Cahal Daly

Early life

Cahal Brendan Daly was born in Loughguile, County Antrim the third child of seven. His father was a primary school teacher originally from Keadue, County Roscommon and his mother a native of Antrim. He was educated at St. Patrick's National School in Loughguile, and then as a boarder in St. Malachy's College, Belfast in 1930. The writer Brian Moore was a contemporary.

Studies

Daly studied Classics at Queen's University in Belfast. He earned his B.A. with Honours and also the Henry Medal in Latin Studies in 1937 and completed his M.A. the following year. He entered St Patrick's College, Maynooth and was ordained to the priesthood on 22 June 1941. He continued studies in theology in Maynooth, from where he obtained a doctorate in divinity (DD) in 1944. His first appointment was as Classics Master in St. Malachy's College (1944–1945).

In 1945 he was appointed Lecturer in Scholastic Philosophy at Queen's University, Belfast, retaining the post for 21 years. In the academic year 1952–53 Queens granted him sabbatical leave, which he spent studying at the Catholic Institute of Paris where he received a licentiate in philosophy. He would return to France at many points, particularly for holidays. He persisted with his studies well into his retirement. He was a popular figure with the university and fondly remembered by his students.

Episcopate

Daly was a peritus, or theological expert, at the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) to Bishop William Philbin during the first session of the Council and to Cardinal William Conway for the rest of the Council. He dedicated himself to scholarship for 30 years, and published several books seeking to bring about understanding between the warring factions in Northern Ireland.

Daly became a Reader in Scholastic Philosophy at Queen's University in 1963, a post he held until 1967, when he was appointed Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise on 26 May.

Daly received his episcopal consecration in St. Mel's Cathedral, Longford on 16 July 1967 from Cardinal William Conway, with Archbishop Giuseppe Sensi and Bishop Neil Farren serving as co-consecrators. He remained as bishop of the diocese until 1982 and while diligent about parish visitation and confirmations gradulaly assumed a greater national profile.

From 1974 onwards, he devoted himself especially to ecumenical activities for the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. His pastoral letter to Protestants, written in 1979, pleaded for Christian unity.

Daly succeeded William Philbin as the 30th Bishop of Down and Connor when he was installed as bishop of his native diocese at a ceremony in St. Peter's Cathedral Belfast on 17 October 1982.

Cardinalate

On 6 November 1990, Daly was appointed archbishop of Armagh and, as such, Primate of All Ireland. He was aged 73 by this stage. His age made him an unexpected occupant of the post. Despite this it was requested that he stay in the role for three years before usual age of episcopal retirement at 75. Cardinal Daly took a notably harder line against the Irish Republican Army than his predecessor, Tomás Ó Fiaich.

Daly was respectful of Protestant rights but opposed formal integrated education of Roman Catholics and Protestants. This policy was criticised by those who believed segregated education to be one of the causes of sectarianism in Northern Ireland, but was seen by the Roman Catholic clergy as important for passing on their faith to future generations. He was utterly orthodox in opposing divorce, contraception, abortion, the ordination of women and any idea of dropping clerical celibacy.

He was heckled by the audience on live television during a broadcast of The Late Late Show on the topic of paedophilia in the 1990s. Upon his retirement in 1996 he made no further public statement until his death. A photograph of him at the ceremony initiating Seán Brady as a Cardinal in 2007 was entered by the Irish Independent for a national award (judged by an international panel).

Cardinal Daly retired as Archbishop of Armagh on his 79th birthday, 1 October 1996 and subsequently suffered ill health. Although it was announced that he would attend the funeral of Pope John Paul II, he stayed home on the advice of his doctors. As he had turned 80 in 1997, he was now ineligible to participate in the 2005 conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI.

Cardinal Daly had the motto, "Jesus Christ, yesterday and today" taken from Hebrews 13:8. His armorial bearings are a personalised variation of the arms of the Ó Dálaigh family. As Archbishop of Armagh he impaled them with those of the Archdiocese of Armagh.

Declining health and death

Daly was rushed to the coronary unit of Belfast City Hospital on 28 December 2009. His health had already been declining, leading to prayers being ordered for him. Dr Daly died in hospital in Belfast on 31 December 2009, aged 92. His family were at his bedside at the time.

In tributes, both Taoiseach Brian Cowen and former UK prime minister Tony Blair stressed Cardinal Daly's contribution to the peace process in Northern Ireland. The deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, the Sinn Féin MLA Martin McGuinness, said it was no secret that Republicans and Cardinal Daly had never enjoyed a close relationship during The Troubles, but that relations had warmed since then. Warm tributes also came from the Primate of the Church of Ireland, the Most Rev. Alan Harper, the President of the Methodist Church in Ireland, the Rev. Donald P. Ker, and the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Stafford Carson.

He lay in state in Belfast and then his remains were taken to Armagh. Pope Benedict XVI paid tribute at this stage. Large numbers of people travelled from as far as County Westmeath to attend Mass at Armagh on 4 January, at which Monsignor Liam McEntaggart, the former parish priest of Coalisland, said, "When the history of peace making in Ireland comes to be written, the contribution of Cardinal Daly will be accorded a high place". Monsignor McEntaggart himself died on 22nd August 2010, aged 81, just seven months after Cardinal Daly's passing.

Daly's funeral was held on 5 January 2010, attended by the president Mary McAleese and Taoiseach Brian Cowen. Cardinal Daly was buried in the grounds of St Patrick's Roman Catholic Cathedral, Armagh next to his three predecessors in the see, Cardinals Ó Fiaich, Conway and D'Alton.

Written legacy

In 2001, eight years before his death, Dr. Daly donated his entire set of writings to the Political Collection of the Linen Hall Library. His donation to the Library, which is bound in handsome volumes, includes 500 sermons, essays, addresses and press statements.

Daly said at the time:

His collection Philosophy in Britain from Bradley to Wittgenstein and The Minding of Planet Earth was published as recently as 2004.

Two of his speeches feature in Teachers of the Faith: Speeches and Lectures by Catholic Bishops, a book of international addresses by members of the clergy spanning 26 years.