Liam Swords:FR LIAM Swords, who has died aged 74, was one of the first clergy members in Ireland to realise the power of television and the media.
In the 1960s, when many in the Catholic Church were suspicious of the “atheistic media”, the newly ordained cleric became involved in film and television work.
His early TV involvement included contributions to the religious programme Outlook, a programme lasting about five minutes and aired on RTÉ just before programming ended for the night.
He also worked on the popular Radharc TV series, started by the late Fr Joe Dunn and Fr Des Forrestal. The pair had just returned from New York where they had been dispatched by the archbishop of Dublin at the time, John Charles McQuaid, to learn about television so they could advise new broadcasters.
Radharcbecame Ireland's first independent television unit, with its reporters traversing the country at a time when television coverage from the regions was limited. A native of Swinford, Co Mayo, Fr Swords served the Irish community in Paris for many years and did a lot to make the Irish College there a cultural and community centre.
After 11 years on the teaching staff at Coláiste Pádraig, Swinford, Fr Swords went on study leave to Paris and remained on in the Irish College there doing historical research.
In 1979 he joined the Catholic Communications Institute of Ireland, working in publishing, and in 1980 he was appointed director of Veritas publishing.
Since 1995 he had been living in Dublin researching and writing his histories of Achonry diocese.
Fr Liam Swords: born, January 4th, 1937; died February 19th, 2011