Known to all his parishioners as Father John. The priest of the parish of Drumsna, which included Ballycloran.

"He had been ...educated in France; he had been at college at St. Omer, and afterwards at Paris, and had officiated as a cure there; he had consequently seen more of French manners and society than usually fails to the lot of Irish theological students.... a man of good family ...He possessed also very considerable talents, and much more than ordinary acquirements; great natural bonhommie, and perpetual good temper.... But his appearance was anything but dignified; he was very short, and very fat, and had little or no appearance of neck; his face, however, was very intelligent, he had bright, small black eyes, a fine, high forehead, very white teeth, and short, thick, curling, dark hair"