Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 9 May 1990

Vol. 398 No. 5

Death of Cardinal Ó Fiaich. - Expressions of Sympathy.

The Taoiseach

A Cheann Comhairle, that ceann an Rialtais agus, ar ndóigh, thar cheann gach Comhalta den Teach seo, ba mhaith liom comhbhrón a dhéanamh le cléir agus le muintir deoise Ard Mhacha as ucht bás Phíomháidh na hÉireann an Cairdinéal Tomás Ó Fiaich, san Fhrainc inné. Tá comhbhrón faoi leith le dul do chlann agus gaolta uilig an Chairdinéil chomh maith.

Ghoill nuacht bhás an Chairdinéil go mór orm nuair a cuireadh in iúl dom é aréir mar, taobh amuigh den teagmháil oifigiúil a bhíonn idir an Taoiseach agus ceannairí na n-Eaglaisí go léir in Eirinn, ba chara pearsanta dom é an Cairdinéal le blianta fada anuas. Is cúis bhróin faoi leith dúinn go léir gur cailleadh é chomh tobann sin, ach tá mé cinnte go mbeadh an Cairdinéal lán-sásta gur i seirbhís dhilís a hArd-deoise féin — agus é i gceannas ar oilithreacht bhliaintiúil na hArd-deoise chuig Lourdes — gur ghlaoigh an Tiarna air teacht abhaile.

Sár-scoláire ab ea an Cairdinéal, Gael go smior. Thug sé gean don Ghaeilge; thuig sé an tábhacht a bhain leí agus shaothraigh sé go dian agus go flaithiúil chun an teanga a chur chun cinn. Ba léiriú air sin a chuid oibre le Cumann na Sagart, Glór na nGael agus mar chathaoirleach ar an gCoimisiún um Athbheochan na Gaeilge. Bhí aithne agus cion air i ngach Gaeltacht sa tír, ach go háirithe i Rann na Feirste.

Deputies will have been shocked and saddened to learn last night of the sudden and untimely death of His Eminence, Tomás Cardinal Ó Fiaich while leading a pilgrimage to Lourdes from his Archdiocese of Armagh.

Cardinal Ó Fiaich was a great Irishman, a most distinguished churchman and a brilliant scholar. His contribution throughout his entire lifetime to the religious, cultural and social life of the country was one of dedication, enthusiasm and above all of great humanity.

As president of Maynooth College and as Primate of All Ireland he displayed unique leadership qualities. He was held in the highest esteem and with much affection by all those with whom he came in contact in the course of his pastoral and public life.

He made an immense contribution to the ecclesiastical history of early Christian Ireland, and through lectures, pilgrimages, and through the medium of television, he retraced for a wider public the steps of the saints and scholars from Ireland that brought Christianity and learning to Europe during the dark ages. He seemed to know the location of every manuscript and the details of the journey of every saint.

He was a man who was most interested in and concerned with people. He was always available to listen to those who wished to express their views or concerns whether in public or in private.

He was a man of great humanity, sympathetic and understanding, with a generous warm personality and open manner. Above all else, he was a man of God and of peace. He gave leadership by example through his strong personal commitment to ecumenical dialogue and joint civic and religious activities with other Christians. He spared no effort in his deep wish to see a peaceful solution to the problem of Northern Ireland achieved on a basis acceptable to all sections of the community.

Cardinal Ó Fiaich, who came from Cullyhanna near the Border in Armagh, had a strong sense of identification with his people, and had throughout his life a great love of all things Irish. He was a spiritual leader of the Nationalist people at a time of great tension and stress, and he had the ability to articulate their feelings and aspirations with great dignity and moderation. His contribution will be very greatly missed.

I, personally, have lost an old friend whom I shall sadly miss.

I ask you, a Cheann Comhairle, in the name of Dáil Éireann, to convey to the Papal Nuncio, His Excellency, the Most Reverend Dr. Emanuele Gerada, to the clergy and the people of the Archdiocese of Armagh and to Cardinal Ó Fiaich's family, an expression of our profound sympathy in their great loss.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam uasal dílis.

Mr. Noonan

(Limerick East): Ar son mo cheannaire, ar son mo phartí, Fine Gael, agus ar mo shon féin, ba mhaith liom aontú leis an rún comhbhróin a mhol an Taoiseach.

Is mor an cailiúnt é bás Cardinéal Tomás Ó Fiaich. B'fhear lách, cineálta, léanta, é, go raibh clú agus cáil air, ní hamháin anseo, agus i dtuaisceart na tíre, ach ar Mór Roinn na hEorpa comh maith. Bhí an-mheas ag a mhic léinn air nuair a mhúin sé i Maigh Nuaght mar ollamh le stair, agus níos deanaí mar uachtarán an choláiste.

Nuair a cheapadh ina Ard Easbaig ar Ard Mhaca é, bhí athas ar mhuintir na hÉireann uilig. Bhí an-spéis aige sa Ghaeilge, sa stair áitiúl, sna cluichí Ghaelacha agus i saol cos-mhuintír na hÉireann.

