Former Dominican Barry Nyhan (1945 - 2022) - an obituary

Barry Nyhan was born close 

to Sunday's Well in Cork city on September 12, 1945. He attended Coláiste Éamann Rís Christian Brothers School on the southside of the city. Two other Christian Brothers’ schools were much closer to his home on the north side but the family had links with the school as an uncle of his was the main building contractor on the Sullivan’s Quay project.

For many Dominican novices in the 1960s, '70s and '80s the Nyhan household was a port of call, where they were always received with open arms by Mrs Nyhan. 

Barry, who grew up close to the Dominican Priory in Pope’s Quay, where he served as an altar boy alongside James O’Gorman, joined the Dominican Order with James in September 1962 and both were ordained priests on July 6, 1969. Barry died on the 53rd anniversary of his priestly ordination, Wednesday, July 6, 2022. James died in 2002.

Barry studied philosophy and theology at the Dominican Studium in Tallaght. 

After priestly ordination he did postgraduate studies in theology at the University of St Thomas in Rome while living at the Dominican Priory in San Clemente on the Via Labicana.

On returning to Ireland he obtained his Higher Diploma in Education and taught christian doctrine in a vocational school in Dublin's north inner city. During this time he was a member of the Dominican community in St Saviour’s on Dublin’s Upper Dorset Street.

Barry resigned from his priesthood in 1975/1976 and married Jane Robinson in 1978. They had two children, Stephen and Marc.

Barry obtained a Masters in Education, First Class Honours, from Trinity College, Dublin and was awarded a PhD from the University of Bremen in 2004.

He spent most of his working career with the European Commission in Maastricht, Brussels and Thessaloniki, where he worked on the development of further education. He coordinated programmes to assist the advancement of adult/further education within the European Union. 

Before taking up employment with the European Commission Barry worked with AnCo, the National Manpower Service and the Youth Employment Agency, later named Fás and now called Solas.

On retiring from the European Commission in 2007 Jane and Barry returned to Ireland, living in their home in Churchtown.

Barry kept in close contact with the Irish Dominicans and had life-long friends within the Order. 

For many years both he, Michael McCarthy and Jerry O’Keeffe, also  former Dominicans, made it their business to call to visit Fr Fergal O’Connor in Dominick Street, before attending rugby matches at Lansdowne Road.

Barry was a man of great faith, who was an avid reader of theology. His theology/philosophy studies strongly influenced him all during his working career.

The proud Cork man was interested in many sports. He played golf  with a respectable handicap and was an excellent Gaelic, rugby and soccer player. It is said by many of his friends that he was close to being of FAI football league standard. And of course he was an avid supporter of Cork hurlers and footballers but had been greatly disappointed in how they had performed in recent years.

He enjoyed hill walking, and before they became popular on Irish roads, he cycled a fold-up bicycle, indeed he was the proud owner of the Rolls Royce of fold-ups - a Brompton.

Barry was a first cousin of the late Fr Micheál O’Regan, a Dominican priest who died in 1997 at the age of 59.

He was a tall, athletic person, who loved the great outdoors. So, when struck down with a form of Parkinson’s/Lewy body dementia approximately two years ago it came to him as a great shock. But he carried his illness with dignity and patience.

Barry Nyhan was the quintessential gentleman. He was the kindest of men, a gracious person, who always saw the positive in the other person.

His retiring from priesthood was a terrible loss to the Irish Dominican Province but a wonderful moment for his wife Jane and for their two children, who would later be born to them.

It so happens that Stephen, who lives in Dublin, is married to a woman from South Korea, and Marc, who currently lives in Japan, is married to a Japanese woman. 

Barry’s funeral Mass takes place on Saturday at 11.00 in the Church of SS Columbanus and Gall, Milltown followed by committal in the Garden Chapel at Mount Jerome Crematorium. The funeral Mass will be live-streamed at mcnmedia.tv/camera/milltown-parish

I shall greatly miss his friendship; his kindness and wisdom.

May Barry rest in Peace.