Irishman Fr James Brennan was ordained for the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh in 1945 and until his retirement spent all of his Priestly life here in Scotland serving in 2 Dioceses.

His first position was as Assistant Priest at St Patrick’s in Edinburgh where he served between 1945 and 1947 before coming here to St Patrick’s Kilsyth where he served as one of several assistant Priests to Canon Downey and then after Canon Downey’s death,  Canon McGarvey.

Fr Brennan is remembered in Kilsyth as an outstandingly handsome man who was very interesting to speak with on a range of subjects and who was obviously academic. His lectures in the Parish halls during Lenten preparation, on the Life of Christ or aspects of the Gospel texts, were very popular in the post war years as people flocked to hear his views. He is also remembered as a great preacher and a Priest who could hold the full attention of the congregation throughout his detailed sermons.

Even in general conversation he was clearly as knowledgeable about secular matters as he was about religious affairs. One parishioner remembered that he was able to explain how both Radio and Television broadcasting worked for parishioners who were thinking about buying a television  or a radio for the Queen’s Coronation in 1953!

It came as no surprise therefore that after leaving St Patrick’s Kilsyth he was appointed as Spiritual Director of Blairs Junior Seminary in Aberdeenshire from 1961-1966, where he was to instruct the young seminarians. He was to return there just over a year later in 1967 as Rector of the Seminary where he stayed for a seven year period until 1974, having interspersed his periods at Blairs with a short stay as Parish Priest at St Mary’s Glenrothes in Fife.

After his tenure as Rector of Blairs he remained in the Diocese of Aberdeen from 1974-1977 at St Mary’s, Fochabers, as Parish Priest.  In 1977, he returned to the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh and indeed once again to the Deanery of St Ninian, to serve for 11 years as Parish Priest of St Alexander’s, Denny, until 1988. His final appointment in Scotland was to serve the parish of St Mary of the Assumption,  Bo’ness, as Parish Priest, where he was to eventually oversee the building of  the new church there.

He retired at the age of 74 to Ballyhale, County Kilkenny, Ireland, in 1995. Only a week before his death he was diagnosed with leukaemia. He died peacefully at 11.00am on Thursday 26th November 2009, at his home there. He was 88 years of age. His funeral was conducted from the Church of St Martin of Tours in Ballyhale in the Diocese of Ossary on Saturday 28th Nov 2009.

The Church of St Martin of Tours and graveyard, Ballyhale

Monsignor Brennan's Memorial Card

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Order of service from Mgr Brennan's funeral Mass

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Article in the Scottish Catholic Observer Dec 2009