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John Charles McQuaid
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John Charles McQuaid, CSSp (28 July 1895 - 7 April 1973) was Catholic Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland between December 1940 and February 1972.
John Charles McQuaid was born in Cootehill, County Cavan in 1895. He joined the religious congregation, the Holy Ghost Fathers, where he taught at Blackrock College in Dublin, which had educated many senior Irish political and business leaders. McQuaid was close to Eamon de Valera, a future Taoiseach, himself a former Blackrock College teacher.
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John Charles McQuaid, CSSp (28 July 1895 - 7 April 1973) was Catholic Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland between December 1940 and February 1972.
John Charles McQuaid was born in Cootehill, County Cavan in 1895. He joined the religious congregation, the Holy Ghost Fathers, where he taught at Blackrock College in Dublin, which had educated many senior Irish political and business leaders. McQuaid was close to Eamon de Valera, a future Taoiseach, himself a former Blackrock College teacher. He would later influence de Valera in drafting the modern Irish constitution (Bunreacht na hEireann).
Early education and ministry
He studied at University College, Dublin where he was awarded both a first class honours BA and MA in Ancient Classics. He was awarded an honours Higher Diploma in Education in 1919. He was immersed in the theology of the French church through his studies in the order's house of studies at Kimmage, Dublin. He retained close intellectual links with academic developments in France throughout his life. Besides his Francophile upbringing, McQuaid was also trained in Rome where he completed a doctorate in theology. His recall to Blackrock in 1925 prevented him from completing his course in Biblical studies. Among his students was Eamon de Valera (future Taoiseach). He would rise to become President of Blackrock College, maintaining a very strict regime at his school.
Archbishop of Dublin
In 1940, he was made Archbishop of Dublin. McQuaid oversaw a massive expansion of the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Dublin during his term. He also established a wide range of social services for the poor of the city under the aegis of various Catholic Agencies. During his episcopate the number of clergy increased from 370 to 600 and the number of religious from 500 to 700 and the number of parishes from 71 to 131.
He was also affectionately known as 'Batman' to the Dublin people.
The Politician
As Archbishop, he proved to be a highly influential political figure. In the early 1950s, Noel Browne, the First Inter-Party Government's Minister of Health, - shocked by the absence of ante-natal care for pregnant women, and the resulting infant mortality rates in deeply-Catholic Ireland - proposed providing free access to health care for mothers and children in a new Mother and Child Scheme. The Archbishop's criticism of the scheme, compounded by political misjudgements by Browne, as well as tensions between Browne and Sean MacBride, his political party leader, and Browne's behaviour towards other ministers, helped pave the way for the government's decision to withdraw the scheme.
There was continuing conflict between McQuaid and de Valera. In 1946 he supported the national teachers’ strike, to de Valera’s considerable annoyance. McQuaid was never made a cardinal. Joseph Walsh, the Irish minister to the Holy See, had warned the Vatican that if McQuaid was elevated “the Nuncio would have endless difficulties, with every sphere of his activities, owing to this deplorable weakness in [ McQuaid’s] character, already so well known to the Holy See”.
Second Vatican Council
McQuaid attended the Second Vatican Council but was critical of post-Vatican II Catholicism. After returning from the Council in 1965 he famously announced that "nothing has changed" and when preaching in Dublin's Pro-Cathedral assured the congragation that "nothing in this council will disturb the tranquility of your Christian lives". McQuaid formally relinquished the government of the Archdiocese of Dublin when his successor was ordained Archbishop in February 1972.
Allegations of Child Abuse
In his biography of the Archbishop, "John Charles McQuaid Ruler of Catholic Ireland", John Cooney relates a number of stories that suggest that the Archbishop had an unhealthy interest in children. The main allegation - that the Archbishop had attempted to sexually assault a boy in a Dublin pub - is based on an unpublished essay by his bitter antagonist Noel Browne. No reputable historian or journalist supports Cooney's interpretation and even admirers of the book stated that he should have never included this material. There is a satirical account of the controversy by then Irish Times journalist Kevin Myers in his Irishman's Diary on 10th November 1999.
McQuaid died suddenly in his private residence in Killiney in Dublin in April 1973. He is buried in St. Mary's Pro-Cathedral in Dublin, the seat of the Roman Catholic Archbishop.
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