John Frederick MacNeice (1866–1942), was born at

Omey Omey may refer to the following: France * Omey (commune), a commune in north-eastern France. Ireland * Omey (civil parish), a civil parish in County Galway. *Omey Island Omey Island ( ga, Iomaidh) is a tidal island situated near Claddaghduff o ...

Co. Galway "Righteousness and Justice" , anthem = () , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Galway.svg , map_caption = Location in Ireland , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = ...

, to a Protestant family which claimed descent from the kin of the early Irish saint MacNissi. Opting for the

Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland ( ga, Eaglais na hÉireann, ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Kirk o Airlann, ) is a Christian church in Ireland and an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the second ...

ministry he served notably as rector of

Carrickfergus Carrickfergus ( , meaning " Fergus' rock") is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It sits on the north shore of Belfast Lough, from Belfast. The town had a population of 27,998 at the 2011 Census. It is County Antrim's oldest t ...

Co. Antrim County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, County Antrim, Antrim, ) is one of six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of a ...

and afterwards as bishop of Cashel, Emly, Waterford and Lismore (1931–1934) and until his death as

bishop of Down, Connor and Dromore The Bishop of Down, Connor and Dromore was the Ordinary of the Church of Ireland diocese of Down, Connor and Dromore; comprising all County Down and County Antrim, including the city of Belfast. History The episcopal sees of Down and Connor ...

(1934–1942). MacNeice is well known for his symbolic opposition to the

Partition of Ireland The partition of Ireland ( ga, críochdheighilt na hÉireann) was the process by which the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland divided Ireland into two self-governing polities: Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland. I ...

(accepted as a political reality): hence his refusal to allow the Union Flag to be laid on

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's grave at his funeral in

St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast St Anne's Cathedral, also known as Belfast Cathedral, is a Church of Ireland cathedral in Donegall Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is unusual in serving two separate dioceses (Diocese of Connor (Church of Ireland), Connor and Diocese of Do ...

in 1935. MacNeice was twice married. One of his sons by his first marriage was the poet,

Louis MacNeice Frederick Louis MacNeice (12 September 1907 – 3 September 1963) was an Irish poet and playwright, and a member of the Auden Group, which also included W. H. Auden, Stephen Spender and Cecil Day-Lewis. MacNeice's body of work was widely a ...

References

*Jon Stallworthy: ''Louis MacNeice'', Faber and Faber, 1995 *Christopher Fauske: 'Side by Side in a Small Country': ''Bishop John Frederick MacNeice and Ireland'', Church of Ireland Historical Society, 2004 *David Fitzpatrick: 'Solitary and Wild': ''Frederick MacNeice and the Salvation of Ireland'', Lilliput Press, 2011. 1866 births 1942 deaths Bishops of Cashel and Waterford Bishops of Down, Connor and Dromore 20th-century Irish Anglican priests {{Ireland-Anglican-bishop-stub