Communities in Offaly mourn 'kind and humble' priest

THE late Fr. Brenan Scully O.F.M., son of late Jack Scully of Cadamstown and Kathleen Bradley of Coolfin, Kilcormac, was a kind and humble Franciscan priest who was a great youth worker, gifted sportsman and a man of the people known for his quiet charitable works.

Friar Brendan was greatly loved in Offaly, the home of so many relatives and friends, who is remembered as always having time for everyone and a sense of fun that shone through his priestly ministry.

A gifted priest whose kindness knew no bounds, Friar Brendan was characterised by his good cheer, humility and a wonderful gift of knowing what people were going through: he was a true son of St Francis of Assisi. Fr. Brendan was hugely affected by the 1974 murder of his late cousin, Josie Bradley of Coolfin, Kilcormac, slaughtered in the U.V.F. Dublin-Monaghan bombings. During Friar Brendan’s ministry in Bray, Co. Wicklow, he is particularly remembered for his devoted kindness at the time of the 1989 St Stephen’s Day tragedy where four members of the one family died as a result of a fire in Ballywaltrim.

It was with great sadness that the people of Offaly learned of the recent death of the Very Rev. Fr. Brendan Scully, O.F.M., a Franciscan Friar, former Franciscan Provincial Bursar, Guardian of Immaculate Conception (Adam & Eve’s) Franciscan Friary, Merchant’s Quay, Dublin and of St Francis’ (The Abbey) Franciscan Friary, Galway City as well as former Parish Priest of St Fergal’s Franciscan Parish of Ballywaltrim, Bray, Co. Wicklow from 1986 to 1990 in the Dublin Archdiocese, and late Assistant Parish Priest of the English Language Mission Sint Antoniuskerk, Kraainem, Leuven, Belgium in the Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels, 2014 to 2019.

A Franciscan classmate, long-time friend, and confrère the Very Rev. Fr. Paddy Power O.F.M. broke the news of Friar Brendan’s death with the following social media post: “For all who know me I want you to receive that a great friend of yours and mine has just died and I would love you to remember me in your prayers. About an hour ago Fr. Brendan Scully died and went on the journey to meet Him for whom he gave his life. May the Lord allow Saint Peter to open wide the gates of Paradise and greet him with the words 'Welcome good and faithful servant.'

Please tell people of his death if you are from Bray and St. Fergal's, Saint Anthony's in Brussels or any place where he ministered. This is not to exclude his Gaelic companions, Rugby team mates, Soccer players and those he played Golf with. You were part of the contribution that made up the goodness of his life. May our prayers, wishes and blessings be with his family at this sad time in their lives. Pray also for the Friars Minor who are mourning a great brother and a great friend.”

Bray barrister Cllr. Malachaí Duddy, B.L. M.C.C. proposed a vote of sympathy at the recent meeting of Wicklow County Council and said in extending his condolences to his family and Franciscan confrères that “Fr. Brendan Scully O.F.M. made a considerable contribution to Bray, and Ballywaltrim in particular, through his dedication as a Friar and Parish Priest of St Fergal’s, where he seems to have been universally loved by the people. A gifted sportsman he did much for youth services and facilities in the parish. Much of the good he achieved was unseen and discreet.” Former Fianna Fáil T.D. Cllr. Joe Behan, M.C.C. seconding the proposed vote observed how

“Fr. Brendan was involved in so many organisations but his generosity through the St Fergal’s Parish Conference of the Society of St Vincent de Paul was extraordinary. I remember Fr. Brendan being very active in advocating for youth services, supporting the parish Scout, Guide and Cub groups.” Votes of sympathy were also proposed at the meeting of the Bray Municipal District Council. Friar Brendan was prayed for at both council meetings.

Friar Brendan was recognised as a great worker in the cause of youth and youth services and facilities. A gifted sportsman of very high calibre and some considerable achievement, he played Gaelic, both Hurling and Football, Soccer, Rugby, Basketball, Hockey, Cricket, Squash, Badminton and of course his beloved Golf, as well as being an expert in Judo.

Limerick G.A.A. described Fr. Brendan as “a great priest and community person. He played Gaelic Football with Treaty Sarsfields during his time in Limerick. Eternal Rest Grant Unto Fr. Brendan.”

