Brendan Devlin

Brendan P. Devlin (Irish: Breandán Ó Doibhlin) (29 May 1931[1] – 19 September 2023) was an Irish language scholar and priest of the Derry Diocese. He was born in Rouskey, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. He was educated in St Columb's College, Derry, St Patrick's College, Maynooth, and the Pontifical Irish College in Rome.

In 1958, he became professor of modern languages at St Patrick's College, Maynooth,[2] a position he held until he retired in 1996. On 2 September 2013 he was the principal celebrant at the funeral of the poet Seamus Heaney.[3]

Biography

Devlin was an accomplished polyglot and popular teacher who was particularly known for his work in French and in Irish.[4] For many years, he was rector of the Irish College in Paris and also published three novels in Irish: Néal Maidine agus Tine Oíche (1964), An Branar gan Cur (1979), and Sliocht ar Thír na Scáth (2018). He has also published translations from French into Irish by La Fontaine, Pascal and Saint-Exupery. He translated several books of the Bible into Irish.[5]

Devlin worked for four decades to reestablish the Irish connection to the College, and its redevelopment and renovation as the Irish Cultural Institute, and Irish Chaplaincy in Paris.[6] Devlin had visited the Paris college in 1963, when there was no Irish presence there and it was used as a Polish seminary; he resolved to reinstate it as an asset to the Irish people. He was appointed Rector of the Irish College by Cardinal O'Fiach in 1984.[7]

In 2001, Devlin was invested as an Officer of the Légion d'honneur, the highest French award available to a foreign national.[8][9]

Devlin died at Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown on 19 September 2023, at the age of 92.[10]

References
  2. Appointments Kalendarium, Maynooth College.
  3. Homily of Monsignor Brendan Devlin at Funeral Mass for Seamus Heaney Catholic Bishops, 2 September 2013.
  4. "Breandán Ó Doibhlin, scríbhneoir agus smaointeoir ildánach ilteangach, ar shlí na fírinne". Tuairisc.ie (in Irish). 20 September 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  5. Breandán Ó Doibhlin www.ricorso.net
  6. The Irish Colleges in Paris, 1578 - 2002 by Dr Liam Chambers, Centre Culturel Irlandais Paris.
  7. Nuacht RTÉ (20 September 2023). "An scoláire teangacha Breandán Ó Doibhlin tar éis bháis" (in Irish). {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  8. "Legion d'Honneur for monsignor". The Irish Times. 11 November 2001. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
  9. French Legion of Honour awarded to Irish Priest www.catholicbishops.ie, 14 November 2001.
  10. "Death of languages scholar, Monsignor Brendan Devlin". Meath Chronicle. 20 September 2023.
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