Fr Michael Lally, SVD

(1949-2003)

 

The influence of the Society of the Divine Word on Maynooth from the entry of the first three students to study theology in 1968 has been profound. Their international dimension, distinctive spiritual culture, commitment to social justice and communications, and intense missionary spirit, as well as their community life outside the Maynooth College 'bubble' gave them a vocational attraction that of mirrored the various historical congregational and missionary movements originating in Maynooth - the Irish Vincentians and the Maynooth Mission to India in the 19th century, and the Maynooth Mission to China (Columbans) and St. Patrick's Missionary Society (Kiltegan) in the 20th. 

     Yet the record of transfer between the Maynooth student body and the SVD order is surprisingly sparse, and in the one outstanding example from the late 1960s, that of Michael Lally, was relatively short-lived, the person concerned dying in his early fifties, having returned to service in his native diocese. The following obituary is adapted from the Western People.

     

Michael Lally was born in Mayo 1949, a son of the late Tom and Ellen Lally, of Barnakillew, Partry. He was the fourth of five children.

He attended local national schools and St. Jarlath's Diocesan College. A noted footballer, he won an all Ireland all an Ireland colleges medals with St Jarlaths and Under 21 All Ireland honours with Mayo. 

From 1967 he studied philosophy in Maynooth as a student of the Archdiocese of Tuam. In September 1969 he joined the SVD in Donamon where he did his novitiate. He returned to Maynooth in 1970 to complete his studies in Theology.

He was ordained to the priesthood in 1973 and applied to work first in Ireland and later Papua New Guinea. In 1975 Sing Ying secondary school in Hong Kong was looking for a teacher and Michael consented to the request to have his appointment to Papua New Guinea changed. He took Postgraduate studies in Education in Twickenham before leaving for Hong Kong in 1976.

He returned to the Irish Province in 1980 and took up pastoral work in England in 1982. He was then transferred to the British Province and took a counselling post in Stroud for some time before moving to parish work. He served in the Provincial Council of the British Province and worked as Irish Chaplain up to the time of his return to Ireland in 1996.

From that time he worked and lived in the West of Ireland in the Archdiocese of Tuam. He was ill for a short period before dying in the home of his sister Judy in Belcarra  in the morning of February 22 2003.

He is survived by his brothers Tom and Jimmy and sisters Judy and Mary, nieces and nephews and friends. His remains were removed to Ballintubber Abbey and burial took place in the adjoining cemetery.

The funeral Mass was celebrated by Fr Sean Maughan a colleague with whom Fr Lally served for many years in Willesden, London. In his homily Fr Maughan described Fr Lally as a "true ambassador for Christ" who most endearing traits were his qualities of love, patience, understanding, his easy rapport with young and old alike and his great sense of fun and humour. Among the many clergy who concelebrated the Mass were Archbishop Michael Neary of Tuam, Fr Finbarr Treacy, SVD and Fr Frank Fahy, PP Ballintubber.

His coffin draped in the colours of the Ballintubber club was borne from the abbey to his final resting place by members of the club, Mayo GAA Board, colleagues and community neighbours and friends.