Tomás Séamus Ó Fiaich,
KGCHS (3 November 1923 – 8 May 1990) was an
Irish cardinal
Cardinal or The Cardinal most commonly refers to
* Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds
**''Cardinalis'', genus of three species in the family Cardinalidae
***Northern cardinal, ''Cardinalis cardinalis'', the common cardinal of ...
of the Catholic Church. He served as the
Roman Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
Archbishop of Armagh
The Archbishop of Armagh is an Episcopal polity, archiepiscopal title which takes its name from the Episcopal see, see city of Armagh in Northern Ireland. Since the Reformation in Ireland, Reformation, there have been parallel apostolic success ...
and
Primate of All Ireland
The Primacy of Ireland belongs to the diocesan bishop of the Irish diocese with highest precedence. The Archbishop of Armagh is titled Primate of All Ireland and the Archbishop of Dublin Primate of Ireland, signifying that they are the senior ...
from 2 October 1977 until his death. He was created a
Cardinal
Cardinal or The Cardinal most commonly refers to
* Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds
**''Cardinalis'', genus of three species in the family Cardinalidae
***Northern cardinal, ''Cardinalis cardinalis'', the common cardinal of ...
in 1979. Ó Fiaich was born in 1923 in
Cullyhanna and raised in
Camlough,
County Armagh
County Armagh ( ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It is located in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and adjoins the southern shore of Lough Neagh. It borders t ...
.
Early life and education
Tomás Ó Fiaich (born Thomas Fee, adopting the fully Gaelicised version while a lecturer at
St. Patrick's College Maynooth) was born in Cullyhanna, South Armagh, where his father was a local schoolmaster. He was educated locally before attending
St Patrick's Grammar School, Armagh, and then proceeded to begin his studies for the priesthood in
St Peter's College, Wexford, on 6 July 1948.
John Cardinal D'Alton appointed him as an assistant priest in
Clonfeacle parish, but after Ó Fiaich returned to full health he commenced post-graduate studies in
University College Dublin
University College Dublin (), commonly referred to as UCD, is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland. With 38,417 students, it is Ireland's largest ...
(1948–1950), receiving an
MA in early and medieval
Irish history. Further study followed at the
Catholic University of Leuven
University of Leuven or University of Louvain (; ) may refer to:
* Old University of Leuven (1425–1797)
* State University of Leuven (1817–1835)
* Catholic University of Leuven (1834–1968)
* Katholieke Universiteit Leuven or KU Leuven (1968 ...
, Belgium, (1950–1952), culminating in Ó Fiaich receiving a
licentiate in historical sciences.
In 1952, he returned to
Clonfeacle where he remained as assistant priest until following summer 1953 and his appointment to the faculty of
St Patrick's College, Maynooth
St Patrick's Pontifical University, Maynooth (), is a pontifical Catholic university in the town of Maynooth near Dublin, Ireland
Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mou ...
.
Member of staff at Maynooth College
Ó Fiaich was an academic and noted
Irish language
Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( ), is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family. It is a member of the Goidelic languages of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous ...
scholar,
folklorist
Folklore studies (also known as folkloristics, tradition studies or folk life studies in the UK) is the academic discipline devoted to the study of folklore. This term, along with its synonyms, gained currency in the 1950s to distinguish the ac ...
and historian in the
Pontifical University
A pontifical university or athenaeum is an ecclesiastical university established or approved directly by the Holy See, composed of three main ecclesiastical faculties (Theology, Philosophy and canon law (Catholic Church), Canon Law) and at least o ...
in St Patrick's College, Maynooth, the National Seminary of Ireland. From 1959 to 1974 he was Professor of Modern Irish History at the college. In this capacity he suggested to
Nollaig Ó Muraíle that he begin research on
Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh and his works. He "was an inspired lecturer, an open and endearing man, who was loved by his students... Tomas O'Fiaich was my Good Samaritan."
He served as vice president of the college from 1970 to 1974, and was then appointed college president. He held this position until 1977.
Archbishop of Armagh
Following the relatively early death from cancer of
William Cardinal Conway in April 1977,
Monsignor
Monsignor (; ) is a form of address or title for certain members of the clergy in the Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian ''monsignore'', meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" can be abbreviated as Mons.... or Msgr. In some ...
