# William Philbin

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Irish Roman Catholic bishop (1907–1991)

William Philbin Bishop of Down and Connor Church Catholic See Diocese of Down and Connor In office 1962–1982 Predecessor Daniel Mageean Successor Cahal Daly Previous post Diocese of Clonfert (1954–1962) Orders Ordination 21 June 1931 Consecration 14 March 1954 by Joseph Walsh (archbishop of Tuam) Personal details Born 26 January 1907 Kiltimagh, County Mayo Died 22 August 1991(1991-08-22) (aged 84) Motto Scio cui crédidi

**William Joseph Philbin** (26 January 1907 – 22 August 1991)[1] was an [Irish](/source/Ireland) [Roman Catholic](/source/Roman_Catholic) [prelate](/source/Prelate). From July 1962 until his retirement in 1982, he held the title [Bishop of Down and Connor](/source/Down_and_Connor).

## Early life and priestly ministry

William Philbin was born in [Kiltimagh](/source/Kiltimagh) in [County Mayo](/source/County_Mayo) in the west of [Ireland](/source/Ireland) on 26 January 1907.[2]

At the age of 17 he went to [St Patrick's College, Maynooth](/source/St_Patrick's_College%2C_Maynooth), and was [ordained](/source/Ordained) to the priesthood for service in the [Diocese of Achonry](/source/Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Achonry) on 21 June 1931. He spent most of his [ministry](/source/Religious_ministry_(Christian)) as a [professor](/source/Professor) at St Patrick's College, [Maynooth](/source/Maynooth), and was appointed to the Chair of [Dogmatic Theology](/source/Dogmatic_Theology) in June 1936.[3]

As a student, Philbin was the editor of *Leabhar Nuidheacht*, published at Maynooth, and later, as professor, he was the joint editor of the *[Irish Theological Quarterly](/source/Irish_Theological_Quarterly)*.

## Bishop of Clonfert

On 22 December 1953, [Pope Pius XII](/source/Pope_Pius_XII) appointed him 50th [Bishop](/source/Bishop) of [Clonfert](/source/Clonfert). He was consecrated Bishop in [St Brendan's Cathedral, Loughrea](/source/St_Brendan's_Cathedral%2C_Loughrea), in March 1954. At the time he was seen as a daring, young, theologically engaged bishop and was invited to address many organisations and published several important lectures.[4] In 1962 he wrote how economic growth, so vital to his poor Western diocese, would be stimulated by Ireland joining the EEC.[5]

He attended all four sessions of the [Second Vatican Council](/source/Second_Vatican_Council), both as Bishop of Clonfert and later still as Bishop of Down and Connor.

## Bishop of Down and Connor

On the death of [Bishop Daniel Mageean](/source/Bishop_Daniel_Mageean) in January 1962, [Pope John XXIII](/source/Pope_John_XXIII) appointed Dr Philbin the 29th [Bishop](/source/Bishop) of [Down and Connor](/source/Down_and_Connor). His stewardship of the diocese was marked in very large part by the outbreak of the [Troubles](/source/Troubles) in the late 1960s.

Bishop Philbin was often on the media and spoke forcefully to the [BBC](/source/BBC) when one his priests, Fr. Hugh Mullan, was shot dead as part of the [Ballymurphy massacre](/source/Ballymurphy_massacre) in August 1971.[6]

During his tenure he had a long-running dispute with Mullan's friend Fr. [Des Wilson](/source/Des_Wilson_(Irish_Catholic_priest)). Wilson reported that when he resigned his parish duties in protest against church policies he deemed inadequate or indifferent to needs of his working-class and [republican](/source/Irish_republicanism) community, Philbin accused Wilson of threatening to destroy the Church, denied him the pension to which he believed he was entitled, and never spoke to him again.[7][8] When the dispute became public, [Sinn Féin](/source/Sinn_F%C3%A9in), characterised Philbin as being "completely in line" with the anti-republican [War-of-Independence](/source/Irish_War_of_Independence) hierarchy, while praising Wilson for speaking out on "armed struggle, divorce, the papacy and education".[9]

As a priest Wilson was not alone in his criticism. Fr [Denis Faul](/source/Denis_Faul) concluded that in failing to "understand the suffering of his own people", Philbin conceded leadership by default to the Provisionals (described by the bishop as being "of the devil").[10] Fr [Pat Buckley](/source/Pat_Buckley_(priest)) suggested that if the bishop had "led two hundred thousand people up the Falls Road demanding civil rights, the Provos might not have been necessary".[11]

Despite the civil conflict, often presented as a war between Christians, Philbin was rigidly opposed to Catholic support for any form of integrated education and there was a long-running row with parents in his diocese over provision of the sacrament of [Confirmation](/source/Confirmation) to children who did not attend Catholic schools.[12][13]

It was believed that Philbin acted without broader Vatican support for his position, or even the support of his brother bishops in the rest of Ireland.[14][15]

He retired at the mandatory age of 75 in 1982 and was succeeded as Bishop of Down and Connor by [The Most Rev.](/source/The_Most_Reverend) [Dr](/source/Doctor_(title)) [Cahal Daly](/source/Cahal_Daly), the then [Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise](/source/Bishop_of_Ardagh_and_Clonmacnoise), who had been Philbin's *[Peritus](/source/Peritus)* at the [Second Vatican Council](/source/Second_Vatican_Council).

