The funeral of the founder of the housing organisation Threshold, Fr Donal O’Mahony, took place in Cork today.
Fr O’Mahony, a Capuchin Franciscan friar, founded Threshold in 1978 after the archbishop of Dublin appointed him chaplain to Dublin’s flat-dwellers.
Requiem Mass was concelebrated at the Holy Trinity Church, Cork, at noon today, followed by burial at the Capuchin Cemetery, Rochestown.
Over the course of his career, Fr O’Mahony also served as a mediator in a number of high-profile international kidnapping cases.
His role in mediation to secure the release of a Dutch businessman kidnapped by the IRA in the 1970s was recalled today.
The industrialist Dr Tiede Herrema was abducted near his Limerick home in October 1975, 35 years ago next month, by Eddie Gallagher and Marion Coyle.
Speaking on RTÉ's Liveline programme, Dr Herrema said he had not been aware of Fr O'Mahony's role in helping to secure his release until afterwards.
He had first met the priest a few days after the kidnapping when he had returned to Limerick.
Dr Herrema said he had played golf with Fr O’Mahony who had not at the time explained his role in the kidnapping. They played golf together at Castletroy golf club.
“When I met him, he was very modest, also about his role he played. He was very friendly and it was very nice to play golf with him,” Dr Herrema said. “During that time we didn’t talk about the kidnapping.”
While Fr O’Mahony had not denied his involvement in Dr Herrema’s release, he was “very modest” about the role he played and “didn’t say so much about it”.
“I had the impression that he did his work and he did what he thought was necessary but he didn’t want to talk about it.”
He said he had later learned of Fr O’Mahony’s involvement with the international Pax Christi International Catholic peace movement.
“He contacted the Pax Christi people in Holland and had a lot of calls with the Pax Christi to help me. It was very interesting and it was very nice that I had the possibility to meet him and to know him.”
Dr Herrema said he last met Fr O’Mahony a few years ago when he was in The Netherlands for a television interview. He later spoke to him on the phone, but did not meet him.
He said he appreciated very much what Fr O’Mahony had done for him and passed on his sympathies to the late priest’s family.
The industrialist, who ran the Ferenka factory in Limerick employing 1,200 people, said he now came to Ireland about three times a year.
Dr Herrema, now in his late 80s, said he last visited here just three weeks ago. He came with a Dutch film crew who are making a documentary to be broadcast in October to coincide with the anniversary of his kidnapping.
He said he revisited the places he had been taken during his kidnap ordeal, including Monasterevin and Mountmellick, Co Kildare.
The kidnappers and their victim were traced to Monasterevin 18 days after the kidnapping in 1975.
After a 17-day house siege, the pair, who had initially demanded the release of three Portlaoise prisoners, gave themselves up.
Dr Herrema was rescued on November 7th, 1975, after 36 days in captivity.
Gallagher and Coyle were later disowned by the IRA, which claimed the kidnapping had not been sanctioned by the organisation. Gallagher was sentenced to 20 years in jail and served 14. Coyle was given 15 years and served 10.
Fr O’Mahony worked in Northern Ireland during the 1980s, engaging with paramilitaries on both sides to promote dialogue as an alternative to violence. In later years, he spent time in Rome as secretary general for justice, peace and ecology and also worked at Berkeley University in California.