Monsignor Matthew O'Donnell MA, BD, DPh was an Irish priest who served as the 26th president of

St. Patrick's College, Maynooth St Patrick's Pontifical University, Maynooth (), is a pontifical Catholic university in the town of Maynooth near Dublin, Ireland. The college and national seminary on its grounds are often referred to as Maynooth College. The college was of ...

. He was born in Mungret, Co Limerick, in 1932 and studied at

St Mary's College, Galway St Mary's College is a co-educational (formerly boys) secondary school in Galway, Ireland. It educates students aged 12 to 18 for the Junior and Leaving Certificate examinations. It was founded in 1912 as the junior seminary of the Roman Cathol ...

, before moving to begin his studies for the priesthood at Maynooth where he was ordained for service in the diocese of Galway. His early aptitude for philosophy (his main interest was the works of David Hume) was recognised and he received his doctorate in Philosophy from

University of Louvain UCLouvain (or Université catholique de Louvain , French for Catholic University of Louvain, officially in English the University of Louvain) is Belgium's largest French-speaking university and one of the oldest in Europe (originally establishe ...

, becoming Professor of Ethics in 1960. His straightforward manner and capacity for thoughtful decision-making saw him appointed Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy in 1973 and later still, vice-president of Maynooth in 1980. to Monsignor Miceal Ledwith. When Ledwith resigned suddenly in 1994 in contested and perhaps controversial circumstances, it was natural that the then Irish Primate Cardinal

Cahal Daly Cahal Brendan Daly KGCHS (born Charles Brendan Daly, 1 October 1917 – 31 December 2009) was a Roman Catholic cardinal, theologian and writer from County Antrim. Daly served as the Catholic Primate of All Ireland and Archbishop of Armagh from ...

would press for his old friend and philosophical colleague Matt O'Donnell to be made College President. For that generosity of service to Maynooth as it headed into its bicentenary year, O'Donnell should be remembered. Dr. O'Donnell died on 7 September 1996, having suffered a heart attack earlier that year. Two postgraduate scholarships for Maynooth College were named in his honour one in Philosophy and one in Theology. He spent some of his childhood in Maynooth where his mother was from and is buried with his parents in Grangewilliam Cemetery just outside Maynooth town.Grangewilliam Donaghmore Graveyard

References

1932 births 1996 deaths Irish educators Alumni of St Patrick's College, Maynooth Academics of St Patrick's College, Maynooth Presidents of St Patrick's College, Maynooth Catholic University of Leuven (1834–1968) alumni 20th-century Irish Roman Catholic priests Roman Catholic moral theologians Irish ethicists 20th-century Irish philosophers 20th-century Irish educators {{Christian-philosopher-stub