John Lanigan (1758 – 7 July 1828) was an Irish historian. Born in County Tipperary, he studied at the Irish College in Rome. He was a professor at the University of Pavia, where he earned a Doctor of Divinity degree. When Napoleon's army took the city, he lost most of his possessions, and returned to Ireland destitute. Lanigan found difficulty obtaining a clerical appointment due to suspicions of having Jansenist sympathies. He became sub-librarian at the Royal Dublin Society and was involved in the literary life of the city. Dr Lanigan (as he is frequently cited) is most known for his massive and detailed work The Ecclesiastical History of Ireland, published in four volumes. Source: Wikipedia (en)