Career
His feast day, together with that of the other martyrs, is celebrated on 4 May.
Attempting to return to Ireland from the continent where he had been ordained a Catholic priest, he was shipwrecked and landed in Wales. He was arrested in 1678 and imprisoned at Denbigh. He went on trial the following year at Ruthin in northern Wales where he was condemned and hanged.
The documentary evidence is scanty.
The British Museum has a copy of a single sheet entitled The Last Speeches of Three Priests that were Executed for Religion, Anno Domini 1679, from which the following transcript is made:-
"An Account of the words spoken by Mr. Charles Mahoney, an Irish Priest of the holy Order of Saint Francis, who was Executed in his Habit at Ruthin in North Wales, August 12, 1679.
Now God Almighty is pleased I should suffer Martyrdom, his Holy Name be praised, since I dye for my Religion. His Age was under Forty, He was tryed and Condemned at Denby Confessing himself to be a Priest."
Richard Challoner based his account on this single sheet, but may have had another source, now lost.