Warm tributes paid to the late 'Bishop Tony' Farquhar, former chaplain of Ulster Uni and Dominican College

The late Bishop Anthony Farquhar, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Down and Connor. Credit St Peter's Parish Belfast

Tributes have been paid from many parts of the Causeway Coast to Bishop Anthony Farquhar who died at the weekend.

An Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of the Roman Catholic diocese of Down and Connor, Bishop Tony as he was known locally, died in Nazareth Care Village, Belfast, where he had been looked after over the last few years of his retirement.

Bishop Farquhar was ordained a priest on March 13, 1965. In September 1966, he was appointed to the staff of St MacNissi’s College, Garron Tower, where he taught until 1970 before taking up an appointment as Assistant Chaplain at Queen’s University Belfast.

In 1975, he became Chaplain and lecturer to the New University of Ulster as well as Chaplain to the Dominican College in Portstewart. On May 15, 1983, he was ordained as an Auxiliary Bishop of Down and Connor and retired in December 2015.

A great sports fan, particularly football, Bishop Tony was an ardent supporter of the soccer teams of the university and Dominican College. He could also regularly be seen at the Milk Cup football tournament at venues around the north coast.

Bishop Donal McKeown said: “It was with great sadness that I learned of the death of Bishop Anthony Farquhar in Nazareth Care Village, Belfast, where he had been looked after so professionally and attentively over the last few years of his retirement and especially in his ailing health.

"Above all, Bishop Tony was a sincere, warm and engaging human being and a man of joyful faith who had a renowned and remarkable capacity to remember all those he had met and an infectious wit and sense of humour that endeared him to others. Bishop Tony will long be remembered for this disarming presence, his affectionate smile and his pastoral charity.

"Bishop Tony spoke often of his days as a university chaplain and recalled meeting these students in later years on special occasions. Indeed, his lifelong interest in sport, particularly football as an ardent fan of Dundee Utd., emerged with his involvement during these early days of his ministry in university football.”

Requiem Mass will be celebrated in the Church of the Good Shepherd, Belfast on Thursday (November 23) at 12 noon followed by interment in the adjoining cemetery.