The ‘Lion of the West’
Ever heard of the ‘Lion of the West’? He was one of the most influential men in the middle of the 19th Century and regularly took the British government to task over their handling of the Famine crisis and other matters. He was of course Bishop of Tuam, John McHale. Born in 1791, McHale lived a long life and died during the Land War of 1881. One hundred years later on the centenary of his death he was remembered. AS the Evening echo newspaper reported in September of 1981:
A towering figure in the church life of Ireland in the last century was the "Lion of the West", Archbishop John McHale of Tuam (1791-1881).
Fr. Tom Burke, O.P., the celebrated preacher eulogised him as: The Great Archbishop of the West; the Lover of the Poor; the Defender of the Weak; the Shield of the Persecuted".
The centenary of his death will be commemorated in Castlebar on November 6, 7 and 8 under the patronage of Cardinal Tomas O Fiaich, who will formally open the commemorative weekend in Breaffy House Hotel, at 8 p.m. on Friday, November 6 and will unveil the memorial plaque at Lahardane, Ballina on Saturday, November 7 at 3.30 p.m.
In particular across the province of Connaught there were a number of commemorations in 1981. At one gathering in Laherdane in county Mayo, McHale was remembered for his efforts for the people of the west of Ireland and likened to those who strove at that time to protect vulnerable communities across the world. Again the Echo reported:
REV. PADRAIG O FIANNACHTA, Maynooth, expressed his appreciation of being honoured to unveil the memorial to Archbishop John McHale in Lahardane, Ballina, Co. Mayo, today.
Me was privileged to deputise for Cardinal Tomas O Fiaich, who had sent a telegram from San Francisco to express his regrets at being unavoidably detained there and sending his. blessings and good wishes to all participating in the commemoration. . .
John McHale (Sean Mac Eil), son of Sean Mor Mac Eil and Maire Ni Mhaoil Chiarain, was bom in Lahardane in 1791 and baptised there. He . was educated in the Classics and in Irish in his native county and won signal honours at Maynooth in divinity where' he was appointed professor in 1814, the year of his ordination. He was Bishop of Killala 1825-34 and Archbishop of Tuam 1834-81.
That memorial was his fitting reward in return for his spiritual labours for his flock, and also because he was such a bulwark to them against' injustice, as Archbishop Romero in El Salvador has been in these present years.
For more information on McHale search the pages of the Irish Newspaper Archive (www.irishnewsarchive.com )