Philip MacDevitt was born in Fahan, County Donegal, and was educated at the Sorbonne. In 1766 he became Bishop of Derry. He founded a bursary at Maynooth for students from Derry and raised money for a seminary at Claudy. He began building the Long Tower Church in 1786, towards which his Church of Ireland counterpart, Bishop Hervey, is said to have contributed two hundred guineas.

Born:	1724
Died:	1797