Anniversary of the death of Michael Heuston OP

Today is the anniversary of the death of Dominican priest Michael Heuston. He died in Rome in 1984.

An eccentric genius, a kind and good man.

Fr Luke Dempsey, who died last month, while he was prior in the Dominican Priory at San Clemente in Rome, afforded Michael Heuston a new lease of life.

Also, the late Raymond Collins, when prior in San Clemente, gave Michael great support.




Someone quipped to Michael that he was ahead of his times. He replied: "No the Irish Dominican Province is behind the times."

Does anything ever change?

Michael was the brother of Sean Heuston of 1916 fame.

Michael visited his brother, Sean the night before his execution. Michael was a novice in Tallaght at the time. 


He never made a statement to the Bureau of Military History about the visit.  On that visit he was accompanied by Michael Browne, who went on to be Master of the Dominican Order and later a cardinal. In1957 Michael Heuston made a declaration to the BMH while he was living in Tralee.

Next time you are at Heuston Station check out the bronze plaque near Platform 2.  Michael was consulted about it before it was placed.

Kingsbridge was renamed Heuston Station on the 50th anniversary of the 1916 revolution.

Right up until the early 1990s the older locomotive drivers always called it Kingsbridge and wrote 'KB' in their logbooks.