OFTEN the most influential of people are the gentlest. Their mildness of manner, kindness of heart and honesty of purpose bring out the best in their acquaintances who tend to meet like with like.
Such a woman was Mary Hogan. The least competitive of persons, even in dialectic which she dearly loved, her interest in establishing the truth far exceeded her desire to win. A wonderful adviser when requested, she could be critical but never failed to appreciate the dignity of every human being. Gentle in manner, certainly, but never neutral in the things that matter. Utterly steadfast in her Faith, Jesus was the eternal way and the truth.
A native of Bristol where she graduated in philosophy, she came to Callan on her marriage to Chris. There she kept open house for their friends, was quietly active in Church affairs and a producer for years with the Old Charter Players. A witty conversationalist and correspondent, her few published writings were confined to the theological journal the Furrow. Two years ago she was to have contributed to the religious "Night Life" series on RTE, and how wonderful her calm and perhaps deceptively simple words would have been, but her voice gave out.
Two decades ago she moved with Chris to Kilkenny, and later her sight failed. To an inveterate reader this was a major handicap, but one she never allowed to interfere with her positive way of life. She continued hosting theological discussion groups, continued even going to the theatre, kept in touch with the matters of the day on radio and by listening to the numerous tapes of papers and books provided by the benevolent organisations catering for the blind.
While Chris and Michael, Rory and Gay and her seven grandchildren will miss her most keenly, alight has gone out for those of us who continued almost to the end to enjoy her warm hospitality and her intellectual and kindly company. Anois i ndairire, ach ar bhealach bhi si ariabh, as Sli na Firinne.