It is for his service to the Church he will be chiefly remembered. This service brought him to the Primatal See of Armagh and to the presidency of the Irish Episcopal Conference. He served at a difficult time, when the stress and tension and violence of life in the North imposed an additional burden on his office. The Nationalists in the North not only looked on him as their spiritual leader, but as someone to guide them towards a peaceful and just solution. I wish to offer the sympathy of my party to the clergy and laity of Armagh, and to Cardinal Ó Fiaich's family, relatives and friends.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam uasal dílis.

Mr. Quinn

It was with great regret that the Labour Party learned of the untimely death of Cardinal Ó Fiaich yesterday. His departure has come as a great shock to all the people of this country. From the moment he was appointed Primate of All Ireland, he represented his people with diligence and with great warmth. He tried at all times to see his role as a pastoral one in which he sought to reach out to everyone who was Irish.

The times in which he lived ensured that his was often a turbulent and sometimes controversial task which he carried out with great determination. He succeeded in holding the middle ground in often difficult circumstances and in maintaining contacts at every level throughout both communities in the North of Ireland. The period in which Cardinal Ó Fiaich served will be remembered as one in which he sought to accommodate change while controlling the pace at which it occurred.

Personally he will be remembered as a kindly, friendly and jovial man, blessed with the gift of friendship. On a personal note, he had been a friend of my late father and was very close to my family in Newry. He was always anxious to maintain the Ulster connection. On behalf of the Labour Party I would like to extend our deepest sympathy to his family and to all his friends throughout Ireland.

Tomás Mac Giolla

I regret that Deputy De Rossa is unable to be here today and therefore I speak on behalf of The Workers' Party in expressing our deepest sympathy on the death of Cardinal Tomás Ó Fiaich. His unexpected death came when he seemed to be at the height of his power. He clearly led a very active life until his untimely death. I met the Cardinal on a number of occasions but I knew him best when he was An tAthair Tomás Ó Fiaich in the late sixties. He had a very warm personality without pretensions or pompous attitudes. He was most at home with ordinary people and had a taste for the simple pleasures of life. He was clearly held in great affection by the members of his Church, both clergy and laity, but also enjoyed the respect of many others as the various tributes paid to him today have shown.

As the spiritual leader of the largest Church in Ireland, Cardinal Ó Fiaich clearly occupied a position of great power and influence. My party certainly disagreed with many of the views he expressed on Northern Ireland, social issues and other matters but all these views were genuinely held and were expressed without bitterness or rancour.

Bhí an-bhá aige leis an Ghaeilge, ní amháin leis an teanga ach leis an cheol Gaelach, cluichí Ghaelacha agus le gach gné den chultúr Gaelach. Is cuimhin liom bheith taobh leis ag canadh "Oró sé do bheatha abhaile" ag feachtas os comhair Theach an Ard Mhéara thart fá 1967 no 1968. Bhí sé oilte freisin i stair na tíre agus go mór mhór stair na heaglaise in Éirinn.

On behalf of The Workers' Party I extend our deepest sympathy to the Cardinal's family, to members of his Church and to his colleagues in the hierarchy.

Mr. O'Malley

I wish to join with the other party leaders in this House and with many people throughout the country in paying tribute to the late Cardinal Ó Fiaich and to express my sorrow and regret at his sudden and untimely death. Cardinal Ó Fiaich was a man of many parts. He was a noted Irish scholar and also a fine historian, building up an enviable reputation in his days as a professor in Maynooth College and subsequently as president there. He had the difficult task of presiding, as leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland, over a decade which has seen immense tragedy, bitterness and division on this island and particularly in places like his own see of Armagh.

The late Cardinal was undoubtedly an outspoken Nationalist who always put his case directly, openly and honestly. Everybody knew where he stood but that is not to say that he was not sympathetic to differing views. He was also very ecumenical in his outlook. One had only to listen to the very warm tribute by his fellow primate. Archbishop Eames, on RTE radio this morning to realise the esteem and affection which other Church leaders had for him.

Cardinal Ó Fiaich was not a man to shirk stating his point of view clearly and this was sometimes a source of controversy. He was always direct and honest in his view. One recalls, for instance, his acknowledgment that divorce legislation would have to come in this country although he felt the time would not be opportune until it could be introduced on an all-Ireland basis. He was strongly criticised then but at all times he displayed a rugged honesty in defending his position. Moreover, he always had the courage to speak out on issues like that. He also sought to face up to the complex and difficult question of Nationalists in the North who gave electoral support to Sinn Féin, at all times making clear his outright condemnation of the terrorism campaign of the IRA.

Cardinal Ó Fiaich will be a sad loss to the hierarchy. Besides his scholarly and Church work, it was quite plain too that he was a man who quite simply enjoyed life. Indeed one of the striking things from the pages of pictures of tribute to him in all this morning's papers is how many show him smiling broadly and simply enjoying himself, whether in Croke Park or at many other social functions. On behalf of the Progressive Democrats I would like to express my sincere condolences to his family and to his fellow bishops.

Members rose in their places.