Gone to his eternal reward — the dynamic canon whose great work belied the bad publicity clergy must endure from liberal media

It is with regret that I learned of the recent death of Canon John Finn, former parish priest of Aghabullogue and Clondrohid in Co Cork. He was 91.

Canon Finn was a truly wonderful man and a most caring pastor. A native of Mitchelstown, he studied for the priesthood at the Irish College in Paris and was ordained in 1941.

Having served as a curate mostly in the eastern parts of the diocese of Cloyne (in Cobh, Killeagh, Donoughmore, Castlemartyr, Ballymacoda, Conna and Cloyne) for many years, he was appointed parish priest of Clondrohid in west Muskerry in 1977, at the age of 62. He took to his new responsibilities with great gusto and was a most popular parish priest.