Micheal Mac Greil SJ RIP

Micheal Mac Greil SJ

Source: Jesuits in Ireland

The well-known Jesuit, sociologist, and social justice activist Micheal Mac Greil died peacefully on Saturday morning, 21 January 2023, after a short illness. He was 92. He joined the Irish Jesuit Order on 7 September 1959 and was ordained ten years later. He had spent nine years in the Irish army before joining the Jesuits.

Paying tribute to him, Irish President Michael D Higgins said that Micheal had made a "deep impact on the lives of many people".

Micheal Mac Greil was born in Clonaslee, Co Laois, in 1931 but considered himself a proud Mayo man, growing up and living in Loughloon for many years of his long life. He was an important figure in the rejuvenation of Westport and the surrounding western area, working with the tourist board there until very recently.

The Church in Westport paid warm tribute to him, saying he was a devoted priest and unique individual who was also "an activist and voice for the marginalised and underprivileged. …Although in his 93rd year, he lived life to the full and to the end".

The Tuam Archdiocese also paid tribute, saying that he was "a great part of the life of this diocese and of its priests".

Micheal was a sociologist who lectured at Maynooth University. Tuam diocese noted that in Maynooth, "He showed particular kindness to the seminarians of the archdiocese. With annual outings to his home in Loughloon for bacon and cabbage and taking time with the students in Maynooth, his kindness will never be forgotten".

It was there in Maynooth and later in UCD that Micheal did his seminal sociological research, three surveys that were to be published collectively under the title Prejudice and Tolerance in Ireland. It was not merely a ground-breaking work of academic interest but also a reflection of the deep concern that Micheal had for justice.

In the words of President Higgins, Micheal Mac Greil was a man who "truly gave authenticity to the importance of linking life and value". The President continued: "Throughout all of his work, Micheal Mac Greil brought a sense of the urgency of recognising justice issues of compassion. His was an early and constant call for the importance of overcoming social prejudice".

Micheal campaigned on many issues throughout his life, including Travellers' rights, prison reform, and the Irish language. He also fought for the decriminalisation of homosexuality.

In 1981, he chaired a special working party on the Jesuit Catholic Workers College, which later evolved into the National College of Ireland. In 1996 he returned to the survey and updated it. It was again published, this time under the title Prejudice in Ireland Revisited: Based on a National Survey of Intergroup Attitudes in the Republic of Ireland.

In 2014 his autobiography, The Ongoing Present: A Critical Look at the Society and World in Which I Grew Up, was published by Messenger Publications and launched by actor Ardal O'Hanlon.

As President Higgins concluded in his statement, Micheal will be greatly missed by all of us who knew him." Ar dheis De go raibh a anam dilis.