[4] He attended Secondary School in Letterkenny, and later studied at the Catholic University of Dublin (1873–75) and at Maynooth.

In that same year, he was appointed to the staff of St Patrick's College, Maynooth, holding the chairs of Dogmatic and Moral Theology.

In 1884, he became dean of the revived post-graduate Dunboyne Institute and in 1885 was awarded a Doctor of Sacred Theology.

From his desk in Maynooth, he poured out a continuous stream of articles on moral theology and canon law.

He was appointed coadjutor Archbishop of Armagh on 14 January 1922 and succeeded Cardinal Michael Logue on 19 November 1924.