THE death has occurred of Fr Oliver O’Doherty, retired parish priest of Dunkerrin, County Offaly. He was very well-know in Clare as a teacher at St Flannan’s College, where he was involved in training football teams.
Born on July 11, 1939, he was a native of Templederry, County Tipperary and was a priest of the Diocese of Killaloe for 51 years. He was a past pupil of St Flannan’s College, Ennis. He studied for the priesthood at St Patrick’s College, Maynooth where he was ordained on June 21st 1964.
Fr O’Doherty’s first appointment was in Loughrea, County Galway, during which he also studied for the H Dip. Ed in UCG.
In September 1965, he was appointed to teach in St Kieran’s College, Kilkenny and the following year was recalled to the diocese to teach in St Patrick’s Comprehensive School, Shannon.
In July 1968 he was appointed to St Flannan’s College, Ennis where he taught until 1993, becoming vice president in July 1990.
Appointed Curate in Silvermines in 1993, he was subsequently served as parish priest of Dunkerrin, until his retirement in August 2000 due to ill health. In later years he s lived in the parochial house in Nenagh.
He died on Friday last in Milford Hospice, Limerick and his funeral mas took place yesterday (Monday) at Templederry church, following which interment took place in the church.
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.