Société des Missions Africaines –Province d'Irlande

né le 2 mars 1915 à Onagh dans le diocèse de Clonfert, Irlande membre de la SMA le 2 juillet 1939 prêtre le 19 décembre 1942 décédé le 24 juin 1981

1943-1944 Cork, études supérieures 1944-1945 Clough, professeur 1945-1961 missionnaire en Gold Coast, Cape Coast 1962-1973 missionnaire au Nigeria, Jos 1974-1977 diocèse de Northampton 1977-1979 Rochestown, Frères de la Charité, aumônier 1979-1981 missionnaire au Nigeria, Jos, Bukuru décédé à Jos, Nigeria, le 24 juin 1981, à l'âge de 66 ans

Father Michael Anthony GLYNN (1915 - 1981)

Michael Anthony Glynn was born in Onagh, Taughmaconnell, Ballinasloe, Co Galway, in the diocese of Clonfert, on 2 March 1915. He died in the catholic hospital, Jos, northern Nigeria, on 24 June 1981.

Anthony (Tony) was educated in the colleges of the Society. He studied at the Sacred Heart college, Ballinafad, Co Mayo and St. Joseph's college, Wilton, Cork (1932 1937), before entering the novitiate at Kilcolgan, Co Galway, in 1937. Two years later, on 2 July 1939, he was admitted to membership of the Society. He received his theological formation in the major seminary, at Dromantine, Co Down. Tony was ordained a priest, along with eight colleagues, in the chapel of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart at Moyne Park, Tuam, on 19 December 1942. Society ordinations normally took place in Newry cathedral, but a fifty mile limit on car travel due to petrol rationing would have prevented his family from attending. Several other classmates were faced with the same problem so the ordinations for that year were held at three centres, Dromantine chapel, Skibbereen, and Moyne Park. The ordaining prelate in Moyne Park was Archbishop Joseph Walsh of Tuam.

Between 1936 37, while in Wilton, Tony had attended lectures at U.C.C. and between 1937 1939, while in Kilcolgan, he had taken lectures at U.C.G. In June 1939 he had graduated with an arts degree in education and philosophy. After ordination Tony returned to U.C.C. (residing at Wilton) graduating with a higher diploma in education in June 1944. After acquiring his teaching diploma Tony was appointed to the staff at Kilcolgan where, designated by the University, he taught 'education' for the U.C.G. degree course until June 1945. The war then being over, he was able to get a passage to Africa and went to the Gold Coast (Ghana) where he taught in St. Augustine's college, Cape Coast. St. Augustine's was the first catholic secondary college in the Gold Coast, founded in 1936. Tony was principal of this prestigious institution from 1950 1961. Before returning to Ireland on home leave in April 1961 Tony handed over to a Ghanaian principal. During his leave Tony was in poor health and he spent a period in the tropical unit of Our Lady of Lourdes hospital, Drogheda. After a period of convalescence he took up a temporary appointment in Kilcolgan. At this point, wishing to return to Africa, his superiors appointed him to the diocese of Jos in northern Nigeria. Tony opened a new chapter in his distinguished missionary career in September 1962 when John Reddington, bishop of Jos, appointed him principal of St. Joseph's college, Vom. St. Joseph's, in Benue-Plateau State, had been opened by Bishop Reddington in 1958 to cater for the northern part of the diocese. St. Murumba's college, Jos, was founded a year later to cater for Catholics in the south. Tony remained in charge of St. Joseph's for eleven years, building it up into one of Nigeria's premier secondary schools.

In July 1973 Tony returned to Ireland on leave and asked his superiors for permission to take up pastoral work. In January 1974 he was accepted by the bishop of Northhampton diocese and was posted as chaplain to Thornton college, Milton Keynes. In September 1975 Tony wrote to the Provincial expressing a desire to return to Africa. However, strongly advised by his doctors against a return to the tropics, he remained on in Northhampton diocese until July 1977. In December of the same year he took up a chaplaincy with the Brothers of Charity, at Rochestown, Cork. Throughout this period his thoughts were with Africa and eventually in October 1979 he set out for Jos diocese. Gabriel G. Ganaka, who had succeeded Bishop Reddington in 1974, appointed Tony assistant parish priest of St. William's church, Zawan (Bukuru, in Plateau State). On Saturday, 20th June, Tony felt ill and called Michael Darcy, his parish priest. Fr. Darcy brought him to the catholic hospital in Jos. On the following day Tony suffered a stroke. On Monday he was anointed by Bishop Ganaka. That night he went into a coma. Tony died on Wednesday, 24th June, at 8.20 a.m. in the presence of Fr. Dominic Kearns, Sister Eileen Warren and the doctors and nurses. His funeral Mass, celebrated in Bukuru, was attended by priests, religious and people, not only from Jos diocese, but also from the dioceses of Kaduna, Minna, and Makurdi. Past pupils of St. Joseph's college Vom attended the funeral in their hundreds.

Tony was in Ghana for the duration of the struggle for independence and its aftermath. During these years he became a close friend of Kwame Nkrumah. Tony was renowned as an educational administrator, and during the 1950's he was chairman of the Headmasters Conference of Ghana, as well as chairman of the West African Examinations Council. In this latter capacity, over a period of ten years, he proved an energetic administrator and an intrepid traveller, frequently visiting Nigeria on W.A.E.C. business. Tony was very gentlemanly, well spoken and cultured. Of an original turn of mind he took pleasure in a good discussion on any subject.

He is buried in the grounds of Vom church, northern Nigeria.