Thomas AF Kelly: THOMAS AF Kelly, who has died aged 50, was professor of philosophy at NUI Maynooth, having previously been dean of the faculty of philosophy, St Patrick's College, Maynooth.
He discovered his academic path early, studying philosophy as an undergraduate at University College Dublin in the 1970s. He was one of just five taking major philosophy in his year, and probably unusual in that he was not a cleric. He had a glittering career as a postgraduate student, doing his PhD research at Fribourg in Switzerland.
Throughout his professional life as a philosopher, he was an energising presence on the Maynooth campus for more than two decades, initially attached to St Patrick's College and latterly to NUI Maynooth. He was a very effective lecturer, relying on his personality and the force of his argument. He was the first lay person to hold the position of professor of philosophy in the two centuries since the college's foundation.
His academic interests were manifold, embracing metaphysics, the philosophy of language, philosophical anthropology and process thought. All through his career, he lectured in Europe, the US and Asia; in addition he taught at the University of Vienna.
His publications include Language and Transcendence: a study in the philosophy of Heidegger and Karl-Otto Apel(1994) , Language, World and God: an essay in ontology(1996) and Between System and Poetics: William Desmond and philosophy after dialectic(2007).
He was president of the Irish Philosophical Society, editing its journal as well as the Maynooth Philosophical Papers. He founded Cáirde Tomás Naofa and established the Chapter for Process Thought in Maynooth.
When the Encyclopaedia of Irelandwas published by Gill and Macmillan in 2005, he was an invited expert contributor, like a number of academics, but he was the only one to be the subject of an entry.
He was much loved by his students, one of whom, writing in the book of condolence about how much he would be missed, ended simply but eloquently, "Thank you, sir, thank you". Another wrote, "Dear Thomas, I always walked down this corridor just hoping to bump into you."
Delivering the eulogy, Prof Peter Denman, dean of the faculty of arts, Celtic studies and philosophy, listed the words that come to mind in thinking about his friend and colleague: "Exuberant, generous, zestful, talented, ebullient, irrepressible, good, knowledgeable, joyful, kind, indefatigable, lovable, loving, fun to be with.
"These capture some qualities of the Tom we knew, qualities that remained undiminished through an active and distinguished professional life."
He was a tireless advocate for philosophy. It was central to his life and he understood that its concerns were central to life. This advocacy was a seamless commitment to the intellectual and moral concerns of living and thinking.
He was also an enthusiastic and accomplished artist, producing striking paintings in oils. More recently he completed a course in creative writing and had begun contributing to literary journals.
In 2006 he edited a special issue of Maynooth Philosophical Papers, What Price the University? as part of a thoroughgoing discussion and critique of current ways of thinking about what higher education is for and of the reigning models of what a university ought to be.
Concluding his own essay, "The Role of Philosophy in the University", he wrote, "[It] is to be recommended that the university become, if it is not already, a place of philosophical culture . . . The voice or voices of the university must be heard in all matters of public concern, and this means not just having relevant expertise, but a viable and accurate, ethical and logical Weltanschauung, which includes a theory of what constitutes best practice in the art of decision-making. The dictum 'know thyself' is as relevant to organisations as it is to individuals."
He was buried in the grounds of St Patrick's College in Maynooth on February 25th, following a Requiem Mass in St Kevin's Church, Harrington Street.
The Mass was sung by his friends and colleagues in The Lassus Scholars, the RTÉ Philharmonic Choir and Gentlemen of the Palestrina Choir. The soloist was Jeffrey Ledwidge, conducted by Ite O'Donovan with the organ played by Gerard Gillen.
He is survived by his wife Marian and mother Mary; his father Tom predeceased him.
Thomas Augustine Francis Kelly: born November 16th, 1957; died February 21st, 2008.