Description

Published 1955: First Edition, Second Impression / Softcover / Very Good Condition

Original green stiff card wraps with black titles on the cover and spine. 182 very clean and bright pages. Covers slightly rubbed with time and frayed along the edges consistent with age. Scarce! (HQ782)

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James Kavanagh (3 March 1914 – 8 August 2002) was an Irish Roman Catholic bishop who served as Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin from 1973 to 1991, while also holding the titular see of Zerta. A scholar of social sciences with advanced degrees from Oxford and Cambridge, he combined academic rigor with pastoral activism, becoming a vocal advocate for the underprivileged and workers' rights in Ireland.

Born in Dublin to a tradesman father, Kavanagh excelled early in academics and sports, earning scholarships to O'Connell Schools and University College Dublin, where he obtained a first-class honours BA in philosophy before ordination as a priest in 1939. His career spanned teaching philosophy, serving as an army chaplain during World War II neutrality, and directing adult education initiatives, culminating in his appointment as professor of social science at UCD in 1966. Ordained bishop in 1973 amid Ireland's social upheavals, he mediated high-profile disputes, including ending a 1977 Provisional IRA hunger strike after 47 days through direct intervention with prisoners.

Kavanagh's defining traits included outspoken critiques of social injustices, such as Dublin Corporation's neglect of deprived areas like Darndale, and selective support for labor actions—he backed workers in many pay disputes but condemned 1980s public-sector strikes as "national sabotage" amid unemployment. He authored A Manual of Social Ethics, influenced trade union ties, and questioned convictions like that of Nicky Kelly in the 1976 Sallins train robbery, urging his release in 1984 due to evidential doubts. A sports enthusiast who captained hurling teams and promoted clerical golf via the James Kavanagh Shield, he retired actively, conducting confirmations until 1998, and was remembered for pastoral charity and intellectual independence. Google Books...