Bishop Philbin lived quietly in Dublin in retirement and died there on 22 August 1991. He is buried in [St Peter's Cathedral, Belfast](/source/St_Peter's_Cathedral%2C_Belfast).

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Ambrose Macaulay, ['Philbin, William Joseph'](https://www.dib.ie/biography/philbin-william-joseph-a7312). *Dictionary of Irish Biography*, October 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2025

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Canning, Bernard (1988). *Bishops of Ireland 1870-1987*. [Ballyshannon](/source/Ballyshannon): [Donegal Democrat](/source/Donegal_Democrat). pp. 123/4. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1870963008](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1870963008).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Image"](http://maynoothcollege.ie/files/images/Chapter-13.pdf) (PDF). maynoothcollege.ie. Retrieved 24 June 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Patriotism By Most Rev. William J. Philbin, D.D. Bishop Of Clonfert"](https://www.ecatholic2000.com/cts/untitled-340.shtml). Ecatholic2000.com. 7 August 1957. Retrieved 24 June 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Fanning, Bryan (16 June 2016). [*Irish Adventures in Nation-Building*](https://books.google.com/books?id=rO-SDAAAQBAJ&q=%22bishop+william+philbin%22&pg=PA102). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781526109279](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781526109279).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["BBC One - Scene Around Six, 10/08/1971, The killing of Fr Hugh Mullan"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00jpwz6). Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 24 June 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Wilson, Des (2005). *The Way I see it: an Autobiography by Fr Des Wilson*. Belfast: Beyond the Pale Publications. pp. 120–121. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1900960281](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1900960281).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-:3_8-0)** ["Fr Des Wilson obituary: Priest who fought oppression and injustice in North"](https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/fr-des-wilson-obituary-priest-who-fought-oppression-and-injustice-in-north-1.4107064). *The Irish Times*. 7 December 2019. Retrieved 17 August 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Berman, David; Lalor, Stephen; Torode, Brian (1983). ["The Theology of the IRA"](https://www.jstor.org/stable/30090509). *Studies: An Irish Quarterly Review*. **72** (286): (137–144), 138. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0039-3495](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0039-3495).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Gallagher, Eric; Worrall, Stanley (1982). *Christian in Ulster 1968-1980*. Oxford University Press. p. 95. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0192132377](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0192132377).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Dillon, Martin (1997). *God and the Gun: The Church and Irish Terrorism*. London: Orion. pp. 93–94, 115. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780752810379](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780752810379).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["How parents taught the bishops a lesson - BelfastTelegraph.co.uk"](https://web.archive.org/web/20180416200832/https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/how-parents-taught-the-bishops-a-lesson-28514318.html). Archived from [the original](https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/how-parents-taught-the-bishops-a-lesson-28514318.html) on 16 April 2018. Retrieved 16 April 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** Jonathan Bardon (29 December 2007). ["'Armagh Three' dealt blow to education reform"](https://www.irishtimes.com/news/armagh-three-dealt-blow-to-education-reform-1.994935). Irishtimes.com. Retrieved 24 June 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** ["The Living Church"](https://books.google.com/books?id=11zkAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Bishop+william+philbin%22&pg=RA3-PA45). 1978.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** ["School Revision Plan Stirs Furor in Ulster - The New York Times"](https://www.nytimes.com/1976/08/05/archives/school-revision-plan-stirs-furor-in-ulster.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. 5 August 1976. Retrieved 24 June 2021.

## External links

- [\[1\]](http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bphilbin.html)

Catholic Church titles Preceded by John Dignan Roman Catholic Bishop of Clonfert 1953–1962 Succeeded by Thomas Ryan Preceded by Daniel Mageean Bishop of Down and Connor 1962–1982 Succeeded by Cahal Daly

v t e Roman Catholic Bishops of Clonfert Thady Farrell Thady Keogh Maurice Donnellan Ambrose O'Madden Edmund Kelly Peter O'Donnellan Andrew O'Donellan Thomas Costello Thomas Coen John Derry Patrick Duggan John Healy Thomas O'Dea Thomas Gilmartin Thomas O'Doherty John Dignan William J. Philbin Thomas Ryan Joseph Cassidy John Kirby Michael Duignan

v t e Roman Catholic Bishops of Down and Connor Robert Blyth Eugene Magennis Miler Magrath Donat O'Gallagher Conor O'Devany Patrick Hanratty Edmund Dungan Hugh Magennis Heber MacMahon Arthur Magennis Michael O'Beirn Daniel Mackey Terence O'Donnelly James O'Shiel John Armstrong Francis Stuart Edmund O'Doran Theophilus MacCartan Hugh MacMullan Patrick MacMullan William Crolly Cornelius Denvir Patrick Dorrian Patrick MacAlister Henry Henry John Tohill Joseph MacRory Daniel Mageean William Philbin Cahal Daly Patrick Walsh Noel Treanor

[Portals](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contents/Portals):
- [Biography](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Biography)
- [Catholicism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Catholicism)
- [Ireland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Ireland)
- [History](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:History)

Authority control databases International VIAF People Ireland

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