Donald Caird

Donald Arthur Richard Caird (11 December 1925 – 1 June 2017) was an Irish bishop[1] who held three senior posts in the Church of Ireland during the last third of the 20th century.[2]

The Most Reverend Donald Caird
Archbishop of Dublin Primate of Ireland
Church	Church of Ireland
Diocese	Dublin and Glendalough
Elected	1985
In office	1985-1996
Predecessor	Henry McAdoo
Successor	Walton Empey
Orders
Consecration	29 September 1970 by Alan Buchanan
Personal details
Born	(1925-12-11)11 December 1925 Dublin, County Dublin, Irish Free State
Died	1 June 2017(2017-06-01) (aged 91) Dublin, County Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Nationality	Irish
Denomination	Anglican
Spouse	Nancy Sharpe
Previous post	Bishop of Limerick, Ardfert and Aghadoe (1970-1976) Bishop of Meath and Kildare (1976-1985)
Alma mater	Wesley College, Dublin Trinity College, Dublin

He was born in Dublin and educated at Wesley College and Trinity College in his native city [3] and ordained in 1950.[4] He began his career at St Mark's, Dundela, Belfast. He was Chaplain and an Assistant Master at Portora Royal School, Enniskillen until 1957. He was a lecturer in philosophy at University College of St David's, Lampeter. He was Rector of Rathmichael Parish, Shankill, Dublin and a lecturer in the philosophy of religion at the Church of Ireland Theological College, Dublin. From 1969 to 1970 he was Dean of Ossory when he was ordained to the episcopate as the last Bishop of Limerick, Ardfert and Aghadoe, a post he held until 1976. He was translated to the Diocese of Meath and Kildare and he served there until 1985 when he was elected Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland. He retired in 1996.

Donald Caird took a keen interest in the Irish language from an early age. He encountered members of Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise (the Irish Guild of the Church) at an Irish language service in Dublin's St Patrick's Cathedral in the early 1940s, which made a deep impression on him. Around this time, he was sent to the Gaeltacht in West Kerry by his father to improve his Irish, staying in the Dún Chaoin area and was fascinated to encounter members of his church community worshipping in Irish at a small church at Kilmalkeader (Cill Mhaolcheadair) on the Dingle peninsula, overlooking the Atlantic. He was appointed to Bord na Gaeilge, the state body for the promotion of the language, in 1975 while Bishop of Limerick, by Tom O'Donnell TD, Minister for the Gaeltacht.[5]

He died on 1 June 2017 at the age of 91.[6]

References

1. Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I. (1996). Handbook of British Chronology (Third Edition, revised ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-56350-X.
2. A New History of Ireland Moody, T. M.; Martin, F.X.; Byrne, F. J.; Cosgrove, F.: Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1976 ISBN 0-19-821745-5
3. Who's Who 2008: London, A & C Black, 2008 ISBN 978-0-7136-8555-8
4. Crockfords 1975-76 Lambeth, Church House, 1975 ISBN 0-19-200008-X
5. DONALD CAIRD: Church of Ireland Bishop: Gaelic Churchman: A Life by Aonghus Dwane (The Columba Press, July 2014) ISBN 9781782181781
6. The Most Revd Dr Donald Arthur Richard Caird

Church of England titles
Preceded by Robert Wyse Jackson	Bishop of Limerick, Ardfert and Aghadoe 1970–1976	Succeeded by Final appointment
Preceded by Inaugural appointment	Bishop of Meath and Kildare 1976–1984	Succeeded by Walton Newcombe Frances Empey
Preceded by Henry McAdoo	Archbishop of Dublin 1985–1996