Thomas Gilmartin

Thomas Patrick Gilmartin, D.D. (1861–1939) was an Irish clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Clonfert from 1909 to 1918 and Archbishop of Tuam from 1918 to 1939.

Styles of
Thomas Gilmartin, D.D.
Reference styleThe Most Reverend
Spoken styleYour Grace or Archbishop

Life

He was born in Castlebar, County Mayo, Ireland on 18 May 1861, the son of Michael Gilmartin, Rinshiona, Castlebar.[1] He was educated at the Franciscan monastery boys school in Errew and O'Dea's Academy in Castlebar. He attended St Jarlath's College in Tuam, and then St Patrick's College, Maynooth. Following his ordination to the priesthood in 1883,[2] he became a professor of mathematics and natural science at St. Jarlath's.

In 1891 Gilmartin served as Dean of Formation and Vice-President of St. Patrick's College, Maynooth. He was awarded a Doctor of Divinity by Rome in 1905.

He was appointed the Bishop of the Diocese of Clonfert by the Holy See on 3 July 1909 and was consecrated on 13 February 1910 by the Most Reverend John Healy, Archbishop of Tuam.[3] On the death of Archbishop Healy, he was translated to the Metropolitan see of Tuam as archbishop on 10 July 1918.[2][4]

During the Irish War of Independence, Archbishop Gilmartin spoke out strongly against the violence. In January 1920, he criticized the "undisguised ruffianism" in the rebel ranks.[5] Gilmartin counseled his priests that whatever their personal political beliefs, they should not take an aggressive part on behalf of either side. However, he still had to contend with rebellious younger clerics who supported Sinn Fein.[6]

Dr Gilmartin was involved in the controversy over the appointment of Letitia Dunbar (a member of the Church of Ireland and graduate of Trinity College, Dublin) to the County Mayo librarianship in 1931.[7]

T.H. White describes meeting the Archbishop on the top of Croagh Patrick on an annual Reek Sunday pilgrimage during the 1930s in his book The Godstone and the Blackymor and having a cup of tea with him on the top after overenthusiastically kissing his ring.

He died in office on 14 October 1939, aged 78 years.[2][4]

Works

Dr Gilmartin wrote the Memoir of Primate Joseph Dixon in Healy's ‘Centenary History of Maynooth’ in 1895. He was also a contributor to the Irish Ecclesiastical record, the Irish Theological Quarterly, and the Catholic Encyclopedia.[8]

References
  1. "Archbishop Thomas Gilmartin", Skehana & District Heritage
  2. "Archbishop Thomas P. Gilmartin". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
  3. Fryde et al. 1986, Handbook of British Chronology, p. 419.
  4. Fryde et al. 1986, Handbook of British Chronology, p. 444.
  5. Tanner, Marcus. Ireland's Holy Wars: The Struggle for a Nation's Soul, 1500-2000, Yale University Press, 2003, p. 288ISBN 9780300092813
  6. Ferriter, Diarmuid. "Freedom and the Fifth Commandment, by Brian Heffernan: raising holy hell", The Irish Times, 9 January 2016
  7. A Churchman Remembered Mayo News, 16 January 2008.
  8. The Catholic Encyclopedia and Its Makers, 1917, p. 66 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

Bibliography
  • Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I., eds. (1986). Handbook of British Chronology (3rd, reprinted 2003 ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-56350-X.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
Thomas O'Dea		 Bishop of Clonfert
1909–1918		 Succeeded by
Thomas O'Doherty
Preceded by
John Healy		 Archbishop of Tuam
1918–1939		 Succeeded by
Joseph Walsh
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