An elderly priest with a steadfast conviction; and a bishop with an equally steadfast one. It was a classic divisive confrontation. But it has been resolved.
This row simmered for years. It involved parishioners loyal to the parish priest and others loyal to the very idea of the episcopacy. In the style of his predecessor, Dr Cornelius Lucey, Dr Michael Murphy, the late bishop of Cork and Ross, whose authority ranged over the combined dioceses, was not for turning.
This was the nub of the issue. Father Tim O'Donovan, former parish priest of Rath and the Islands in the Ross part of the diocese, was not for turning either. The priest challenged the authority of the bishop to rule in Ross. He was backed by up to 150 parishioners in his wish to have Ross separated from Cork and restored as an independent diocese with its own bishop.
For 10 years the community was riven by the dispute. In 1987, Bishop Murphy removed Father O'Donovan from his duties. The turbulent priest, as church authorities saw him, would not recognise the merger of Cork and Ross in 1958. The standoff disturbed the church and drew unwelcome media attention. Neighbours in the parish took sides. But two determined men were at loggerheads and there was no giving way.
The removal from his duties was traumatic for Father O'Donovan and his supporters. It was compounded by the appointment of Father Owen Cashman as parish priest in the area. Not surprisingly, Father O'Donovan disagreed with the appointment and took to offering a special weekend Mass for his supporters. It was a bitter time. There was a High Court case in which Miss Justice Carroll gave liberty to the new parish priest to seek an injunction restraining Father O'Donovan from holding himself out as parish priest.
This was an intense inter-communal matter and it polarised the locality. It was trying for those involved. Bishop Murphy, to those who knew him well, had a hard exterior but was well intentioned. He was wearing the ring and defending his authority. But he never wanted this dispute to fester, and would say privately that anything that could be done to end it should be done - but not at the expense of a loss of face for the See of Rome's appointee.
Two weeks ago, the Bishop of Cork and Ross, Dr John Buckley, travelled west. There were no guarantees as to the outcome. But this bishop (who declines to leave his semi-detached Cork home in Cork for the palace at his disposal) is a talker and a listener, and brings no obvious episcopal baggage with him. It is said that once the robes are removed, he is an ordinary, unassuming, profound and prayerful person. He is an optimist, easily given to laughter and appreciates the fun in most situations.
He met Father O'Donovan and explained that while his campaign was a worthy one, the population numbers in the Ross area of the diocese did not warrant an independent bishop. As is the case throughout most of west Cork, he said, there had been a population decline. The Ross population has dwindled to 17,500 - a figure that does not support the move to have a separate bishop installed.
Bishop Buckley's proudest boast is that he is a road bowler of some excellence. A love of the great west Cork sport was instilled in him as a youngster. He likes nothing better than to be involved at weekends. Two weeks ago, he took the bit between his teeth. He went to see the 83-yearold priest and his supporters.
Bishop Buckley, very much a man of the people (his popular tag in Cork) made the breakthrough. "I was relieved to and they were relieved. I don't really wish to go into all the details but it was a happy end to the saga. It was a case of all's well that ends well," the bishop said.
Parishioners such as farmer Mr Billy O'Driscoll, one of Father O'Donovan's staunchest supporters, now want the entire episode to be consigned to history. "The parish will be reunited again. It is time to look forward," he said. Father O' Donovan is equally insistent a new era is dawning. He lies ill in hospital but the parishioners are together once more and celebrating Mass united.