Dominican brother Mark McGreevy, who died on Sunday, was born in the parish of
Mark joined the Dominicans in St Mary’s Priory, Tallaght in 1959, receiving the habit that year.
He made his first profession in 1960 and took solemn vows in 1966.
During his almost 30 years in Tallaght he worked on the farm, the garden, the sacristy and the refectory.
It was a time when there were many daily and Sunday Masses, which meant Mark was busy working in the church, where he gave great dedication. He took excellent care of the church and sacristy during all his years as sacristan. Like so many of the co-operator brothers Mark was the person who was the first contact between the people, who attended our churches and the Dominicans. In modern parlance he was the front-of-house person, an extremely important position. First impressions are lasting.
When he came to the refectory to have his breakfast after the 8am Mass, the last of the three early morning daily Masses, he would speak like a railway man and comment: “Yep, the 08.00 has gone out”. Mark had a great talent for a splendid turn of phrase.
He was a man of simple taste and style but had a wisdom and cunning, which one would underestimate at their peril.
The famous Maelruains tree caused Mark a problem. A branch from the tree made it difficult for him to cut the surrounding grass while driving the lawnmower so he decided one morning in the early hours to cut the branch. The then prior, Paul Hynes happened to be awakened by the sound of the saw, observed what was going on and suggested to Mark that he refrain. Mark quipped: “Was it the ‘sawin' or the ‘shnappin' that woke ye?”
Mark was a soft and gentle person but had great strength.
In the 1970s and '80s there were seven Sunday Masses in the priory church in Tallaght, including an evening Mass. Occasionally, when Mark deserved a free Sunday afternoon and evening he would quietly leave the keys at the door of an unsuspecting student, who would graciously substitute for Mark at the evening Mass and lock up the church afterwards.
“Mark was larger than life. He was always at the service of the brethren, whether he was working in the garden, the farm, the sacristy or the refectory,” recalls Fr Donal Sweeney.
During his years in Tallaght he was a keen cyclist. He developed a close friendship with the late Bill Smith, who was a member of the local branch of the Legion of Mary.
The two men went on many cycling expeditions, including on one occasion the 185 kilometre-long cycle from Tallaght to Mark’s home parish in Carrick-on-Shannon.
Before the Second Vatican Council non-ordained brothers/lay brothers/co-operator brothers were considered second-class citizens.
In the mid-1960s the late Paul Murphy was student master in Tallaght and was determined to bring about a more egalitarian environment in the priory.
It meant there was better interaction between non-ordained brothers and student brothers. Relations between both groups were put on a more normal, natural and human level.
Mark was involved in breaking the mould and as a result, on one occasion he and Fr Patrick O’Brien(Patrick is now officially no longer Jordan but Patrick) hitched a lift to Donard from where they climbed Lugnaquilla, the highest mountain in Leinster and the fourth highest mountain in Ireland, standing at 925 metres. Patrick still remembers how fit and athletic Mark was that summer's day in 1966.
“When we got back to Tallaght we were both delighted with ourselves, if tired. It had been a good day, mission accomplished”, Patrick remembers.
Through his work in the church Mark made many life-long friends and was a regular visitor to their homes, where he was received with open arms.
He often set off in the small hours on his bicycle to visit people.
He had a great interest in traditional Irish music and an extensive collection of tapes from many céilí bands.
At the top of his list was the Kilfenora Céilí Band. Mark attended many of their concerts and had a large collection of their music.
He moved from Tallaght to Sligo in 1988 and the following year was assigned to St Mary’s Priory, The Calddagh in Galway.
In 1999 he moved to St Catherine’s Priory in Newry, where he died on Sunday.
Former Dominican priest, Jerry O’Keeffe, on learning of Mark’s death said: “I remember Mark as a gentleman and a very kind man.”
Mark was related to Vincent Hanly, who was bishop of Elphin between 1950 and 1970.
The late Hyacinth Bernard Moore OP was born in the same parish as Mark.
It so happens that US bishop, theologian and television personality Fulton Sheen’s maternal grandparents came from Mark’s home parish of Croghan.
In 1952 on a visit to Croghan Fulton Sheen dedicated the parish church. Most likely the 10-year-old Thomas McGreevy was in the church that day with his parents.
Mark suffered ill health in recent years, which included being a victim of Covid and had been bedridden for the last year.
May he rest in peace.
Mark’s funeral Mass takes place today in the Dominican church, St Catherine’s Newry at 12.30pm, followed by interment in priory graveyard.
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