Ó Fiaich was appointed Archbishop of Armagh by
Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI (born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding John XXII ...
on 18 August 1977. He was consecrated bishop on 2 October 1977. The
principal consecrator
A consecrator is a bishop who ordains someone to the episcopacy. A co-consecrator is someone who assists the consecrator bishop in the act of ordaining a new bishop.
The terms are used in the canon law of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Churches, ...
was the
papal nuncio
An apostolic nuncio (; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international organization. A nuncio is a ...
Archbishop
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 archdi ...
Gaetano Alibrandi; the
principal co-consecrators were Bishop
Francis Lenny, the auxiliary Bishop of Armagh, and Bishop
William Philbin, the Bishop of
Down and Connor.
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005.
In his you ...
raised Ó Fiaich to the cardinalate on 30 June 1979; he was appointed
Cardinal-Priest
A cardinal is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. As titular members of the clergy of the Diocese of Rome, they serve as advisors to the pope, who is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. ...
of S. Patrizio that same day.
Papal visit 1979
The first major event in Ó Fiaich's cardinalate was the first ever papal visit to
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
from 29 September to 1 October 1979 by
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005.
In his you ...
. The Pope celebrated
Mass
Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...
before one million people in
Phoenix Park
The Phoenix Park () is a large urban park in Dublin, Ireland, lying west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey. Its perimeter wall encloses of recreational space. It includes large areas of grassland and tree-lined avenues, and since ...
, Dublin. His major speech calling on all the organisations that were prolonging
The Troubles
The Troubles () were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted for about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it began in the late 1960s and is usually deemed t ...
to end their activities was made in the
Archdiocese of Armagh and was followed by a visit to the Marian Shrine at
Knock,
County Mayo
County Mayo (; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, it is named after the village of Mayo, County Mayo, Mayo, now ge ...
. Cardinal Ó Fiaich was at the Pope's side during the entire visit.
Criticism
Ó Fiaich took a more understanding, or at least a less critical, stance than other episcopal colleagues on militant republicanism in part because of his own upbringing in Crossmaglen. His approach, including visits to republican prisoners in the Maze, triggered many complaints but Ó Fiaich was always adamant that he had pastoral responsibilities and that the strict work of politics especially in an era of Margaret Thatcher as well as
Taoisigh
The Taoiseach (, ) is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The office is appointed by the President of Ireland upon nomination by Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legislature) and the office ...
such as
Jack Lynch
John Mary Lynch (15 August 1917 – 20 October 1999) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Taoiseach from 1966 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979. He was Leader of Fianna Fáil from 1966 to 1979, Leader of the Opposition from 1973 to 1977, ...
and
Garret FitzGerald, was not his sphere.
Unionists were also critical of Ó Fiaich.
Some of Ó Fiaich's sternest critics were in the Irish media, notably ''
The Sunday Independent'' (which had a very strong anti-republican stance) and ''
The Irish Times
''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It was launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is Ireland's leading n ...
''. He was, however, strongly defended on occasion by ''
The Irish Press
''The Irish Press'' (irish language, Irish: ''Scéala Éireann'') was an Ireland, Irish national daily newspaper published by Irish Press plc between 5 September 1931 and 25 May 1995.
History Foundation
The paper's first issue was published o ...
'' (a more
nationalist
Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation,Anthony D. Smith, Smith, A ...
paper) and ''
An Phoblacht
''An Phoblacht'' (Irish pronunciation: ; ) is a Sinn Féin-affiliated online Irish republicanism, Irish republican news platform which also publishes a quarterly print magazine format. Editorially the paper takes a Left-wing politics, left-wing ...
'' (which had a very pro-Sinn Féin & IRA stance).
Hunger strikes
During the
IRA hunger strikes Ó Fiaich was believed by many to have been a privately influential figure among militant republican supporters, credited with helping end the first hunger strike through direct contact with militant republicans in the
Maze Prison
HM Prison Maze (previously Long Kesh Detention Centre, and known colloquially as the Maze or H-Blocks) was a prison in Northern Ireland that was used to house paramilitary prisoners during the Troubles from August 1971 to September 2000. On 15 ...
in Northern Ireland. He visited the Maze and witnessed the
"Dirty Protest" (where prisoners rubbed their faeces on the walls of their cells and left food to rot on cell floors, while just wearing blankets and refusing to wash, in protest at the withdrawal of
Special Category Status from militant republican prisoners). He stated:
:"I was shocked at by the inhuman conditions . . . where over 300 prisoners are incarcerated. One would hardly allow an animal to remain in such conditions let alone a human being. The nearest approach to it that I have seen was the spectacle of hundreds of homeless people living in sewer pipes in the slums of Calcutta."
