Fr Bernard Philip McShane OP (1946 - 2023) - an obituary

Dominican priest Philip McShane

died in St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin on Wednesday, October 18.

We talk about people dying with their boots on. Nothing could be a more appropriate and fitting idiom when talking about the death of Philip McShane.

Just this last weekend he was working with the Priory Institute in Tallaght, travelled to Newry where he was engaged in an apostolate. On Sunday he celebrated Mass with the Dominican nuns in the Siena monastery in Drogheda, and on Monday he celebrated the lunchtime Mass in St Mary’s Priory Tallaght.

Philip had been diagnosed with cancer approximately two years ago but somehow or other he managed to stay on his feet, seldom if ever talking about his illness and all the time working away.

Philip was born in Dublin on July 9, 1946, spending his early years in Westport and Tuam. His father worked in the bank, which accounts for his multiplicity of addresses.

He attended the Dominican-run secondary school, Newbridge College from where he joined the noviciate of the Irish Dominican Province in St Mary’s Priory, Pope’s Quay, Cork in 1964, making his first profession the following year. 

On receiving the Dominican habit he took the name Philip. In the following years the majority of Dominicans reverted to their baptismal names, whereas Philip retained the name given to him on receiving the habit.

He studied philosophy and theology in the Dominican studium in Tallaght and was ordained a priest on July 4, 1971.

After a fourth year of theology, at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland, he began a postgraduate study of moral theology at the same institute, while living in the Dominican Priory of Saint-Hyacinth in the city.

Philip was a scholar and a gentleman. His scholarship meant he spent most of his life teaching theology and philosophy. He taught in a number of academic institutes in Ireland, including the Dominican studium and the Milltown Institute. He also taught at Providence College, Rhode Island in the United States. 

From 1976 to 1979 approximately, he was a lecturer in religious studies at St Catherine’s Teaching College, Sion Hill, Blackrock, Co Dublin.

Up until his sudden death he was course leader for the MA programme in Aquinas Studies at the Priory Institute, where he was also cataloguing books at the Priory Institute library.

He attended many general chapters of the Order, where he simultaneously translated from French into English. He had a working knowledge of German.

He was an accomplished musician and played the organ.

Philip was s regular visitor to the Dominican summer camp at Knockadoon in east Cork, where he gave classes in music.

He was an intrepid photographer, taking pictures of Dominicans all over the world. He would come back from general chapters with photographs of exotic places and people, including Dominicans from the four corners of the earth. He also had a keen interest in the great outdoors and recorded lovely aspects of mother nature on his camera. Philip made all his work available to his fellow Dominicans. His photographs are available on the web.

Between 2001 and 2012 Philip was master of novices. One of his novices, on hearing of his death, recalled what a wonderful novice master he was.

He spent many hours helping and talking to homeless people, who slept in the grounds of the priory in Tallaght. 

He was also exceptionally kind to fellow Dominicans, who were in difficulty or ill. He went that extra proverbial country mile to help those who felt alienated and forgotten. 

Nothing was ever too big a task for him. If someone wanted something done they could be assured Philip would be there to do it if he were available.

As a student in Tallaght in the late 1960s and early '70s Philip belonged to that brigade of tough mountain men, who were known as the ‘Long Outing Men’. Back then it was the custom that on Thursdays students would head out for cycling and walking. Popular cycles/walks were to Bohernabreena, Glencree and Glenasmole. But the group of Long Outing Men went on major adventures. In his six years in Tallaght Philip and the LOM would have climbed every mountain in Dublin and Wicklow, including Lugnaquilla, Maulin, Djouce, Croghan, Tonelagee, Kanturk and many more. 

In the summer he would have cycled to Newbridge to work on the farm, which the Dominicans owned and managed at the time.

He was a gentle person, who had a wonderful smile. On a personal note I can say I would have always considered him to be in many aspects a private person. He was someone, who had a small circle of close friends, with whom he shared his wit,  scholarship and fun.

There was also in some ways the attributes of the ‘nutty professor’ about him. He could easily forget about an appointment, turn up late for Mass. But it was always done in a charming and eloquent manner and of course sincere apologies offered.

Philip was generous with his wisdom, scholarship and time.

He was a man of deep faith, who inspired by his lifestyle.

May he rest in peace. 

Philip's body will be lying in state at St Mary’s Priory, Tallaght from 3pm tomorrow, Friday, October 20, removal to the church later that day at 5.30pm. Requiem Mass at 11.30am on Saturday, October 21. Burial afterwards in the community cemetery.