Father Michael Cleary
Encyclopedia
Michael Cleary was an Irish
Roman Catholic priest
, who became a radio and TV personality as well. A charismatic and powerful figure in the Catholic Church, he presented a late-night radio
phone-in show in Dublin in the 1980s and hosted his own television
chat show. He also published a book about maintaining faith in the modern world. After he released two albums of songs, he was nicknamed "The Singing Priest". He achieved more notoriety when it was revealed after his death that he had lived with Phyllis Hamilton and fathered two children with her, while she acted as his housekeeper. They lived as a family in secret.
As an adult, he lived in Rathmines Road in Dublin. He participated in some of the social changes of the 1960s and 1970s, claiming to have experimented with drugs. He was strongly devoted to care for the poor and working on poverty and community development issues.
In the 1960s, Cleary discussed the Catholic clergy's attitudes to celibacy
, sex and marriage in the Irish documentary film Rocky Road to Dublin
(1967). He admits to a personal preference for being married and having a family, but claimed that the role and necessary sacrifices of being a priest were a valid substitute. As part of his pushing limits, he once claimed to have tried every drug except heroin.
Cleary had one of the highest profiles of any cleric in Ireland throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He was a powerful and charismatic figure within the church. He was particularly devoted to raising the issue of poverty
in Ireland, especially in Dublin, where he worked for change in inner-city communities.
, a national news magazine, published an article revealing that Cleary had fathered a child, Ross Hamilton, with Phyllis Hamilton, who had worked as his longtime housekeeper. This claim was subsequently confirmed by DNA
analysis, but the remaining Cleary family refused to acknowledge the boy.
Cleary had a 26-year relationship with Hamilton, his common-law wife, which started in the 1960s when she was 17 and he was about ten years older. They had two sons. The first was given up for adoption, but they raised the second together.
Cleary pretended simply to be Hamilton's employer. She said in a ghost-written memoir
published in 1995 that Cleary had taken marriage vows with her in a private ceremony with no third party present. She died in 2001 from ovarian cancer
.
These sex scandals rocked the Catholic Church in Ireland. The Church was strongly criticized and the controversies shook many people's faith in its clergy. Murphy and Hamilton appeared on the Later With Clare McKeon chat show in January 1999 to talk about their lives and relationships, adding to publicity about the longtime affairs of the clergy.
While the Church allowed Hamilton and her son to continue living in Cleary's house after his death, it took possession after she died. The Church informed Ross Hamilton he had to leave. When he refused, the Church started legal proceedings against him. It paid him ₤40,000 to move. Due to changing requirements, the Church sold the brick house in Mount Harold Terrace, which yielded ₤700,000 for diocesan operations.
. This one-hour film was based on footage shot when the director, Alison Millar, stayed with Cleary in his household as a student in 1991. At the time, his true relationship with Hamilton and their children was secret. In the film Millar also examines the changing roles of the church, social changes, the reaction of Cleary's congregation to the news of his family, and related issues. The documentary was also shown on another BBC programme, entitled The Father, the Son & the Housekeeper.
The film won several awards:
Another program, In the Name of the Father, was produced on Scannal, RTÉ One about Father Michael Cleary and his complicated life.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
Roman Catholic priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
, who became a radio and TV personality as well. A charismatic and powerful figure in the Catholic Church, he presented a late-night radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
phone-in show in Dublin in the 1980s and hosted his own television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
chat show. He also published a book about maintaining faith in the modern world. After he released two albums of songs, he was nicknamed "The Singing Priest". He achieved more notoriety when it was revealed after his death that he had lived with Phyllis Hamilton and fathered two children with her, while she acted as his housekeeper. They lived as a family in secret.
Life
Born in Dublin, Ireland, Michael Cleary lived there all his life. He attended Catholic schools and became a priest.As an adult, he lived in Rathmines Road in Dublin. He participated in some of the social changes of the 1960s and 1970s, claiming to have experimented with drugs. He was strongly devoted to care for the poor and working on poverty and community development issues.
In the 1960s, Cleary discussed the Catholic clergy's attitudes to celibacy
Celibacy
Celibacy is a personal commitment to avoiding sexual relations, in particular a vow from marriage. Typically celibacy involves avoiding all romantic relationships of any kind. An individual may choose celibacy for religious reasons, such as is the case for priests in some religions, for reasons of...
