Roman Catholic priest, was a native of Dublin. He studied at the Jesuit College in Montevideo and it was there that dimissorial* letters were issued in his favour on 12 May 1854 for major orders including priesthood. He came to Buenos Aires in 1856 and at the request of Anthony Fahy OP was the first Irish Roman Catholic priest to visit the Islands. He arrived in 1857 and stayed for six months. He produced a list of all eighteen children (eleven boys and seven girls aged between four months and three and a half years old) whom he baptised between 18 January and 15 March of 1857. On 17 March, St Patrick's Day, Kirwan chaired a meeting of Catholics in Stanley which started the Catholic Fund with the purpose of obtaining land to build a church or chapel. In due course Kirwan returned to Buenos Aires where he worked and ministered to the Irish population for the rest of his life. He was very highly regarded.