Brother Joseph McNally
A young Brother Joseph McNally arrived in Singapore in 1946. He taught at St Joseph's Institution, Singapore, and de La Salle schools in Malaysia before becoming principal of St Patrick's School, Singapore, in 1975.
Brother Joe had a string of university degress, including a PhD from Cornell and several honorary doctorates, one from RMIT in Australia and another from Indonesia. He also received an honorary LLD from the National University of Ireland.
He received a Singapore Public Service Medal in 1990 and a Singapore National Day Meritorious Service Award in 1997. He served on many committees, including the Board of the Singapore Art Museum and the Inter-Religious Council of Singapore.
Brother Joe was a well-known and acclaimed artist and sculptor. His work spans six decades. His sculptures can been seen around the world, but particularly in Singapore and Malaysia: St Joseph's Institution, MITA Building fountain in Hill Street, Catholic Junior College on Whitley Road, St Patrick's School, St Joseph's College in Penang to name but a few.
Brother Joe was the founder of La Salle-SIA College of the Arts. He became a Singapore citizen in 1985. His contribution to Singapore prompted the Ministry of Information and the Arts to release the following statement upon his death:
"He was a son of Ireland and a son of Singapore. We are proud that he made Singapore his home. He was a missionary in more senses than one. His love of God, his vision and passion, inspired him to create. He produced works of art that will continue to influence the Singapore arts scene and capture the imagination of his audience long after his passing."
Brother Joe was a member of the Irish Graduates Association of Singapore, which was how I came to know him. He and several other Irish teaching missionaries inspired me to learn more about the role of the Irish in Singapore and Malaysia. On March 18th, 2002 I presented a talk at the National History Museum. It was entitled "An Adventurous Calling: Irish Teaching Missionaries in Singapore 1852--2002", from which the above biography was extracted.
Irish Missionaries of the 19th and 20th centuries were and are extraordinarily dedicated, talented and humble people. I'm glad I knew Brother Joe. He touched many lives and inspired many people and I count myself fortunate to be one of them.
(Copyright ) 2002 Rosemary Lim. All rights reserved.