Born: October 6th, 1936
Died: January 10th, 2022
The Right Reverend Brian Hannon, a former Church of Ireland bishop, has died following a long illness. He served as bishop of the cross-Border diocese of Clogher from 1986 to 2001, offering spiritual and pastoral support and leadership through the most difficult years of violence in Northern Ireland.
The Remembrance Day bombing on November 8th, 1987, in Enniskillen occurred within a year of his appointment as Bishop of Clogher. And while the clergy waited outside St Macartin’s Cathedral in Enniskillen before the Remembrance Day service was due to begin, they noticed smoke coming from the city centre where people had gathered for the annual act of remembrance at the cenotaph.
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So instead of commemorating those who died in the World Wars, Bishop Hannon joined others offering comfort to the bereaved and injured in the Erne Hospital, Enniskillen, after the bombing which killed 12 people.
Recalling the chaos of that horrific day, Lord Eames, former Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh (who was also at the scene), remembered “Brian moved easily from bed to bed, from person to person. It didn’t matter to him what their religion was, what their politics was. He was dealing with them as people.”
At a memorial service in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, one week later, Bishop Hannon received a sustained standing ovation for his words which included thanks to community and political leaders for “the wave of prayer and compassion that has surrounded those bereaved and injured in Enniskillen” and “for the new determination by so many to say to all our fellow countrymen ‘no more of this’. Nothing in Ireland, in the Republic, or in Northern Ireland, could justify such an atrocity.”
The Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, the Most Revd John McDowell, remarked that while Bishop Hannon ministered in times and places which were among the most difficult during the Troubles, he did so without growing bitter or cynical. “He spoke and acted always with compassion and understanding and did all in his power to work towards peaceful outcomes in a divided society.”
Community life
Known as a pastoral bishop, Bishop Hannon knew well and cared deeply for his parishioners across the large diocese of Clogher which encompasses Fermanagh, Monaghan and parts of Cavan, Leitrim, Tyrone and Donegal. A compassionate listener, he practised what he preached and was committed to improving educational opportunities and community life. The Derry Diocesan Board of Education and later the Western Education and Library Board were among the educational boards he served on.
He was also a strong advocate for good inter-church relations, and was one of two Church of Ireland representatives at the World Council of Churches conference in Vancouver, Canada, in 1983. From 1983 to 1992 he served on the World Council of Churches Central Committee, subsequently attending meetings in Geneva, Buenos Aires and other cities. In Enniskillen he worked closely with his Roman Catholic counterpart Monsignor Sean Cahill, parish priest of St Michael’s Church.
He also had an interest in broadcasting and was elected to the church’s Radio and TV Committee for which he edited a pamphlet on religious broadcasting in Ireland. From 1990 to 1996 he was also president of the Church Missionary Society.
Brian Hannon was born in Lurgan while his father, Revd Gordon Hannon, was serving as rector of Shankill parish. He attended St Columba’s College, Dublin, after which he did a BA in ancient and modern languages at Trinity College Dublin.
While there he was captain of the Harriers and Athletics Club and was holder of the 440 yards hurdle record for which he received gold medals. He was also awarded a “Trinity Pink” which is the highest sporting award given to those who have displayed outstanding athletic performance.
Graduation
Following his graduation in 1959 he studied theology at the Divinity School where he won several awards. He graduated with first class honours in 1961, and served as a curate in All Saints Church, Clooney, in the Derry diocese for the following three years ,during which time he was ordained a priest (1962).
He met his Donegal-born wife Maeve Butler and the couple married in 1964. They brought up their three sons in the midst of busy parish life in the various rectories attached to the churches where Rev Hannon served as rector – Desertmartin in the Diocese of Derry from 1965-1969 and Christ Church, Derry, from 1969 to 1982, after which he became rector in Enniskillen parish (St Macartin’s Cathedral), later canon and dean of Clogher, before his appointment as Bishop of Clogher in May 1986.
Brian Hannon also had a great love for classical music and was a gifted pianist. His youngest son Neil Hannon is the lead singer with pop groups The Divine Comedy and the Duckworth Lewis Method.
Following his retirement in 2001 on his 65th birthday, he and Maeve – a keen horsewoman – bought a small holding outside the village of Ballinamallard, Co. Fermanagh. As well as being a willing groom for her horses, he got great enjoyment from using his vintage Ferguson tractor.
In 2008 Hannon was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. He spent the last 3½ years of his life in the Graan Abbey nursing home on the site of the former monastery outside Enniskillen.
In response to his father’s illness Neil Hannon wrote the oratorio for chorus, strings and organ To Our Fathers in Distress, which was performed in March 2014 at the Royal Festival Hall in London.
Following his father’s death, Neil Hannon said, “Desmond, Brendan and I couldn’t have wished for a better father: Intelligent, patient, encouraging, interested, fun. We will be trying to live up to his example for as long as we live.”
Bishop Brian Hannon is survived by his wife Maeve, his sons Desmond, Brendan and Neil, grandchildren and his brothers David and Michael.