When hunger striker
Raymond McCreesh died, Ó Fiaich said:
:"Raymond McCreesh was captured bearing arms at the age of 19 and sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment. I have no doubt that he would have never seen the inside of a jail but for the abnormal political situation. Who is entitled to label him a murderer or a suicide?"
While the Cardinal showed deep concern for the treatment of prisoners, he was equally critical of those who used violence to further the cause of Irish nationalism.
David Armstrong affair
In 1983, the Reverend David Armstrong, a
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...
minister, was forced to leave
Limavady
Limavady (; ) is a market town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, with Binevenagh as a backdrop. Lying east of Derry and southwest of Coleraine, Limavady had a population of 11,279 people at the 2021 Census. In the 40 years between 1 ...
due to threats that followed his wishing Father Kevin Mullan's Catholic congregation "Happy Christmas". Cardinal Ó Fiaich gave the clergyman a cash donation to help him resettle in England.
Vatican service
During his tenure, Cardinal Ó Fiaich attended many synods and meetings of the Sacred
College of Cardinals
The College of Cardinals (), also called the Sacred College of Cardinals, is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church. there are cardinals, of whom are eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope. Appointed by the pope, ...
. The main meetings were
* First Plenary Assembly of the Sacred College of Cardinals,
Vatican City
Vatican City, officially the Vatican City State (; ), is a Landlocked country, landlocked sovereign state and city-state; it is enclaved within Rome, the capital city of Italy and Bishop of Rome, seat of the Catholic Church. It became inde ...
, 5–9 November 1979
* World Synod of Bishops (Ordinary assembly), Vatican City, 26 September – 25 October 1980
* World Synod of Bishops (Ordinary assembly), Vatican City, 29 September – 28 October 1983
* World Synod of Bishops (Extraordinary assembly), Vatican City, 24 November – 8 December 1985
* World Synod of Bishops (Ordinary assembly), Vatican City, 1–30 October 1987
Reordering of Armagh Cathedral
Ó Fiaich's re-ordering of the high Victorian
neo-Gothic
Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half of the 19th century ...
St. Patrick's Cathedral in
Armagh
Armagh ( ; , , " Macha's height") is a city and the county town of County Armagh, in Northern Ireland, as well as a civil parish. It is the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland – the seat of the Archbishops of Armagh, the Primates of All ...
proved very contentious. He had the highly decorated
High Altar
An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...
and
rood screen
The rood screen (also choir screen, chancel screen, or jubé) is a common feature in late medieval church architecture. It is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, o ...
replaced by a plain white
Wicklow
Wicklow ( ; , meaning 'church of the toothless one'; ) is the county town of County Wicklow in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located on the east of Ireland, south of Dublin. According to the 2022 census of Ireland, 2022 census, it had ...
granite
altar table.
Though Cardinal Ó Fiaich himself wrote approvingly of the new design for the sanctuary, many others were highly critical, arguing that the new sanctuary design defaced what had been a particularly fine nineteenth-century building, with the brutal simplicity of the white oval altar contrasting with the original features surviving. One critic, writing in ''
The Sunday Independent'', compared Ó Fiaich's altar to something from the set of ''
Star Trek
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...
''. The altar table installed during his time as
Archbishop of Armagh
The Archbishop of Armagh is an Episcopal polity, archiepiscopal title which takes its name from the Episcopal see, see city of Armagh in Northern Ireland. Since the Reformation in Ireland, Reformation, there have been parallel apostolic success ...
was subsequently removed by
Seán Cardinal Brady and a more classical replacement installed.
Death
Ó Fiaich died of a heart attack on the evening of 8 May 1990 while leading the annual
pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...
by the
Archdiocese of Armagh to the
Marian shrine
A shrine ( "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred space">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ...: ''escri ...
of
Lourdes
Lourdes (, also , ; ) is a market town situated in the Pyrenees. It is part of the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region in southwestern France. Prior to the mid-19th century, the town was best known for its Château fort, a ...
in France. He had arrived in France the day before and had complained of feeling ill shortly after saying Mass at the grotto in the French town. He was rushed by helicopter to a hospital in Toulouse, away, where he died. He was aged 66. He lay in state at the cathedral in Armagh, where thousands of people lined up to pay their respects.
