Fr. John O'Brien
John O'Brien  |
|
|---|---|
| Born | 30 May 1931 Kilrush, County Clare, Ireland |
| Died | 6 January 2008 (aged 76) Finglas, Dublin, Ireland |
| Alma mater | Clonliffe College |
| Occupation | Roman Catholic priest |
John O'Brien (30 May 1931 – 6 January 2008) was a Roman Catholic priest who worked in the Archdiocese of Dublin from 1956 until his death in 2008. He is best remembered as one of Ireland's leading conductors, a prominent organist and founder of the retired St. James' Choir and the Glasnevin Musical Society.
John O'Brien, eldest of the four children of publican Michael O'Brien and Mary O'Dea, was born in Kilrush, County Clare on 30 May 1931.
He had a keen interest in music, which was nurtured at home. His mother played the violin, while the family housekeeper sang to the children every evening. At the age of seven, John was sent to Mrs. Atherton, a local piano teacher whose husband was organist of the parish church. A bright pupil, he was considered sufficiently accomplished to play a solo at the next St. Patrick's Day concert in Kilrush.
John O'Brien attended the Christian Brothers' school in Kilrush until entering the junior seminary for the Diocese of Killaloe in Ennis when he was sixteen. He successfully completed his Leaving Certificate and, not being the chosen for the seminary of Killaloe, O'Brien was directed instead to the Archdiocese of Dublin, where he began his studies in Clonliffe College in September 1949. He was ordained a priest by Archbishop John Charles McQuaid on 25 May 1956.
O'Brien's first appointment was as chaplain to St. Michael's Hospital, Dun Laoghaire and afterwards, in 1957, he was made curate of Glasnevin Parish. He combined this with the first official diocesan chaplaincy to the Bon Secours Hospital. 1962 brought a move to the rural setting of Ballitore in the parish of Narraghmore in County Kildare. This would be O'Brien's base until 1966 when he was relocated in one of Dublin's oldest parishes – St. James's, dominated by the Guinness Brewery. In 1975, he was transferred to St. Andrew's, Westland Row – one of the archbishop's own parishes. He remained there until 1983, when he was promoted to parish priest of St. Canice's, Finglas. He retired in 1996, enjoying the title of Pastor Emeritus while still residing in Finglas.[1]
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