St Oliver Plunkett was born on the 30 September 1629 in Ireland. He was known as the Archbishop of Armaghand and Primate of All Ireland during the 17th century. He maintained his duties in Ireland in the face of English persecution and was eventually arrested and tried for treason in Westminster Hall. The jury returned within fifteen minutes with a guilty verdict and Archbishop Plunkett replied: “Deo Gratias” (Latin for “Thanks be to God”). He was hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn on 1 July 1681, the last Roman Catholic martyr to die in England. He was canonised in 1975 by Pope Paul VI and is the patron saint of Armagh, the Archdiocese of Ireland.
