Described by the historian Lecky as 'probably the ablest priest then living in Ireland', the remarkable story of Cornelius Nary has been neglected by modern historians. This penetrating biography restores Nary, best known for The Case of the Roman Catholics in Ireland, his influential publication during the penal law period, and his controversial 1718 translation of the New Testament to his rightful place as one of the most prominent Catholic figures in early eighteenth century Ireland.