited her daily,bringing her food,clothing and candles.
Margaret Ball died in 1584 at the age of sixty-nine,which was an advanced age for that time. She was crippled with arthritis and had lived for three years in the cold wet dungeon of Dublin Castle with no natural light. When she died she was Buried in the cemetery at St Audoen's Church Dublin. Although she could have altered her will,she still bequeathed her property to Walter upon her death.
VENERATION
Margaret Ball remained in the dungeon when she could have returned to a life of comfort at any time by simply 'taking the oath.' Two generations later this pattern was repeated when Francis Taylor,who was Mayor of Dublin (1595-1596) and was married to Gennet Shelton,a granddaughter of Margaret Ball,was condemned to the dungeons after exposing fraud in the parliamentary elections to the Irish House of Commons. He likewise refused to 'take the Oath' and died in Dublin Castle in 1621.
Margaret Ball and Francis Taylor could not have known each other, but they were beatified togeather,along with Dermot O' Hurley and 14 other Catholic martyrs,on 27 September 1992 by Pope John Paul 11.
Inscription
(no surviving grave marker)
Family Members
Spouse
Advertisement
See more Ball or Bermingham memorials in:
- St. Audoen Church Cemetery Ball or Bermingham
- Dublin Ball or Bermingham
- County Dublin Ball or Bermingham
- Ireland Ball or Bermingham
- Find a Grave Ball or Bermingham
Advertisement