, sex and marriage in the Irish documentary film Rocky Road to Dublin
Rocky Road to Dublin (film)
Rocky Road to Dublin is a 1967 documentary film by Irish-born journalist Peter Lennon and French cinematographer Raoul Coutard, examining the contemporary state of the Republic of Ireland, posing the question, "what do you do with your revolution once you've got it?" It argues that Ireland was...
(1967). He admits to a personal preference for being married and having a family, but claimed that the role and necessary sacrifices of being a priest were a valid substitute. As part of his pushing limits, he once claimed to have tried every drug except heroin.
Cleary had one of the highest profiles of any cleric in Ireland throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He was a powerful and charismatic figure within the church. He was particularly devoted to raising the issue of poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
in Ireland, especially in Dublin, where he worked for change in inner-city communities.
Secret life
Three weeks after his death in 1993 (from throat cancer), The PhoenixThe Phoenix (magazine)
The Phoenix is Ireland's best selling political and current affairs magazine. Inspired by the British magazine Private Eye, and a source of investigative journalism in Ireland...
, a national news magazine, published an article revealing that Cleary had fathered a child, Ross Hamilton, with Phyllis Hamilton, who had worked as his longtime housekeeper. This claim was subsequently confirmed by DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
analysis, but the remaining Cleary family refused to acknowledge the boy.
Cleary had a 26-year relationship with Hamilton, his common-law wife, which started in the 1960s when she was 17 and he was about ten years older. They had two sons. The first was given up for adoption, but they raised the second together.
Cleary pretended simply to be Hamilton's employer. She said in a ghost-written memoir
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
published in 1995 that Cleary had taken marriage vows with her in a private ceremony with no third party present. She died in 2001 from ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer is a cancerous growth arising from the ovary. Symptoms are frequently very subtle early on and may include: bloating, pelvic pain, difficulty eating and frequent urination, and are easily confused with other illnesses....
.
Aftermath
This followed the 1992 discovery that Bishop Eamonn Casey, also a well-known cleric in Ireland, was found to have fathered a son (by then nearly 20) with American divorcée Annie Murphy. Casey was a friend and colleague of Cleary's and had known about his relationship with Hamilton. Cleary and Hamilton did not know about the bishop's own affair and were shocked at the revelation about Casey.These sex scandals rocked the Catholic Church in Ireland. The Church was strongly criticized and the controversies shook many people's faith in its clergy. Murphy and Hamilton appeared on the Later With Clare McKeon chat show in January 1999 to talk about their lives and relationships, adding to publicity about the longtime affairs of the clergy.
While the Church allowed Hamilton and her son to continue living in Cleary's house after his death, it took possession after she died. The Church informed Ross Hamilton he had to leave. When he refused, the Church started legal proceedings against him. It paid him ₤40,000 to move. Due to changing requirements, the Church sold the brick house in Mount Harold Terrace, which yielded ₤700,000 for diocesan operations.
Documentary
On 21 April 2008, the documentary film The Holy Show was shown on BBC OneBBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
. This one-hour film was based on footage shot when the director, Alison Millar, stayed with Cleary in his household as a student in 1991. At the time, his true relationship with Hamilton and their children was secret. In the film Millar also examines the changing roles of the church, social changes, the reaction of Cleary's congregation to the news of his family, and related issues. The documentary was also shown on another BBC programme, entitled The Father, the Son & the Housekeeper.
The film won several awards:
- 2008 Irish Film & Television Award for Best Single Documentary
- 2008 Prix ItaliaPrix ItaliaThe Prix Italia is an international Italian television, radio-broadcasting and Website award. It was established in 1948 by RAI - Radiotelevisione Italiana in Capri...
award for Best Documentary - 2008 BostonBostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
Irish Film Festival award for Best Documentary - 2008 Celtic Film Frank Copplestone First Time Director Award
- Nominated for 2009 BAFTA Break-Through Talent Award for Director Alison Millar
Another program, In the Name of the Father, was produced on Scannal, RTÉ One about Father Michael Cleary and his complicated life.