Société des Missions Africaines –Province d'Irlande

né le 2 février 1907 à Enniskeane dans le diocèse de Cork, Irlande membre de la SMA le 8 juillet 1927 prêtre le 7 juin 1931 décédé le 15 juillet 1983

1931-1935 missionnaire au Nird Nigeria Zaria, Kaduna, Kjano et Jos 1935-1938 Blackrock Road, Cork 1938-1959 Liverpool, maison sma de Ullet Road 1959-1962 Ecole Saint Gorran, Cornwall, Angleterre aumônier 1962-1964 au service du diocèse de Nottingham 1964-1983 couvent de Felixstove, Suffork aumônier décédé à Cork, Irlande, le 15 juillet 1983, à l'âge de 76 ans

Timothy O'Driscoll was born at Enniskeane, Co Cork (on admission to the Society the family address is given as 21, Albert Road Cork), on 2 February 1907. He died in the Regional hospital Cork (since re-named Cork University hospital), on 15 July 1983.

Tim studied at the Sacred Heart college, Ballinafad, Co Mayo (1920 22) and St. Joseph's college, Wilton, Cork (1922 1925) before entering the S.M.A. novitiate and house of philosophy, at Kilcolgan, Co Galway, in the autumn of 1925. He studied theology in the major seminary, at Dromantine, Co Down, from 1927 1931. He was received as a member of the Society 8 July 1927, and was ordained a priest by Bishop Edward Mulhern of Dromore diocese, at St. Colman's cathedral, Newry, on 7 June 1931. He was one of a group of twelve ordained on that day.

After ordination Tim was appointed to the vast prefecture of Northern Nigeria which had been founded in 1929. The prefecture extended northwards from the Benue and Niger rivers and included territory from 'French Niger'. In 1934 the prefecture was divided into two jurisdictions - the prefectures of Kaduna and Jos. Tim ministered in northern Nigeria from October 1931 until November 1935, spending his last year on the staff of the Jos prefecture. His first appointment, given to him by William Porter, the prefect, was to Zaria, where John McCarthy was superior. Zaria was the third principal station to be founded in northern Nigeria, after Kano and Shendam. In 1931 there was some 800 catholic members, mostly Igbos from the east, who had come northwards with the railway line. After a year Tim was transferred to Kano, where Alphonse Schahl was superior.

With the division of the prefecture on 1934 Tim was appointed to Jos mission. Jos town owed its existence and prosperity to the Tin mining industry on the Plateau and was a well-equipped station, with a new church completed in 1933, with accommodation for over 1,000 people. There were eight secondary stations scattered over the mining area attached to the Jos mission. A report from the prefect, William Lumley, noted that 'though the members of their congregations are people from the southern vicariates [from the east) they are in contact with pagans who are being encouraged to come to church and to send their children to school. The good roads in this area render it a comparatively easy matter to visit these outstations regularly. A half-ton motor truck has been supplied to Jos station for this purpose'. Tim ministered in Jos until November 1935 when he went on home leave.

When Tim returned to Ireland he was in poor health and his superiors kept him at home, stationed at Blackrock Road, until August 1938 when he was appointed to the Province's procure at Ullet Road, Sefton Park, Liverpool. This house catered for missionaries travelling to and from Africa. In addition to this work Tim served as chaplain to Sefton Park hospital. In 1949 he became superior at Ullet Road, remaining there (and continuing as hospital chaplain) until October 1959. Between 1959 1962 he was chaplain to St. Gorran school, Cornwall. For the next two years he ministered in Nottingham diocese. For the remaining years of his life (1964 1983) he was chaplain to the Religious of Jesus and Mary, Convent of St. Felix, Felixstowe. He was visiting relatives in Cork when he became ill, and died in the Regional hospital. Tim is especially remembered by his confreres for his kindness and hospitality to them as they passed through the procure in Liverpool.

Tim wrote a number of articles for the African Missionary, including 'My First Christmas in Africa', written from Zaria in 1932; 'Zawan of the Plateau', written when he was stationed in Jos in 1935; and 'Twins and all that', written in 1936 and dealing with the subject of abandoned twins and their rescue by the mission ('Then of course there is the question of twins. These were always regarded as an evidence of malignity from the Gods. In olden days, they, with their mother, were destroyed. Later the mother alone was spared, and afterwards the weaker only of the pair was offered to expiate any guilt there might be on the part of the mother'). Rescued twins in the Jos region of the prefecture were usually taken to the mission at Shendam where there was an orphanage.

He is buried in Wilton cemetery.