Michael Patrick O'Hickey ( ga, Micheál Pádraig Ó hIcí; 12 March 1860 – 19 November 1916) was an Irish Catholic priest and held the chair of Irish at

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 ...

and an

Irish language Irish (an Caighdeán Oifigiúil, Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic languages, Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European lang ...

campaigner.

Biography

Michael O'Hickey was born in Carrickbeg,

County Waterford County Waterford ( ga, Contae Phort Láirge) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Munster and is part of the South-East Region. It is named after the city of Waterford. Waterford City and County Council is the local authority for ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. His mother died at an early age and his father, a

Fenian The word ''Fenian'' () served as an umbrella term for the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) and their affiliate in the United States, the Fenian Brotherhood, secret political organisations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries dedicate ...

, remarried. He had an older brother Martin, and a younger half brother Maurice. He studied for the priesthood in

St. John's College, Waterford St John's College (or St John's Seminary) was a Roman Catholic seminary founded in 1807 for the diocese of Waterford and Lismore. Foundation The College was founded by Bishop John Power DD. It was one of many seminaries founded in Ireland fo ...

, and was ordained a priest in 1884.Canon Patrick Power A Talk
by Msg. Michael G. Olden presented at Canon Patrick Power Seminar, WIT, 8 March 2012 He was an active member and vice president of the

Gaelic League (; historically known in English as the Gaelic League) is a social and cultural organisation which promotes the Irish language in Ireland and worldwide. The organisation was founded in 1893 with Douglas Hyde as its first president, when it em ...

and studied under the noted Irish scholar Sean Plemion. O'Hickey was also a member of the

Royal Irish Academy The Royal Irish Academy (RIA; ga, Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann), based in Dublin, is an academic body that promotes study in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is Ireland's premier learned society and one its leading cultural i ...

. In 1896 he was appointed Professor of Irish in Maynooth College, succeeding Fr.

Eugene O'Growney Eugene O'Growney ( ga, Eoghan Ó Gramhnaigh; born 25 August 1863 at Ballyfallon, Athboy, County Meath, died 18 October 1899 in Los Angeles, California), was an Irish priest and scholar, and a key figure in the Gaelic revival of the late 19th cent ...

. After clashing with the bishops and establishment, O'Hickey was dismissed in 1909 from his position as Professor of Irish, for his conduct in the controversy over Irish as a matriculation subject for the new

National University of Ireland The National University of Ireland (NUI) ( ga, Ollscoil na hÉireann) is a federal university system of ''constituent universities'' (previously called '' constituent colleges'') and ''recognised colleges'' set up under the Irish Universit ...

. He received support from many Irish Nationalists (including

Patrick Pearse Patrick Henry Pearse (also known as Pádraig or Pádraic Pearse; ga, Pádraig Anraí Mac Piarais; 10 November 1879 – 3 May 1916) was an Irish teacher, barrister, poet, writer, nationalist, republican political activist and revolutionary who ...

whom he earlier had disagreements with), Irish language activists, and some of his colleagues including Maynooth's Theology Professor, Walter McDonald.''Catholic Churchmen and the Celtic Revival in Ireland'', 1848–1916 By Kevin Collins. Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2004. Pp. 203. He appealed his dismissal to the Vatican, but his appeal was refused. Sometimes his name appears as Michael Hickey rather than Micheal O'Hickey, or even in Irish as An tAthair Micheál Ó hIcí. He died in

Portlaw Portlaw ( or ''Port Lách'') is a town in County Waterford, Ireland. It is also a parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Waterford and Lismore. It is situated approximately 19 km west-north-west of Waterford City, where the Clodiagh m ...

in 1916 and is buried in the Hickey family plot in the Friary Cemetery in Carrick Beg, Co. Waterford.

Publications

* ''Irish in the schools'', by Ó hIcí, Micheál P., Gaelic League, 1900. * ''The nationalisation of Irish education'' by Rev. M.P. O'Hickey, Gaelic League, 1902. * ''An Irish university, or else'' by Michael P. O'Hickey, Gill & Sons, Dublin, 1909. * ''Language and Nationality'' by O'Hickey, Rev. Michael.(Preface by Douglas Hyde) Waterford News, 1918.

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ohickey, Michael 20th-century Irish Roman Catholic priests People from County Waterford Irish language activists 1860 births 1916 deaths 19th-century Irish Roman Catholic priests Members of the Royal Irish Academy Alumni of St John's College, Waterford Academics of St Patrick's College, Maynooth