Betagh was descended from a branch of an old Roman catholic family in Meath, Ireland, which, through the Cromwellian confiscations, lost considerable estates. He was born in
Kells,
County Meath. His father was a tanner. Betagh was attended
John Austin's school in Saul's Court in Dublin. At an early age Beltagh was admitted to the seminary of the
Society of Jesus at
Pont-à-Mousson in France. He spent most of his Jesuit years of spiritual and intellectual formation in France and was ordained a priest at Pont-à-Mousson on 24 May 1766. He resided at
Paris and
Metz as a professor of languages He died at his residence, 80 Cook Street. His funeral was attended by over 20,000 persons. His remains were interred in the Jesuits' vaults in Old St. Michan's, Church Street. About 1822 they were removed to the vault of his own church, SS. Michael and John, under the High Altar, where a monument to his memory was also erected. This was sculpted by his one time student (who had subsequently turned to sculpture),
Peter Turnerelli. In 1990 his remains were moved to Glasnevin Cemetery. ==References==