Laurence F. Renehan (1797–1857) was an Irish historian, author, administrator and Roman Catholic priest who served as president of St Patrick's College, Maynooth from 1845 to 1857. Renehan conducted extensive research on the history of Catholicism in Ireland. Biography Renehan was born in 1797 at Longford Pass in the parish of Gurtnahoe, Tipperary. He was educated first at Freshfield and then at Kilkenny. In September 1819, Renehan entered St. Patrick's College as a student for the Archdiocese of Cashel to study logic. In 1825, Renehan was elected a Dunboyne student. On 15 September 1825, Renehan was appointed junior dean, and a few weeks later was ordained a priest. On 27 July 1827 Renehan was elected professor of scripture at St. Patrick's. He held this position until June 1834, when he became vice-president of the college. From 4 June 1841 to 24 June 1843, Renehan also filled the office of bursar and was instrumental in extricating the college from financial difficulties. In 1845, Renehan became president of St. Patrick's While college president, Renehan commissioned Augustus Pugin to construct the buildings on St. Mary's Square at the college. These buildings include the Russell Library and a large meeting-room that was later named after Renehan. Renehan was a historian of the development of Catholicism in Ireland. He collected 79 volumes of early Irish Church manuscripts, housed today in the Russell Library. Renehan served as St, Patrick's president until his death on 27 July 1857. He is buried in a small cemetery on the campus. Works Collections on Irish Church History, Vol. 1: Irish Archbishops, not published during his lifetime. It was later edited by his colleague Daniel McCarthy and published in 1861 by C.M. Warren and Thomas Richardson, Dublin. Requiem Office Choir Manual of Sacred Music History of Music. References External links Maynooth College - Pontifical University (official website) National University of Ireland, Maynooth (official website) Oxford Dictionary of National Biography entry for Laurence F. Renehan Renehan's "History of Music" on Google Books 1797 births 1857 deaths 19th-century Irish Roman Catholic priests Irish historians of religion Irish antiquarians Alumni of St Patrick's College, Maynooth Presidents of St Patrick's College, Maynooth Burials at Maynooth College Cemetery