Born and raised on the north side of Dublin, Friar Brendan, a fine Irish language speaker, played Gaelic Football and Hurling with his school St Vincent’s C.B.C., Glasnevin and Basketball with St Joseph’s Basketball Club, Fairview founded by well-known republican Harry Boland and represented Ireland in Basketball at the 1961 Catholic Students’ Games. Fr. Brendan won Juvenile and Minor Championships with Na Fianna G.A.A. Club, Glasnevin, Dublin.

He played Minor Hurling and Gaelic Football for Dublin winning in a Leinster title in football in 1961 and losing the All Ireland semi-final by a point just two days before joining the Franciscans. Fr. Brendan played Senior Intercounty G.A.A. with County Limerick, winning a number of County Championships while a member of Limerick city’s Franciscan community, playing also with Shannon and Thomond Rugby Clubs, as well as playing midfield with Limerick Shelbourne A.F.C.

He was Honorary Treasurer of Treaty Sarsfield G.A.A. Club, Thomondgate, Limerick as well as acting as a Junior Football Selector for the club. Later back in Dublin in the early 1980s, Friar Brendan played Cricket with the Civil Service Cricket Club in the Phoenix Park. He developed a lifelong love of Golf, becoming a very accomplished player and enthusiast, with membership of Elm Park Golf Club and later Bray Golf Club where he played for many years. Hugely popular with his teammates and fellow players, Fr. Brendan was considered a lovely man, great company and a friend to so many.

As a child, Friar Brendan met priests who were accessible and humane, a memory which he carried with him throughout his life. He regarded himself not so much as a priest but a friar, a brother to all, a man of service to the community. He taught that each person is unique, to forget about yesterday and not think about tomorrow, to only enjoy the present and love God and each other. As a priest Fr. Brendan was loved by hundreds of parishioners for his kindness and welcome, especially for children and the youth whom he cared for deeply.

A native of the Navan Road in Dublin, Friar Brendan was born in 1943 to Offaly parents Jack Scully and Kathleen Bradley. His mother passed away when he was just 14 years old, so his big sister did a lot of his looking after as he grew up. He attended school with the Christian Brothers at St Vincent’s CBC, Glasnevin where he was an accomplished student.

Fr. Brendan, taking the name Br. Seamús entered the Most Holy Trinity Franciscan Friary & Noviciate, Killarney, Co. Kerry in 1961, making his Profession in the Franciscans in 1962. Friar Brendan later studied at St Anthony’s Seraphic College, Galway City and graduated with a B.A. from the University of Galway (N.U.I.) in 1965 he then studied Theology at St Isadore’s Irish Franciscan College, Rome, being Ordained a Priest in 1969 at the American College, Rome.

His first appointment following his ordination was in 1969 to Limerick City. After a brief spell in 1974 at Gormanston Franciscan College, Co. Meath, Friar Brendan returned to continue his ministry in Limerick City where he was a gifted Preacher of Missions, and was Franciscan vocations promoter. While in Limerick Friar Brendan became active with Treaty Sarsfield G.A.A. Club, Thomondgate as well as various other sports clubs, which led to inter-county glory, active with the Limerick soccer league as well as local rugby clubs.

While in Limerick he campaigned for the provision of open spaces and sports facilities across the city and was the heart of Catholic Youth Crusade (C.Y.C), a youth club in the Franciscan Hall. Fr. Brendan left his mark on sport in Limerick City having excelled in Soccer with Shelbourne A. F.C., Rugby with Thomond and Shannon and part of the very successful County Champions three in a row with Treaty Sarsfields G.A.A. Club.

Tragedy struck Offaly, in particular the Bradley and Scully families that same year when on 17 May 1974, three car bombs exploded without warning in Dublin city centre at Parnell Street, Talbot Street and South Leinster Street during rush hour.  A fourth bomb exploded later that evening in the centre of Monaghan Town at the junction of Church Square and North Road. These bombs were claimed by the loyalist U.V.F. paramilitaries, operating through the notorious Glenanne gang, a vehicle of British state actors and collusion. One of the 35 murder victims was a young first cousin of Friar Brendan’s: Josie Bradley, just 21 years old, a Civil Servant, from Coolfin, Kilcormac, Co. Offaly who was slaughtered as a result of the bomb on Talbot Street, Dublin.

