Fr T.J. Linane, From Abel to Zundolovich, Vol. 2: Biographies of Priests on the Australian Scene up to 1900, 1980, pp 111-112:

Cullen, Paul, His Eminence, Irish
A Say-So in Appointment of Many of Our Bishops
A tidy write-up of this famous benefactor of the Catholic Church in Australasia can be found in the Australian Dictionary of Biography (National University, Canberra), Vol. 3. The writer is John N. Molony, author of the book published in recent years, 'The Roman Mould of the Australian Catholic Church, 1848-78'. Paul was born in Ballitore, County Kilkenny, on 29 April 1803, son of a farmer, Hugh Cullen, and Judith nee Maher. Education was received at St. Patrick's Carlow and at Propaganda College, Rome. On 11 September 1828 he acquired honours in a disputation at Propaganda and was ordained the next year, continuing with his studies of classical and Oriental languages, ecclesiastical history, theology, scripture. His versatility in study and teaching is evidenced by his being appointed to the Chair of Hebrew and Scripture. From 1832 to 1850 he was Rector of the Irish College and for a period during the Roman revolution was Rector of Propaganda as well. In strong favour with Popes Gregory XVI and Pius IX in turn, he naturally became a candidate for the episcopacy. Hence in 1849 'Pio Nono' passed over the three names submitted by the Armagh chapter for its vacant archbishopric and named his own favourite. He was consecrated for Armagh on 24 February 1850 and a few years later translated to the See of Dublin. Hence he became one of the key figures of the Church in the English-speaking world. The Molony assessment in A.D.B. makes the claim that "no important decision on the Church in Ireland, or on its dependant Churches in America, Canada, and Australia was made by Rome without reference to Cullen". His appointment as Cardinal in 1866 even enhanced power and standing. To continue with an unchallengeable assessment: "He was able to influence the choice of appointments to episcopal sees in Australia ... The twelve Irish priests appointed to Australian Sees before 1878 were in some way Cullen's men. He was related to three of them, he formed most of them in their student days in Rome ... Cullen was thus the moulder of the early Australian hierarchy and it was to Rome that these men looked for guidance and inspiration ... After his death his influence continued through Cardinal Moran ... Cullen was most notable for his unflinching allegiance to the See of Rome. He took a leading part in the defence of the Papal States, helped to formulate the definition of Papal infallibility and tried to impose upon Ireland uniformity in teaching and discipline ... He was always regarded as a churchman rather than an Irish nationalist ..." He died at his Dublin home on 24 October 1878 at the age of 75. His remains are held at the Clonliffe College vaults.
(Footprints, Vol. 3, No. 4)