Father Daly's Golden Jubilee

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Very Rev. Edmond Daly P.P. Kilcormac celebrated the golden jubilee of his ordination on 20th June 2005. A huge congregation of parishioners filled the church as Fr. Daly, assisted by 20 priests and with the bishop of Meath, Most Rev. Michael Smith present, celebrated a special mass thanking God for his 50 years of following in the footsteps of Christ. The church was beautifully adorned and the presence of the Civil Defence colour party, the Mountbolus Pipe Band, and children from the boys and girls schools added greatly to the ceremony.

Fr. Denis Mc Neilis, who was curate in the parish with Fr. Daly for nine years, gave a wonderful sermon detailing the life of Fr. Daly. He pointed out that the world was a different place in 1955 when Fr. Daly was ordained in Maynooth. Fr. Daly has served in parishes in the north, south, east and west of the diocese and has also served in the diocese of Kildare and Leighlin and in Cyprus as chaplain with the army. Fr. Mc Neilis had many an amusing tale to tell about Fr. Daly, although Fr. Daly, in replying, mentioned that there was a great lot of fiction in what Fr. Denis had said! Fr. Daly thanked everyone who had helped him through the years and had special praise for Georgie Troy, the sacristan, without whom it would be difficult to function.

After Mass, everyone adjourned to the community centre for some refreshments and entertainment. The organising committee made three presentations to Fr. Daly: a reclining armchair, a beautiful painting of the Pieta and a wallet of notes. Music was provided by local musicians, speeches kept to the minimum and everyone had an opportunity to mingle and chat. All in all a memorable night.

Brief Biography:
Fr. Daly was born into a farming family in Summerhill Co. Meath. His father John, was a butcher, and had a shop in Dublin, and his mother Julia worked full time in the home looking after the family of six boys. Fr. Daly was the fifth in this family of six boys. Regretfully, he is now the only surviving member of that family of brothers. One of his brothers, Fr Anthony Daly C.C. Dunshaughlin, died in December 1977. Fr. Daly received his early education in Dangan N.S. and from there went to St. Finian's College Mullingar, which he attended from 1943-1948. From there, himself and two of his classmates the late Fr. Liam Murtagh, P.P. Killucan and Fr. Patrick Casey P.P. Carnaross, entered Maynooth Seminary. Fr. Daly was ordained, in Maynooth, with forty classmates, by Archbishop
John Charles McQuaid of Dublin, on 19th June, 1955. Fr. Daly served most of his ministry in the Diocese of Meath, being curate in Coole, Daingean, Delvin, Kingscourt, Glasson and Tullamore. He served for a short while as chaplain in the Army at Gormanstown, and did duty with the forces in Cyprus, also as chaplain for a short while. He was parish priest in Curraha before coming to Kilcormac as Parish Priest, in November 1989, succeeding Fr. Willie Cleary, who was transferred to Tullamore. Fr. Daly settled well into the community, and coming from a farming background, he was very interested in that side of life. Sport is also one of his great interests. He plays golf on a small scale, but it is the G.A.A. in which he would have the greatest interest. He is an avid follower of his native Co. Meath, but since coming to Kilcormac he confesses to having a great affinity with Offaly also. He seldom misses a match, if at all possible, be it local or in Croke Park. Fr. Daly has seen huge changes in his lifetime. Great changes have taken place in the Liturgy. When he was a student in Maynooth Latin and Greek were the languages, in fact all in Maynooth was in Latin. You would
scarcely hear a word of Latin today. Enormous changes have also taken place in society in general, and it must be difficult for the older generation to adjust to these changes. He is a regular visitor to our schools, and in fact has visited practically every school and church in the diocese, at some stage.