Hugh Fenning OP, RIP

Dominican priest Hugh Fenning died early on Wednesday morning in Kiltipper nursing home, Tallaght. 

He was born in 1935, joined the Dominicans in 1953, made his first profession the following year and was ordained a priest in 1960.

Hugh was an accomplished historian, spent many years living in Rome as a member of the historical  institute of the Dominican Order.

During his time as a member of the historical institute he lived at the Dominican HQ at Santa Sabina. When it was decided to move the institute out of Santa Sabina, Hugh was not pleased having to leave and had no difficulty airing his views. He spent a number of years living at the Irish Dominican priory at San Clemente in Rome. People still recall some of his Roman one-liners.

He was for a long period of time the archivist of the Irish province of the Order and wrote many books and pamphlets on the historical background to Dominican priories in Ireland.

In 2012 he suffered a stroke, which left him greatly incapacitated. It meant he was semi-paralysed and yet he never once complained about his illness and situation. And that from a man who was sharp and quick with his tongue. He was confident that his faith had been a great support to him in his illness.

He had a wonderful capacity with words, words which could be most incisive and direct. He could enliven any conversation with a quiet, clever throw-away comment, but would it be sharp and indeed, cutting when required.

Hugh once said of me that I would never say anything about a person behind their back, instead I would say it straight to their face.

Like his father before him he had a special interest in rare books.

He was an ornithologist and had a large collection of books on birds. Hugh could give you detailed information on every bird he saw. How he enjoyed observing birds while in the priory garden in Tallaght or in the garden of the Black Abbey in Kilkenny. On his regular field trips he always went armed with his binoculars.

He attended CBS Synge Street. Another Synge Street student, Andrew John Kane joined the Dominicans the same day as Hugh. Hugh told many funny stories about how their academic abilities did a turn-around when they joined the Order. The stories always at his own expense.

He joined the Dominicans in a world of seeming certainty, a certainty in which he felt at home and enjoyed its environs. It meant he could be cleverly critical of 'new-fangled ways' for which he would always have the perfect comment.

Hugh Fenning was a large personality in the Irish Dominicans. He told it as he saw it and sometimes that could hurt.

He was a kind man, loyal to his friends.

Hugh Fenning was a towering character in the Irish Dominican province.