Patrick Finbar Ryan, TC, O.P., (1881-1975) was an Irish Dominican priest who served as Archbishop of Port of Spain,

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...

(1940–1966). Patrick Ryan was born in

Rochestown Rochestown is a primarily residential area in Cork City, Ireland. Originally a somewhat rural area in County Cork, housing developments in the 20th and 21st centuries have connected the area to Douglas and nearby suburbs. The area was formally in ...

County Cork County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns a ...

, the son of Edward Ryan, and Matilda Ryan. on 4 March 1881. He was initially educated at

Christian Brothers College, Cork Christian Brothers College, Cork (CBC Cork, colloquially known as Christians) is a fee-paying school under the trusteeship of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust in Cork, Ireland. Their sister school in Dublin is CBC Monkstown. History In the mid ...

, and

Clongowes Wood College Clongowes Wood College SJ is a voluntary boarding school for boys near Clane, County Kildare, Ireland, founded by the Jesuits in 1814, which features prominently in James Joyce's semi-autobiographical novel ''A Portrait of the Artist as a Yo ...

. He then entered St. Mary's Priory, Tallaght to become a Dominican. At St. Mary's, he also studied at

University College Dublin University College Dublin (commonly referred to as UCD) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath) is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a member institution of the National University of Ireland. With 33,284 student ...

Royal University of Ireland The Royal University of Ireland was founded in accordance with the ''University Education (Ireland) Act 1879'' as an examining and degree-awarding university based on the model of the University of London. A Royal Charter was issued on 27 Apri ...

, and subsequently moved to study at

Sapienza University of Rome The Sapienza University of Rome ( it, Sapienza – Università di Roma), also called simply Sapienza or the University of Rome, and formally the Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza", is a public research university located in Rome, Ita ...

. He was ordained a priest of the Dominicans Order at the Irish Dominican run,

Basilica of San Clemente The Basilica of Saint Clement ( it, Basilica di San Clemente al Laterano) is a Latin Catholic minor basilica dedicated to Pope Clement I located in Rome, Italy. Archaeologically speaking, the structure is a three-tiered complex of buildings: (1) ...

, Rome, in 1905.Finbar Ryan
Dictionary of Irish Biography. He taught at the Dominican secondary school

Newbridge College , latin_name = , logo = Newbridge College crest.gif , logo_size = 140px , seal_image = , image = Newbridge College.jpg , image_size = 270px , alt = Newbridge College and the R ...

in County Kildare, serving as Dean. In 1915, he became Prior at St. Saviour's Church, Dominick St., Dublin, until 1919, when he moved to

Cork (city) Cork ( , from , meaning 'marsh') is the second largest city in Ireland and third largest city by population on the island of Ireland. It is located in the south-west of Ireland, in the province of Munster. Following an extension to the city ...

as Prior of St. Mary's Church, Pope's Quay. He edited the Dominican publication the Irish Rosary and, in 1921, founded a children's religious magazine, the Imeldist. He served as Provincial of the

Dominicans in Ireland The Dominican Order (''Order of Preachers'') has been present in Ireland since 1224 when the first foundation was established in Dublin, a monastic settlement north of the River Liffey, where the Four Courts is located today. This was quickly fol ...

twice - from 1921 to 1926 and, again, from 1930 to 1934. He was appointed co-adjudicator bishop of Port of Spain, Trinidad in 1937, before being elevated to Archbishop in 1940. In 1943, he established the Seminary of St. John Vianney and the Uganda Martyrs in

Tunapuna Tunapuna is a town in the East–West Corridor of the island of Trinidad, in Trinidad and Tobago. Town Tunapuna is located between St. Augustine, Tacarigua and Trincity. Tunapuna is the largest town between San Juan and Arima. It is an importa ...

, Trinidad. In 1946, he invited the Irish

Presentation Brothers The Congregation of Presentation Brothers is an international Catholic congregation of laymen founded in 1802 in Waterford, Ireland, by a local Irish businessman, Edmund Ignatius Rice, now Blessed Edmund Ignatius Rice. Presentation Brothers live a ...

and, in 1947, the Holy Faith Sisters to set up schools in the diocese. He attended the

Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions), each lasting between 8 and ...

, 1962-1965. He retired in 1966 and moved back to Ireland. He died on 10 January 1975, in Cork.

Awards

In 1937, Fr Ryan was awarded the Freedom of Cork City. In 1950, he was honoured with a knighthood by the Vatican as a '' Grand Officer of the Supreme Order of Christ'' becoming a papal count, also in 1969 he was awarded the ''

Trinity Cross The Trinity Cross (abbreviated T.C.) was the highest of the National Awards of Trinidad and Tobago, between the years 1969 and 2008. It was awarded for: "distinguished and outstanding service to Trinidad and Tobago. It was awarded for gallantry ...

'' by the government of

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...

Relatives

Bishop Ryans's brother was a British diplomat Sir Andrew Ryan, KBE, CMG, whose son was the theologian and like his uncle a Dominican, Rev. Dr.

Columba Ryan Columba Ryan (born Patrick Ryan, 13 January 1916 in Hampstead – 4 August 2009) was a British priest of the Dominican Order and a philosophy teacher, university chaplain, and pastor. He was the brother of John Ryan, the British animator and c ...

OP,Homily at Columba Ryan's Funeral
by Vivian Boland OP, St Dominic's Priory, London, 18 August 2009. Another brother, Thomas, served in the Indian civil service and his sister Mary Ryan MA was Professor of Romance Languages at

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 ...

, the first female professor in Ireland or the UK.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ryan, Patrick Finbar 1881 births 1975 deaths Irish Dominicans Irish expatriate Catholic bishops Roman Catholic archbishops of Port of Spain People educated at Christian Brothers College, Cork People educated at Clongowes Wood College Alumni of the Royal University of Ireland Alumni of University College Dublin Recipients of the Trinity Cross Dominican bishops Papal counts