The Irish College in Seville, was founded in 1612 by Theobald Stapleton (who was also responsible for the establishment of the Irish College in Madrid),[1] like many other Irish Colleges on continental Europe was to train priests to minister in Ireland, who could not be trained at home due to the Penal Laws.[2]
The college was dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, so the college was referred to as the Irish College of Immaculate Conception, Seville. In 1619 with King Philip III's support the Jesuit order assumed control of the college.[3]
Richard Conway, rector (1619-1623 and 1625-1626),[4] appointed as the Jesuits began administering the college, also served as rector of the Irish College in Salamanca (1608-1618) in Santiago
Thomas (O'Brien) Briones (1633-1644), served as Rector of Irish College at Compostella (1628–33)
The college like other colleges in Spain was merged into Irish College at Salamanca in 1767 (and following the Jesuit expulsion from Spain). The college archive was transferred to Salamanca, and subsequently as part of the Salamanca Archives in 1951 transferred to St. Patrick's College, Maynooth.[5]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Irish Colleges, on the Continent". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.