Michael Olden


Monsignor Michael G. Olden BA, BD, DHistEccl. is an Irish priest, historian and educator.

Early Life and Education

He was born in Cappoquin in 1935 in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Waterford and Lismore and educated at Mount Mellary College, University College Cork and Maynooth eventually undertaking postgraduate studies in history. He was appointed to the staff of St. Patrick's College, Maynooth in October 1966 lecturing in history. He served as Vice-President from 1976–77 and then when Tomas O'Fiach was made Archbishop of Armagh, Michael Olden assumed the duties of president until 1985. In that time he served as Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the National University of Ireland.
During his tenure as president of Maynooth he oversaw the fundraising and planning for the building of the new library.
As a historian, Dr. Olden contributed to many academic publications such as Archivium Hibernium.
In 2005 it was reported that he was among the College staff interviewed by Denis McCullough SC in his report into the handling of claims against Micheál Ledwith.

Post-Maynooth Ministry

Monsignor Olden returned to the Diocese of Waterford and Lismore to serve in parish ministry, first as PP of Clonmel and then as Parish Priest of Tramore. He also served as Vicar General under Bishop William Lee. He was often in demand as a homilist at important diocesan liturgies. Mgr Olden delivered the homily at the Ordination Mass of Father Alphonsus Cullinan as Bishop of Waterford & Lismore.
In 2008 he contributed a chapter ‘Tobias Kirby : the man who kept the papers’ to The Irish College Rome and its World edited by D. Keogh & A. McDonnell.
He retired from full-time ministry in 2009.
Maintaining his interest in History and Irish Church History in particular, Mgr. Olden presented a talk on Canon Patrick Power at a seminar in WIT, in March 2012.
In 2013 he delivered a lecture to the Waterford Archaeological and Historical Society entitled Prominent Churchmen From Waterford and Lismore in the 19th century.

Publications