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Culture Documents
John O Donohue, Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom New York: Harper Perennial, 2004 ed.,13-14
John O Donohue, Eternal Echoes : Exploring our Hunger to Belong , London: Bantam, 1998, xx.
3
John O Donohue, Benedictus: A Book of Blessings, London: Bantam, 2007,214
4
O Donohue, Benedictus, 217-218.
5
John O Donohue, Benedictus, 2007, 65.
2
John was born on Jan. 1, 1956, on the tiny road that climbs through the boulder-strewn
Caher valley, above the village of Fanore, in the townland of Fermoyle, with views over
the Atlantic Ocean. While tending cattle on the family farm, the Burren landscape,6 a
major magical kind of a place 7 became part of him. He was acutely aware of the Celtic
spirituality encoded in the strange primal meeting of the infinity of the Atlantic Ocean
andstone and fascinated to learn that rock encapsulates the memory of the earths
formation These insights fuelled his interrelated vocations as philosopher, priest and poet.
They also inspired his love of history. His close friend Patsy Carrucan of Fanore recalls
how, during school breaks in Galway, John would sit down on a rock and say lets talk
about olden times! Patsy, who preferred to play football, returned to run the family farm.
John, who loved books, went on to earn a Ph.D. from the University of Tbingen and
write a scholarly tome on the German philosopher, Hegel.
Ordained a priest, he was assigned a west of Ireland parish on Galway Bay, but would say
mass in Fanore whenever the parish priest was on holiday. His sermons were
unforgettable: he barely paused for breath, and his vivid imagery combined with his
poetic language held parishioners spellbound. Everyone knew that when Mass got out
late in Fanore, John had been the celebrant!
He loved being a priest, especially being inside the Eucharist and ministering to the
sick and dying. He had no use for the external trappings of priesthood and pushed for
change within the Catholic Church. A disapproving bishop forced his resignation, the
most painful decision of his life. Although he stopped practicing, John always saw
himself as a priest and continued to pray away.8
He inaugurated a pre-dawn Mass on Easter Sunday in the ruins of Corcomroe Abbey on
the Burren. In 1999 this was accompanied by the first performance of the local
Lismorahaun choir of which John was a great supporter. People flocked from far and
wide to participate in this unforgettable spiritual experience.
When the Irish government decided to build an interpretive centre at Mullaghmore, the
most beautiful geological formation on the Burren, John and his Burren allies took to the
hustings. With hands held high, he denounced the proposal with passion and conviction
from the back of a truck and took this fight to the parliament in Brussels. The hard won
victory changed Irish law. John was named Clare Person of the Year in 1999.
Although he moved to a house overlooking a lake in Conamara (sic) and organized
inspirational seminars in Ireland, Britain and America, John never lost touch with the
Fanore community. You knew that he was in O Donohues pub as soon as you opened the
door because he filled the space with his hearty, infectious laughter which drew people to
him. At ease with everyone, regardless of their walk of life, he was known and loved by
all.
6
see The Burren An Antidote for Displacement, TIN, December, 2007, 30-32.
John O Donohue, Clare Man of the Year, 1999.
8
John O Donohue Interview. Tapestry. CBC Radio One, 2008.
7
John died in his sleep during a holiday in France with the woman he loved. The Death
Notice for Fr. John posted by the Ballyvaughan/Fanore Parish described him as a
Philosopher, Theologian, Spiritualist, Lecturer, Author, Poet, Environmentalist, Carer of
the Earth, Burren Man, Clareman, Family Man, Priest, Gifted.
His interment at a wet and windy Fanore on January 23 was followed by a Memorial
Mass at Galway Cathedral on February 2. The celebrant, Fr. Martin Downey, dwelt on the
importance of memory, friends spoke of his humour and humanity, while music was
provided by the Players from Corcomroe Dawn Mass and the Lismorahaun Singers.
His grave, now blanketed in flowers, is marked by a simple driftwood headstone bearing
a stone cross, water font and one of his poems. From it you can look up towards the
Burren or out towards the Atlantic where the breakers roll past the Aran Islands and
pound the rocky ledges and sandy beach of Fanore. There is about his final resting place a
profound sense of peace.
I would like to thank the following who contributed in many ways to this article:
Rosemary Gosselin, Thornbury, Ontario; Fr. Cormac Breathnac, Cork; Patsy and Anne
Carrucan, Fanore; Prof. Martin Feely, NUI Galway; R Laighlis, Loch Rasc and
Mort and Theresa O Loughlin, Glenfort. A very special thanks is due to Edward O
Loghlen of Loch Rasc.