Background
He was born at Rathdowney, Queen"s County, He entered the public school at Kilkenny College in January 1697, and stayed there till April 1699. Among his school-fellows was George Berkeley, with whom he formed a lifelong friendship.
He was born at Rathdowney, Queen"s County, He entered the public school at Kilkenny College in January 1697, and stayed there till April 1699. Among his school-fellows was George Berkeley, with whom he formed a lifelong friendship.
He entered Trinity College, Dublin, obtained a scholarship in 1701, and graduated Bachelor of Arts in 1703.
lieutenant was incorporated, and received a grant from Parliament in 1749 of £500 a year. lieutenant subsequently developed into the Royal Dublin Society. Prior died on 21 October 1751, and was buried at Rathdowny, A monument was erected by subscription to his memory in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, with an inscription in Latin by Berkeley, who styled him "Societatis Dubliniensis auctor, institutor, curator".
A portrait of him in mezzotint by Charles Spooner was published at Dublin in 1752.