He was succeeded as archbishop and cardinal by a man six years his senior,
Cahal Daly, then the Bishop of
Down and Connor.
Legacy
Cardinal Ó Fiaich Library
The Cardinal Tomás Ó Fiaich Memorial Library, a registered charity, was officially opened in Armagh 8 May 1999 by the Northern Ireland Secretary of State,
Marjorie Mowlam.
Named after the cardinal to honour his academic interests, it contains extensive archival material about Irish folklore, heritage and history. Cardinal Ó Fiaich's private papers covering his period as archbishop and cardinal are held by the library, as are those of nine previous Roman Catholic Archbishops of Armagh dating back to the mid-eighteenth century.
Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich
Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich is named in Cardinal Ó Fiaich's honour and is an
Irish language
Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( ), is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family. It is a member of the Goidelic languages of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous ...
cultural centre in which the first
Irish-medium secondary school
A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...
in Northern Ireland,
Coláiste Feirste was founded.
A bust of the cardinal can be seen in
An Ceathrú Póilí, the centre's book shop.
Ancient Order of Hibernians
The
Ancient Order of Hibernians, an exclusively Roman Catholic organisation largely (though not exclusively) based in the US, has named its No. 14 Division in Massachusetts and No. 7 Division in New York City after the late Cardinal.
Footnotes
# Then Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Garret FitzGerald, on behalf of the Government, raised Alibrandi's position directly with Pope Paul VI and Cardinal Benelli at a meeting in 1975. (FitzGerald in The Irish Times)
# Garret FitzGerald, ''All in a Life'' (Gill and Macmillan, 1991) p. 337.)
# Statement by Tomás Cardinal Ó Fiaich, quoted in Tim Pat Coogan, ''The Troubles: Ireland's Ordeal 1966–1996 and the Search for Peace'' (Arrow, 1996)
References
Writings
* ''Edmund O'Reilly,
Archbishop of Armagh
The Archbishop of Armagh is an Episcopal polity, archiepiscopal title which takes its name from the Episcopal see, see city of Armagh in Northern Ireland. Since the Reformation in Ireland, Reformation, there have been parallel apostolic success ...
1657–1669,'' in ''Father
Luke Wadding
Luke Wadding (16 October 158818 November 1657), was an Irish Franciscan friar and historian.
Life
Early life
Wadding was born on 16 October 1588 in Waterford to Walter Wadding of Waterford, a wealthy merchant, and his wife, Anastasia Lombar ...
Commemorative Volume,'' pp. 171–228 (Franciscan Fathers), 1957.
* ''Irish cultural influence in Europe, 6th to 12th century,'' Dublin, 1967.
* ''The Irish Bishops and The Conscription Issue 1918'', in ''The Capuchin Annual'', 1968.
* ''Columbanus in His Own Words'' (Dublin: Veritas Publications, 1974)
* ''Virgil's Irish background and departure for France,'' in ''Seanchas Ardmacha,'' ix (1985), pp. 301–17.
* ''Gaelscrínte san Eoraop.'' Dublin, 1986.
* ''Irish monks in Germany in the late Middle Ages,'' in ''The Church, Ireland and the Irish,'' (ed. W.J. Sheils and Diana Wood), Oxford, 1989; studies in Church history, xxv, pp. 89–104.
* ''The early period,'' in Rémonn Ó Muirí (ed.) ''Irish Church History Today,'' pp. 1–12, Armagh
991?* ''Virgils Wededegand in Irland und sein Weg auf den Kontinent,'' in ''
Virgil von Salzburg,'' pp. 17–26 (date unknown)
External links
BBC page on the hunger strikes containing comments by Cardinal Ó FiaichTomás Ó Fiaich memorial library and archive
{{DEFAULTSORT:OFiaich, Tomas
1923 births
1990 deaths
Irish cardinals
Roman Catholic archbishops of Armagh
People from Crossmaglen
20th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in Ireland
Cardinals created by Pope John Paul II
Catholic University of Leuven (1834–1968) alumni
Irish-language writers
People educated at St Peter's College, Wexford
Presidents of St Patrick's College, Maynooth
Academics of St Patrick's College, Maynooth
Irish Roman Catholic archbishops
Christian clergy from County Armagh
People from Cullyhanna
People from Camlough
Bishops appointed by Pope Paul VI