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John Dignan (13 June 1880 – 12 April 1953) was
Bishop of Clonfert The Bishop of Clonfert () is an episcopal title which takes its name after the village of Clonfert in County Galway, Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains as a separate title; but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with oth ...
from 1924 until his death in 1953, a committed social reformer and initiator of early debates about social welfare provision in the early decades of newly-independent Ireland.


Early life and priestly ministry

Dignan was a native of Ballygar,
County Galway County Galway ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Northern and Western Region, taking up the south of the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht. The county population was 276,451 at the 20 ...
and educated locally at Esker, near
Athenry Athenry (; ) is a town in County Galway, Ireland, which lies east of Galway city. Some of the attractions of the medieval town are its town wall, Athenry Castle, its priory and its 13th-century street-plan. The town is also well known by virt ...
, later attending St. Patrick's College,
Maynooth Maynooth (; ) is a university town in north County Kildare, Ireland. It is home to Maynooth University (part of the National University of Ireland and also known as the National University of Ireland, Maynooth) and St Patrick's College, Maynoo ...
, where he was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Clonfert on 6 September 1903. His first appointment was to the staff of St. Joseph's College at
Ballinasloe Ballinasloe ( ; ) is a town in the easternmost part of County Galway, Ireland. Located at an ancient crossing point on the River Suck, evidence of ancient settlement in the area includes a number of Bronze Age sites. Built around a 12th-centur ...
, where he served for twelve years, ten of them as President. A staunch nationalist, he had served in 1917 as president of the east Galway board of the Sinn Féin executive and was a central figure in the organisation of Sinn Féin courts in the county. In 1919 he became administrator of the parish of Abbey, Loughrea, becoming its parish priest in 1921. While there his house was raided and bombed by the
Black and Tans The Black and Tans () were constables recruited into the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) as reinforcements during the Irish War of Independence. Recruitment began in Great Britain in January 1920, and about 10,000 men enlisted during the conflic ...
, who targeted him as a known supporter of the independence movement. In 1923 he was appointed Parish Priest of Killimore but served only a short time before receiving his episcopal appointment.


Episcopal ministry

On 24 March 1924 he was appointed Bishop of Clonfert. After his Episcopal ordination in June 1924 he gave an interview in which he declared himself a 'Republican' and that he hoped to see a 'reversion to the pre-Treaty days of Ireland'. He was the first Irish bishop to speak against the Treaty and articulate a pro-Sinn Fein perspective.
Thomas Gilmartin Thomas Patrick Gilmartin (18 May 1861 – 14 October 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. Life He was born in Castlebar, County ...
,
Archbishop of Tuam The Archbishop of Tuam ( ; ) is an Episcopal polity, archbishop which takes its name after the town of Tuam in County Galway, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The title was used by the Church of Ireland until 1839, and is still in use by the Cathol ...
is said to have remarked, "...after that I am finished consecrating bishops." Gilmartin had counseled his priests that whatever their personal political beliefs, they should not take an aggressive part on behalf of either side. In 1933 Dignan published a pamphlet, ''Catholics and Trinity College''. He also had to content with the radical priest John Fahy. Dignan was appointed chair of the Committee of Management of the National Health Insurance Society in 1936 by
Seán T. O'Kelly Seán Thomas O'Kelly (; 25 June 1882 – 23 November 1966), originally John T. O'Kelly, was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as the second president of Ireland from June 1945 to June 1959. He also served as deputy prime minister of Ir ...
to examine social welfare provision in Ireland and would feature prominently in the development of government policy in this area for much of the next decade. It has been suggested that he "campaigned relentlessly" for the introduction of state medical benefits including in personal meetings with
Éamon de Valera Éamon de Valera (; ; first registered as George de Valero; changed some time before 1901 to Edward de Valera; 14 October 1882 – 29 August 1975) was an American-born Irish statesman and political leader. He served as the 3rd President of Ire ...
and finally saw this being legislated for in 1942. In 1944 he published ''Social Security: outlines of a scheme of national health insurance'' hailed at the time as Ireland's Beveridge plan and which ignited a debate about wider social welfare provision in the recently independent Ireland. It took discussion of social policy in twentieth century Ireland out of nineteenth century ideological notions such as 'poor law provision.' In 1943, the
Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood The Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood, founded in 1947, is an international congregation of religious sisters that serves in 11 countries, both in the developed and developing world. It serves in various schools, prisons, and hospita ...
opened a nursing home in Ballinasloe. Dignan invited them to open a hospital. The bishop donated the land, and Portiuncula Hospital opened in 1945.McGarry, Patsy. "Portiuncula", ''The Irish Times'', March 2, 2015
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References

* ''Lickmolassy by the Shannon'', p. 201, John Joe Conwell, 1998, . {{DEFAULTSORT:Dignan, John Christian clergy from County Galway Alumni of St Patrick's College, Maynooth Roman Catholic bishops of Clonfert 1880 births 1953 deaths 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Ireland