Société des Missions Africaines – Province d’Irlande

né le 9 août 1938 dans le diocèse de Cork, (Irlande)  membre de la SMA le 25 juin 1957 prêtre le 18 décembre 1963 décédé le 12 octobre 2003

1964-1966 études à l’université de Cambridge 1966-1970 diocèse de Ondo, Nigeria 1970-1986 diocèse d’Ibadan, Nigeria 1986-1987 année sabbatique 1987-1988 diocèse d’Ibadan, Nigeria 1989-2003 Blackrock Road, Cork décédé à l’hôpital de Clonmel (Irlande), le 12 octobre 2003, à l'âge de 65 ans

Owen Sweeney was born in Goleen, Co Cork, in the diocese of Cork, on 9th August 1938.
He died at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Clonmel, Co Tipperary, on 12th October 2003.

Owen Sweeney (known as ‘Owen Fra’ within the Society) was the oldest in a family of two boys and two girls born to Elizabeth (nee McCarthy) and Michael Sweeney who farmed at Colleras, near Goleen. He attended Lissingfin National School, near home, before entering the Sacred Heart College, Ballinafad, Co Mayo, the Society’s secondary college, in 1951. An excellent student Owen received an Honours Leaving Certificate in 1956 and then was promoted to the Society’s novitiate at Kilcolgan, Co Galway. A year later, in September 1957, Owen came to St. Joseph’s College, Wilton, from where he attended University College Cork. In 1960 he was awarded an Honours B.Sc. degree, majoring in Zoology and Biochemistry. He also studied Philosophy as a subsidiary subject. Weeks after graduating Owen entered the Society’s major seminary, at Dromantine, Newry, Co Down. He was received as a member of the Society on 25th June 1957. He was ordained a priest by Bishop Eugene O’Doherty of Dromore diocese, in St. Colman’s Cathedral, Newry, on 18th December 1963. He was one of a group of ten ordained on that day.

Owen’s distinguished undergraduate academic record suggested that his subsequent missionary career would be in the education apostolate. It came as no surprise when after ordination his superiors appointed him for further studies. During the academic year 1964-65 he pursued post-graduate work in Cambridge University. Residing in St. Edmund’s Hall of Residence, he attended Christ’s College, with Dr. A.E. Kempton as his tutor. He completed one year’s study and obtained an Honours mark in the Natural Sciences Tripos, Part Two. In June 1966 he was conferred with a B.A. degree in Science; four years later, as was customary, this was upgraded to an M.A. Owen’s first mission appointment was to the diocese of Jos; however by the time he sailed for Nigeria on the m.v. ‘Aureol’ on 6th October 1965, it had been decided to send him to another jurisdiction where a Math teacher was urgently needed. He was assigned to the diocese of Ondo where Bishop William Field posted him to Annunciation College, at Ikerre, situated some ten miles from the town of Ado-Ekiti. This was a boys grammar school, catering for some 120 pupils. Owen experienced difficulties here – he had certain differences with educational and ecclesiastical authorities over administrative issues – and never settled. In August 1970, deeply unhappy, he resigned from his position and prepared to return home to Ireland. However when en route he called to the Regional Superior’s house in Ibadan it was suggested to him that he might take up work in the diocese of Ibadan where a teacher was being sought to teach Science in a prestigious mission secondary school. Owen responded positively and was soon on the staff of Loyola College, the first boys residential secondary school in Ibadan diocese, opened in 1954 under the Principalship of John Mackle. Owen was to spend the next sixteen years on the staff of Loyola, mainly under the Principalship of Michael Kennedy, where his excellence as a teacher was appreciated by hundreds of students, many of whom subsequently became leaders in Nigeria’s civic, cultural and economic life.

In 1975, to further improve his teaching competence, Owen enrolled in the University of Ibadan where he took a post-graduate diploma in education (his subjects were mathematics and physics). In 1978 Owen was granted a sabbatical year, during which he studied at the Miltown Institute and also participated in the pastoral course at Marianella, both in Dublin. He was granted another sabbatical year in 1986, during which he studied Computer Science at University College Cork, acquiring a first-class honours diploma. Two years later, in 1988, he published a text-book in mathematics. In July of the same year Owen celebrated the Silver Jubilee of his ordination with his confreres in Ibadan. The homilist at the Mass described him as ‘a man of tremendous determination and endurance’, giving an example of how, when Owen was studying computer science in Cork, he decided to walk a distance of several miles from the SMA house to the university and back every day. He never missed a day and was never a minute late.

Owen came to Ireland from Nigeria in January 1988 for medical treatment in the Bon Secours hospital, Cork. After a period of rest he returned to Africa, but within four months was compelled to leave the tropics. When he was again well he spent three months taking a course in the Millhill Institute in London. He was then appointed as assistant to the Provincial Bursar in Cork, where he was entrusted with computerising the accounts. From 1st January 1990 he was given charge of the main promotion office in Blackrock Road and was also in charge of the Treasury from March 2000. He held both posts up to the time of his death. In July 1993 Owen was awarded a certificate in personnel management from the National Council for Educational Awards, having taken a course in the Cork Regional Technical College.

In the years before his death Owen had taken up hill-walking and was an active member of one of the leading groups in Cork. On the day of his death he had been climbing near Kilcoran Lodge, near Cahir, Co Tipperary. After finishing he returned to his car, changed his cloths, said goodbye to other members of the party and got into his car to drive home. Just as the car moved off he sustained a heart-attack. He was pronounced dead at St. Joseph’s hospital, Clonmel. Owen’s death at a relatively young age came as a great shock to his family, confreres and friends. He appeared in good health although he was a heavy cigarette smoker.

Owen had a wide circle of friends made over the years wherever he worked. He retained strong links with many of his former students from Loyola College. Every now and then they organised a re-union in London to which Owen was always a treasured invitee. He kept contact, too, with a number of graduates who had soldiered with him at U.C.C. in the 1950’s. In his latter years he became a father-figure and friend to many of the back-packers and hill-walkers; not only was he their guide in matters pertaining to their hobby but he also became a discreet spiritual guide. Within the Society he tended to keep to himself, treasuring his privacy. In his work at Blackrock Road he was always meticulous in his attention to duty. He became especially close to the Apostolic Workers groups who supply missionaries with materiel for their work and again formed friendships with several.

His sister is Sister Gabriel of the Convent of Mercy, at Schull, Co Cork.

He is buried in Wilton Cemetery.