Northern Cardinal

Lore & Background

Charles Brendan Daly was born in Ballybraddin, Loughguile, a village near Ballymoney in County Antrim, the third child of seven born to Charles Daly and Susan Connolly. His father was a primary school teacher originally from Keadue, County Roscommon, and his mother a native of Antrim. He was educated at St. Patrick's National School in Loughguile, and then as a boarder in St. Malachy's College, Belfast, in 1930. The writer Brian Moore was a near contemporary. Daly studied Classics at Queen's University in Belfast, earning his BA with Honours and also the Henry Medal in Latin Studies in 1937, completing his MA the following year. He entered St Patrick's College, Maynooth and was ordained to the priesthood on 22 June 1941. He continued studies in theology in Maynooth, from where he obtained a doctorate in divinity (DD) in 1944.

Reader's Guide

Daly retired as Archbishop of Armagh on his 79th birthday, 1 October 1996, and subsequently suffered ill health. Although it was announced that he would attend the funeral of Pope John Paul II, he stayed home on the advice of his doctors. His age made him ineligible to participate in the 2005 conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI. His death in 2009 brought to an end a two-year period during which Ireland had, for the first time in its history, three living Cardinals.

Cardinal Daly was admitted to the coronary unit of Belfast City Hospital on 28 December 2009. His health had already been declining, leading to prayers being ordered for him. Dr Daly died in hospital in Belfast on 31 December 2009, aged 92. His family were at his bedside at the time.

In tributes, both Taoiseach Brian Cowen and former UK prime minister Tony Blair stressed Cardinal Daly's contribution to the peace process in Northern Ireland. The deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, the Sinn Féin MLA Martin McGuinness, said it was no secret that Republicans and Cardinal Daly had never enjoyed a close relationship during The Troubles, but that relations had warmed since then. Daly's funeral was held on 5 January 2010, attended by the president Mary McAleese and Taoiseach Brian Cowen.

Cardinal Daly was buried in the grounds of St Patrick's Roman Catholic Cathedral, Armagh next to his three predecessors in the see, Cardinals Ó Fiaich, Conway and D'Alton.

Did You Know?

• Daly converted his forename Charles into Cahal ahead of his episcopal consecration in 1967.
• He donated his entire set of writings to the Political Collection of the Linen Hall Library in 2001, including 500 sermons, essays, addresses and press statements.