Irish Catholic college honours Protestant church leaders

The Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, honoris causa, was conferred on Bishop Donald Caird of the Church of Ireland, Rev Robert Davey from the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, and Rev Edmund Mawhinney, Methodist Church in Ireland; by Cardinal Desmond Connell, Chancellor of the Pontifical University, St Patrick's College, Maynooth, Co Kildare in the College Chapel at 5.00pm yesterday. Bishop Donald Caird was born in Dublin in 1925, and was educated at Wesley College and Trinity College Dublin. He became Church of Ireland Bishop of Limerick, Ardfert and Aghadoe in 1970, and Bishop of Meath and Kildare in 1976. He was elected Archbishop of Dublin, Bishop of Glendalough and Primate of Ireland in 1985, and retired in 1996. He married Nancy Ballantyne Sharpe in 1963, and they have three children. Rev Robert Raymond Davey was born in Belfast in 1915, and was educated at Royal Belfast Academic Inst., Queens University, Assemblys College and New College, Edinburgh. He was ordained for YMCA War Service during World War II and served as a prisoner of war in France and Germany. He was Chaplain and Dean of Residences at Queens University, Belfast from 1946 to 1971, and was Director of Corrymeela Centre, Ballycastle from 1971 until his retirement in 1979. He is married to Kathleen Burrows. Rev Edmund T.I Mawhinney was born in Moira, Co Down in 1938 and was educated at Methodist College, Belfast and Edgehill Theological College, Belfast. He was President of the Methodist Church in Ireland in 1994/5, and is currently Secretary of the Methodist Church in Ireland. He was President of the Irish Council of Churches from 1997 to 1999, and is a Joint Secretary of the Four Church Leaders (Ireland) since 1990. He and his wife Shirley have four children. source: Irish Catholic Communications Office