Father Mathew was born on October 10, 1790 at Thomastown near Cashel in Tipperary county. At an early age he was orphaned. He was adopted by Lady Elizabeth Mathew, the wife of his uncle Major General Mathew.
Growing up, he studied at the lay-academy of Kilkenny and then Maynooth for ecclesiastical studies.
His ordaination was held on Easter Sunday in 1814 in Dublin.
Father Mathew was known for saving his money to buy eleven acres of land, called the Botanic Garden, to open it up as a cemetary for the poor (free of charge).
Father Mathew saw drinking as a way of dividing the people of his land. It was a way to mask the hardships of everyday life. It also encouraged rivalries and generational feuds to continue.
Therefore, he began with talking to the poor. He then spoke in his sermons about temperance and the need to join.
In 1838, he started holding public meetings, on Tuesdays and Saturdays at the Horse Bazaar. People were able to pledge and sign their names in a register. Pledgers were granted a medal to show to their peers that they took the pledge.
In Dec. of 1839, he traveled to Limerick to convert more people. He was welcomed by throngs of people.
Throughout his life, Father Mathew traveled throughout Ireland, Scotland and England preaching temperance. He later traveled through Europe and to America where he was greeted by mass numbers willing to sign the pledge.
The Battle Between Carnival and Lent: Temperance in Ireland
Catholic Encyclopedia: Theobald Mathew
Tribute to Father Mathew by Cork City, Ireland
Russian Sufferers - Mark Twain's Story on Temperance and Fr. Mathew