MONSIGNOR Richard Mulcahy, the former head of Opus Dei in Ireland, has died. He was 78.
The Monsignor, who was the son of Lieut-Gen Patrick A Mulcahy, former chief of staff of the Defence Forces (1955-1960), a nephew of the former leader of Fine Gael and minister for education Gen Richard Mulcahy, is survived by his sister Olive.
Msgr Mulcahy was ordained a priest of Opus Dei in 1959 and was counsellor of the organisation in Ireland from 1961 to 1975. The monsignor was appointed a judge of the National Marriage Appeals Tribunal in 1986, and was its presiding judge from 2003 until his retirement in 2005. He was appointed a monsignor or domestic prelate by the Holy See in 2005.
Educated at Belvedere College, he entered the Cadet School of the Army in 1950.
He was ordained a priest of Opus Dei in 1959, having completed his theological studies in Rome, where he lived alongside Saint Josemaría Escrivá, founder of Opus Dei. He obtained a doctorate in canon law at Rome’s Angelicum University.