In 1978 Friar Brendan went to Immaculate Conception (Adam & Eve’s) Franciscan Friary, Merchant’s Quay, Dublin as Guardian. Following the relatively newly founded Franciscan Friary at Ballywaltrim, Bray, Co. Wicklow in 1976, Friar Brendan went from Merchant’s Quay in 1981 to join this new Franciscan community, where he quickly became involved in the local Ballywaltrim community. Fr. Brendan, in the fullest Franciscan tradition, embraced the poor and needy of a predominantly under-privileged and deprived working class parish, concentrating considerable resources with the local St Fergal’s Conference of the Society of St Vincent de Paul. From 1986 to 1990 Friar Brendan succeeded as Parish Priest of St Fergal’s Ballywltrim Parish.

At the Easter Vigil Mass in 1987, Friar Brendan instituted some of the first altar-girls in Ireland, with St Fergal’s Parish becoming the first Irish parish to continue with altar-girls as an unbroken practice since, despite the express reservations of the then recently deceased Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland, The Most Rev. Dr. Kevin McNamara DD who saw altar boys as a means of promoting priestly vocations. His Eminence Tomás Cardinal Ó Fiaich DD, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, questioned how if women would carry a ciborium as Ministers of the Eucharist or could bring the gifts of bread and wine to the altar during the Offertory at Mass, why could a woman or girl not then act as altar servers? In the absence of any Canon Law preventing female altar servers, Fr. Brendan took the bull by the horns and instituted altar-girls: within six months St Fergal’s Parish had in excess of 30 altar-girls.

It was near the end of this period that the 1989 St Stephen’s Day Fire tragedy occurred on the Oldcourt Estate in Ballywaltrim, Bray. Four members of the Cassidy family died as a result of the tragic fire, including Lisa (9), Jason (6), Keith (4) and Graham (18 months) who died in the fire as well as their mother Kitty (31) who passed away as a result of her injuries.

The poignancy of the dreadful tragedy occurring over Christmas at a time of celebration for so many was not lost on either the people of Bray or the wider country at large. In the face of this horrific tragedy, Fr. Brendan immediately galvanised support for the surviving Cassidy family members organising fundraising, gaining the support of Irish Soccer legend Paul McGrath as well as a number of popular RTÉ personalities. Money was collected from all parts of Co. Wicklow, Dún Laoghaire and other parts of south Co. Dublin including from football clubs, darts groups, pub collections, children’s pocket money and even one Lotto game winner. This tragedy had a significant impact on Friar Brendan.

In 1990, on leaving Bray, Co. Wicklow, Fr. Brendan went for six months to minister at the English speaking Franciscan parish of Sint Antoniuskerk, Kraainem, Leuven, in Belgium but after six months he returned to Dublin, to the well known Franciscan Friary on Merchant’s Quay where he served as Chaplain to Dublin Bus. From 1996 he relocated to the St Francis’ Franciscan Friary Galway City as Guardian where he marked the 700 year celebrations of the Franciscans coming to Galway in 1296. For the period 1990-2002 Friar Brendan was Provincial Bursar or financial officer to the Irish Franciscan Province, which he claimed he “didn’t take too seriously”.

In 1998 he returned to Immaculate Conception Franciscan Friary, Limerick City, the location of his first posting as a newly ordained priest. It was then to St Francis’ Franciscan Friary, Cork City that Fr. Brenden went next, where he was to remain for the next 12 years before returning as Chaplain to the students of the Franciscan Gormanston College of St Louis, Co, Meath for the next two years 2012-2014. Friar Brendan’s last appointment was to return to parish ministry with the English speaking Franciscan parish of Sint Antoniuskerk, Kraainem, Leuven, where he remained until 2019.

An accomplished preacher, particularly of missions and novenas, Friar Brendan was a very popular confessor and spiritual director. A great promoter in lay participation in a parish, he was loved by the adults and children equally. His Sunday family Mass was specifically for the children, where as many children as possible were given a role, Fr. Brendan preaching the homily by moving around the church with the microphone in dialogue asking the children simple questions. The Gospel would be acted out on the altar by the schoolchildren and children were invited up to surround the altar. These family Masses were frequently bursting at the seams.

Fr. Brendan Scully O.F.M. passed away peacefully on 30th August 2025, in the loving care of the Sisters of Nazareth, Nazareth House, Malahide Road, Clontarf, Dublin. He was the beloved brother of Moyra McGuinness, predeceased by his siblings Ailish Breen, John, and Frank Scully. Very sadly missed by his sisters-in-law Annie and Collette, brother-in-law Luke, nieces, nephews, his Franciscan confrères, by all acquaintances and Friar Brendan’s many, many friends.