Dermot Brennan OP - an obituary

Fr Dermot Brennan, who died in Cork on Monday morning, was born in Mayfield on the north side of the city, on February 27, 1943.

He joined the Dominican Order in Pope's Quay in his native city in September 1960, having earlier been a student at Sullivan's Quay CBS.

The young Dermot was an altar boy at the nearby Dominican community in St Dominic's, Ennismore. He often said that the late Brother Damian Lynch was influential in his joining the Dominicans.

Dermot, was given the name Cormac when he received the habit but reverted to his baptismal name when the rule was changed and Dominicans were allowed retain the names their parents gave them.

Shortly after priestly ordination in 1967, Dermot was assigned to the Irish Dominican mission in Trinidad where he spent 11 years working in various parishes, including Port of Spain.

Dermot will be remembered most of all for his work in hospital chaplaincy.

In the 1980s he moved to Toronto where he studied clinical pastoral education. He returned to Ireland and helped set up the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education. For many years he tutored aspirant hospital chaplains.

He also worked as chaplain in the Mater Hospital in Dublin and at Marymount Hospice in Cork.

He played a vital role in setting up the norms and protocols under which hospital chaplains work today in Ireland.

He was prior in the Dominican communities in Cork, Limerick and Drogheda and was a parish priest in St Mary's Tallaght. He also spent a short time at the Dominican Priory, St Saviour's in Dublin's north inner city.

During his time as prior in St Mary's Pope's Quay Cork he was responsible for the building of the pastoral centre attached to the priory.

In its time it was a forward-looking venture but in hindsight one might question the feasibility and purpose of such a building. And as a building there was nothing aesthetic about its design.


Dermot had a large pastoral outreach and was always willing to give of his time and energy to those who came looking for his advice and attention.

He was particularly caring and considerate to Dominicans who left priesthood. On a number of occasions the wives of former Dominicans expressed their gratitude for the help Dermot had given them and their spouses, especially in times of difficulty and great stress.

Dermot was a physically big man. In recent years he experienced extended periods of ill health. Like many tall men, he suffered problems with his back.

Among his many achievements was the Dominican Biblical Institute in Limerick.

At an assembly of the Irish Dominicans in 2000 he proposed a "Scoil Luimni", a Limerick version of the École Biblique.


Tom Brodie was temporary regent of studies at the time. It was also during that period that plans for the Priory Institute first got an airing.

Dermot was the man who conceived the Dominican Biblical Institute, had the energy to build it and stayed with the project and Tom became the moderator.

Dermot was disappointed at the ease with which it was closed.

When the Irish Dominicans left Limerick, Dermot was greatly saddened and felt it was a black spot in the history of the province that it should leave a university city. The Dominicans first went to Limerick in 1226. It personally hurt Dermot that the Irish Dominicans left the city, and also the manner in which they departed.

He had strong views on many topics and when it came to discussing church and Dominican matters he could be forthright in expressing his opinions. He spoke his mind clearly and honestly. An admitable feature in today's world.

Dermot Brennan was genuinely interested in people and went that extra proverbial mile to offer a helping and kind hand to those in need and in trouble.

He was an avid follower of the fortunes of the Cork hurlers and footballers.

His funeral Mass is in St Mary's Priory church Pope's Quay, Cork on Thursday at midday.

The Mass takes place on his birthday in Cork, the city he so loved.

May he rest in peace.