PJ McGRATH: PJ McGRATH
came from a farming background in Killerig, Co Carlow. He was educated at Knockbeg College. A brilliant undergraduate career ensued at Maynooth, where he was ordained in 1961. Postgraduate studies followed at Louvain and Oxford.
His doctorate was obtained from Louvain avec grande distinctionin 1964. In the same year he became professor of philosophy at St Patrick's College, Carlow, and went on to hold the chair of metaphysics at St Patrick's College, Maynooth, from 1968 to 1977. A philosopher of high distinction, his research was mainly concerned with moral philosophy, ethics and the philosophy of religion. His books include The Nature of Moral Judgement, The Objectivity of Morals(both on moral philosophy) and, on the philosophy of religion, Believing in Godand The Justification of Religious Belief.His published articles appeared in Mind, The Philosophical Quarterly, Analysis, Logica, The Furrowand Religious Studies. His studies were characterised by logical rigour, lucidity and clarity of exposition.
A number of his articles from the late 1960s and the 1970s, including one on the papal encyclical Humanae Vitae, were critical of the Catholic Church’s teaching and were seen as prejudicial to ecclesiastical authority and to the interests of the church. These brought him into prolonged confrontation with the Maynooth authorities.
He was laicised in 1977, and was asked to resign his chair. He refused on the basis he did not understand the reasoning behind the request. He continued to resist relentless pressure, but was eventually dismissed.
The request to resign, the reasons behind it and the eventual dismissal became a cause célèbre since they raised fundamental questions regarding academic freedom and tenure.
Widespread concern was expressed in the national press and elsewhere regarding the implications of the actions of the Maynooth authorities for him and for the academic community. The matter came before the High Court, which held that he had been wrongly dismissed and that his removal from the chair had been invalid. However, he was not reinstated. Instead he was awarded damages against the college trustees, but only 60 per cent of his costs. He felt he should have been reinstated and appealed the judgment. He lost his case and here ended his formal relationship with Maynooth.
Nevertheless, he retained many lasting friendships with his clerical ex-colleagues from Maynooth, from the diocese of Kildare Leighlin, and from further afield, who supported him in his difficult time, and many of whom were present at his obsequies.
The significance of these events in the 1970s is noteworthy. This was a time when attitudes to the power of the Catholic Church in Ireland, and the ways in which it was wielded, were very different from those of today. The stance he adopted showed outstanding courage, underlining his very clear, reasoned and principled view of what was just and unjust. His refusal to defer unconditionally to its authority was a landmark in the evolution of the standing of the church in Ireland.
His academic difficulties continued in an Ireland with this ethos. Despite his exceptional scholarly standing, he did not find it easy to obtain another appointment in Ireland.
His academic exile finally ended in 1980, largely due to the initiative and determination of University College Cork’s professor of philosophy. The university appointed him to a statutory (senior) lectureship in philosophy, a post he held until his retirement in 2000.
In Cork he met Paule Cotter, a consultant haematologist, whom he married in 1984 and with whom he shared a deep empathy.
PJ McGrath was a man of unwavering high principle and an astute reader of character. Conciseness and clarity of thought, combined with a wry sense of humour, were highlights of his personality. He had a lifelong, profound love of reading, with an encyclopaedic memory for everything he had read. He had a profound knowledge of history and was immersed in European culture. He had a deep appreciation of wine, with a superbly developed palate and an impeccable cellar to match. He and his wife gave celebrated parties in their Bantry home for the musicians on the opening night of every West Cork Chamber Music Festival. These contributed in no small degree to the spirit of close camaraderie that binds together the performers at the Bantry festival each summer.
He is survived by his wife Paule, his brothers Séamus and Peter, and sister Mona.
Patrick J McGrath: born 1935; died August 27th, 2011