Monsignor Michael G. Olden BA, BD, DHistEccl. (1935 - 2021) was an Irish priest, historian and educator who served as President of

Maynooth College St Patrick's Pontifical University, Maynooth ( ga, Coláiste Naoimh Phádraig, Maigh Nuad), is the "National Seminary for Ireland" (a Roman Catholic college), and a pontifical university, located in the town of Maynooth, from Dublin, Ireland. ...

from 1977 to 1985 and hosted the visit of Pope John Paul II to the college in 1979.

Early life and education

He was born in

Cappoquin Cappoquin, also spelt Cappaquin or Capaquin (), is a town in west County Waterford, Ireland. It is on the Blackwater river at the junction of the N72 national secondary road and the R669 regional road. It is positioned on a sharp 90-degree be ...

in 1935 in the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Waterford and Lismore The Diocese of Waterford and Lismore (Irish: ''Deoise Phort Láirge agus Leasa Móire'' ) is a Roman Catholic diocese in Ireland. It is one of six suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Cashel (also known as Munster) and is subject ...

and educated at Mount Melleray Abbey College,

University College Cork University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork (UCC) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh) is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland, and located in Cork. The university was founded in 1845 as one of ...

and Maynooth where he was ordained in June 1960. He undertook postgraduate studies at the Gregorian University in Rome in ecclesiastical history and in Oct 1966 was appointed to the staff of

St. Patrick's College, Maynooth St Patrick's Pontifical University, Maynooth ( ga, Coláiste Naoimh Phádraig, Maigh Nuad), is the "National Seminary for Ireland" (a Roman Catholic college), and a pontifical university, located in the town of Maynooth, from Dublin, Ireland ...

. He served as vice-president from 1976 to 1977 and then when Tomas O'Fiach was made

Archbishop of Armagh In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdio ...

, Michael Olden assumed the duties of president until 1985. In that time he served as Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the

National University of Ireland The National University of Ireland (NUI) ( ga, Ollscoil na hÉireann) is a federal university system of ''constituent universities'' (previously called ''university college, constituent colleges'') and ''recognised colleges'' set up under t ...

. During his tenure as president of Maynooth he oversaw the fundraising and planning for the building of the new library. As a historian, Dr. Olden contributed to many academic publications such as '' Archivium Hibernicum''. In 2005 it was reported that he was among the college staff interviewed by Denis McCullough SC in his report into the handling of claims against

Micheál Ledwith Micheál Ledwith (whose first name is often reported as Michael) is a former Catholic Church, Catholic priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ferns, Diocese of Ferns in County Wexford from 1967 to 2005. Early years at Maynooth After a promising ...

Post-Maynooth Ministry

Monsignor Olden returned to the Diocese of Waterford and Lismore to serve in parish ministry, first as PP of

Clonmel Clonmel () is the county town and largest settlement of County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The town is noted in Irish history for its resistance to the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, Cromwellian army which sacked the towns of Dro ...

and then as Parish Priest of

Tramore Tramore (; ) is a seaside town in County Waterford, on the southeast coast of Ireland. With humble origins as a small fishing village, the area saw rapid development upon the arrival of the railway from Waterford City in 1853. Initially, the to ...

. He also served as

Vicar General A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ...

under Bishop William Lee. He was often in demand as a homilist at important diocesan liturgies. Mgr Olden delivered the homily at the Ordination Mass of Father Alphonsus Cullinan as Bishop of Waterford & Lismore. In 2008 he contributed a chapter ‘Tobias Kirby (1804‐1895): the man who kept the papers’ to The Irish College Rome and its World edited by D. Keogh & A. McDonnell. He retired from full-time ministry in 2009. Maintaining his interest in History and Irish Church History in particular, Mgr. Olden presented a talk on Canon Patrick Power at a seminar in

WIT Wit is a form of intelligent humour, the ability to say or write things that are clever and usually funny. Someone witty is a person who is skilled at making clever and funny remarks. Forms of wit include the quip, repartee, and wisecrack. Form ...

, in March 2012. In 2013 he delivered a lecture to the Waterford Archaeological and Historical Society entitled ''Prominent Churchmen From Waterford and Lismore in the 19th century''. He died on 30 August 2021 in

Dungarvan Dungarvan () is a coastal town and harbour in County Waterford, on the south-east coast of Ireland. Prior to the merger of Waterford County Council with Waterford City Council in 2014, Dungarvan was the county town and administrative centre of ...

and was buried from Mount Melleray Abbey Church.

Publications

*''The Parish of Tramore and Carbally'' by Michael Olden and Andy Taylor. *''Episcipal comments on the "Decreta pro recta regimine ecclesiarum hiberniae", 1635-6'', by Michael Olden, Archivium Hibernicum 27 (1964) 1-12. *''The Faith Journey of the Déise People'' (Waterford, 2018).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Olden, Michael Irish educators 20th-century Irish Roman Catholic priests Presidents of St Patrick's College, Maynooth Year of birth missing (living people)