Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/O'Hussey, Mael-Brighde
O'HUSSEY or O'HEOGHUSA, MAEL-BRIGHDE (d. 1614), who signed himself in Latin Brigidus Hosseus, and adopted in religion the name Bonaventura, Irish Franciscan, was born in the diocese of Clogher in Ulster, and admitted on 1 Nov. 1607 one of the original members of the Irish Franciscan monastery or college of St. Anthony of Padua at Louvain (Irish Eccl. Record, 1870, vii. 41). He had previously been at Douay (September 1605), and wrote thence in Irish to Father Robert Nugent asking him to use his influence to get the president of the college to send him to Louvain, because it was the best place for theological studies, and because the son of O'Neill was likely to be in that neighbourhood. He mentions that he had been asked to go to Salamanca or Valladolid (Ualedulit) (Cal. State Papers, Ireland, 1603-6, p. 311). He became lecturer at Louvain, first in philosophy, and afterwards in theology, and he held the office of guardian of the college at the time of his death from small-pox, on 15 Nov. 1614 (Moran, Spicilegium Ossoriense, iii. 52). He was held in the greatest esteem by his countrymen on account of his profound knowledge of the language and history of Ireland.
His works, all composed in the Irish language, are: 1. A Christian catechism, entitled ' An Teagasg Criosdaidhe ann so, Arna chuma do Bonabhentura o Eodhasa, bráthair bochd dord San Proinsias accolaisde S. Antoin a Lobháin ' [Louvain, 1608, l6mo], reprinted Antwerp, 1611, 8vo; and Rome, 1707, 8vo. It has a preface of thirty-two lines of verse. The Roman edition is called the second on the title-page; it was revised by Philip Maguire of the college of St. Isidore in Rome and a friar of the order of St. Francis (Irish note, p. 259, recte 256). The copy of the edition of 1611 in the Grenville Library in the British Museum has the frontispiece of St. Patrick, which is wanting in most copies. 2. A metrical abridgment of Christian doctrine, beginning `Atáid tri Doirse air teach nDe' (`There are three doors to the house of God'). Printed at the end of Andrew Donlevy's `Irish Catechism,' Paris, 1642, pp. 487-98. 3. A poem for a dear friend of his who fell into heresy, `Truagh liom a chompain do chor' (`Sad to me, oh companion, thy turn'), printed in the 1707 edition of his `Teagasg Criosdaidhe,' pp. 237-55. Manuscripts in Sloane collection, British Museum, No. 3567, art. 7, and Egerton MS. 128, art. 4. The friend was Miler Magrath [q.v.], first protestant archbishop of Cashel. 4. `Gabh aithr eachas uaim' ('Accept my repentance'), written on entering the order of St. Francis, Sloane MS. 3567, art. 8; another copy in Egerton MS. 195, art. 15. 5. `Truagh cor chloinne adhaimh' (`Sad the state of Adam's family'), on the vanity of the world, translated from the Latin of St. Bernard, Sloane MS. 3567, art. 9; another copy in Egerton MS. 195, art. 16. 6. A poem of 184 verses, `Ióngnadh m'aslaing a nEamhain' (`Wondrous my vision in the Navan fort'), on the inauguration of Rolfe MacMahon as chief of his clan, Egerton MS. 111, art. 80. 7. `A Poem for the Daughter of Walter […] to console her for the Death of her Son and heir,' Egerton MS. 111, art. 81. 8. A poem in praise of Felim, son of Feagh McHugh 0'Byrne, and of the province of Leinster, manuscript in Royal Irish Academy.
[Anderson's Native Irish, pp. 56, 273 n.; Bibl. Grenvilliana; O'Curry's Cat. of Irish MSS. in Brit. Mus.; O'Reilly's Irish Writers, p. 168; Cat. of Library of Trinity College, Dublin; Wadding's Scriptores Ordinis Minorum, p.56; Ware's Writers of Ireland (Harris), p. 102.]