Cardinal John Francis D'Alton was Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All-Ireland from 1946 to 1963.

He was born in Claremorris on the 11th October 1882. He was the first enrolled in the infant class of Muire Gan Smal on the 11th January 1885. After attending the local national school he went to Blackrock College, Dublin and later went to Clonliffe College. He then proceeded to the Irish College in Rome where he was ordained on the 18th April 1908.

Bishop D'Alton was appointed Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All-Ireland on the 25th April 1946, in succession to Cardinal McRory, and on the 12th January 1953 he was elevated to the College of Cardinals by His Holiness Pope Pius XII.

He led the Irish hierarchy at the first session of the Vatican Council in 1962. Cardinal D'Alton died in Dublin on 1st Feburary 1963 and was buried in the grounds of Armagh Cathedral.

His published works include: "Horace and his Age" (1917), "Roman Literary Theory & Criticism - a study in Tendencies" (1913).