Francis Sylvester Mahony (31 December 1804–18 May 1866), also known by the pen name Father Prout, was an Irish humorist. He was born in Cork, Ireland, to Martin Mahony and Mary Reynolds. He was educated at the Jesuit Clongowes Wood College, Kildare, and later in Saint Acheul, a similar school in Amiens, France and then at Rue de Sèvres, Paris, and later in Rome. He began teaching at the Jesuit school of Clongowes as master of rhetoric, but was soon after expelled from the order. He then went to London, and became a leading contributor to Fraser's Magazine, under the signature of "Father Prout." Mahony at one point was director of this magazine.
He was witty and learned in many languages. One form which his humour took was the professed discovery of the originals in Latin, Greek, or mediaeval French of popular modern poems and songs. Many of these jeux d'esprit were collected as Reliques of Father Prout. He wittily described himself as "an Irish potato seasoned with Attic salt." Later he acted as foreign correspondent to various newspapers, and during the last eight years of his life, his articles formed the chief attraction of the Globe newspaper. Mahony spent the last two years of his life in a monastery and died in Paris reconciled to the Church.
Read more about Francis Sylvester Mahony: The Bells of Shandon, Publications
Famous quotes containing the words sylvester mahony, francis and/or sylvester:
“On this I ponder where’er I wander,
And thus grow fonder, sweet Cork, of thee;
With thy bells of Shandon,”
—Francis Sylvester Mahony (1805–1866)
“The elephant, not only the largest but the most intelligent of animals, provides us with an excellent example. It is faithful and tenderly loving to the female of its choice, mating only every third year and then for no more than five days, and so secretly as never to be seen, until, on the sixth day, it appears and goes at once to wash its whole body in the river, unwilling to return to the herd until thus purified. Such good and modest habits are an example to husband and wife.”
—St. Francis De Sales (1567–1622)
“On this I ponder where’er I wander,
And thus grow fonder, sweet Cork, of thee;
With thy bells of Shandon,”
—Francis Sylvester Mahony (1805–1866)