Cardinal Seán Brady, a former Primate of All Ireland and Archbishop Emeritus of Armagh, played a key role helping to secure the Good Friday Agreement that brought peace to Northern Ireland. He is currently Ireland’s only cardinal.

Born on 16 August 1939 in Laragh, County Cavan, Ireland, he received his education at various institutions, including St Patrick’s College in Cavan and Maynooth, as well as the Irish College in Rome.

Brady was ordained to the priesthood on 22 February 1964 by Luigi Traglia. He continued his studies at the Pontifical Lateran University, where he earned a doctorate in canon law in 1967. Upon returning to Ireland, he joined the staff of St. Patrick’s College in Cavan, where he taught various subjects including Latin, Commerce, Religion, and French from 1967 to 1980.

In 1980, Brady was appointed Vice-Rector of the Pontifical Irish College in Rome, later becoming Rector in 1987, a position he held until 1993. After returning to Ireland, he served as parish priest of Castletara (Ballyhaise) before being appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Armagh on 13 December 1994. He succeeded as Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland on 1 October 1996 and held the position until 2014.

On 24 November 2007, Pope Benedict XVI elevated Brady to the rank of Cardinal-Priest, assigning him the titular church of Santi Quirico e Giulitta. This appointment was seen as recognition of Brady’s positive contribution to the Northern Ireland peace process.

Martin McGuinness, a former IRA commander who later led Northern Ireland’s governing assembly with Rev. Ian Paisley, attended Brady’s elevation to cardinal and praised Brady.  He said Brady was “a great supporter of the peace process and of the need to implement the Good Friday Agreement over the course of many years.” Brady, he added, had “worked with others within other churches to bring about further peace and reconciliation among all people.”

The Irish cardinal played a significant role in organizing Pope John Paul II’s historic visit to Ireland in 1979. As Archbishop of Armagh, Brady was elected President of the Irish Episcopal Conference, demonstrating his leadership within the Irish Catholic Church.

In 1975, then Father Brady was involved in an internal Church inquiry into allegations of child abuse against priest Brendan Smyth. Brady, then a teacher, had the role of notary or note-taker during the enquiry. The process required all participants to maintain confidentiality. The children involved, including the victim, were made to sign vows of silence regarding the allegations. Crucially, the information, including a list Brady received of other potential victims, was not reported to civil authorities. Smyth continued to abuse children for many years after the enquiry. This incident came to light in 2010, leading to calls for Brady’s resignation.

Brady maintained that he fulfilled his duty as a notary and lacked the authority to stop Smyth. He expressed regret for being part of a culture of “deference and silence” but also stated that a BBC program on the scandal had “exaggerated and misrepresented” his role.

He has spoken out against same-sex unions and abortion in Ireland.

Cardinal Seán Brady retired from his position as Archbishop of Armagh on 8 September 2014, when Pope Francis accepted his resignation.

Throughout his career, he has been a significant figure in the Irish Catholic Church, contributing to both ecclesiastical affairs and broader social issues, while also facing challenges related to the Church’s handling of abuse cases.