Patrick Joseph Plunkett(1738-1827) was an Irish Roman Catholic priest who served as Bishop of Meath from 1778 until 1827. Born in Kells, Co. Meath on christmas eve 1738 the son of Thomas Plunkett and Mary (nee Murphy).He studied for the priesthood in France and was ordained in 1764 in . Remaining in Paris following ordination he gained a doctorate in theology at the Sorbonne University in 1770. Dr. Plunkett served as joint Superior of the Irish College in Paris (College of the Lombards) before being ordained a Bishop of Meath in 1778 and consecrated in Meath in 1779.He founded the diocesan seminary St Finians College, Navan.He died in office on January 11, 1827 and was succeeded by Bishop Robert Logan.

Triangular trade or triangle trade is a historical term indicating trade among three ports or regions. Triangular trade usually evolves when a region has export commodities that are not required in the region from which its major imports come. Triangular trade thus provides a method for rectifying trade imbalances between the above regions. Historically the particular routes were also shaped by the powerful influence of winds and currents during the age of sail. For example, from the main trading nations of Western Europe, it was much easier to sail westwards after first going south of 30° N latitude and reaching the so-called "trade winds"; thus arriving in the Caribbean rather than going straight west to the North American mainland. Returning from North America, it is easiest to follow the Gulf Stream in a northeasterly direction using the westerlies. A triangle similar to this, called the volta do mar was already being used by the Portuguese, before Christopher Columbus' voyage, to sail to the Canary Islands and the Azores. Columbus simply expanded this triangle outwards, and his route became the main way for Europeans to reach, and return from, the Americas.