Donald Caird

Who is Donald Caird?

Donald Arthur Richard Caird is a retired Irish bishop who held three senior posts in the Church of Ireland during the last third of the 20th century.

He was born in Dublin and educated at Wesley College and Trinity College in his native city and ordained in 1950. He began his career at St Mark’s, Dundela, Belfast. He was Chaplain and an Assistant Master at Portora Royal School, Enniskillen until 1957. He was a lecturer in philosophy at University College of St David’s, Lampeter. He was Rector of Rathmichael Parish, Shankill, Dublin and a lecturer in the philosophy of religion at the Church of Ireland Theological College, Dublin. From 1969 to 1970 he was Dean of Ossory when he was ordained to the episcopate as the last Bishop of Limerick, Ardfert and Aghadoe, a post he held until 1976. He was translated to the Diocese of Meath and Kildare and he served there until 1984 when he was elected Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland. He retired in 1995.

Donald Caird took a keen interest in the Irish language from an early age.