John O'Donohue Birthday & Fun Facts | Kidadl

John O'Donohue Birthday & Fun Facts

Height, Age, Net Worth, Biography & More

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John O'Donohue Birthday Highlights

Birth Name
John O'Donohue
Place Of Birth
County Clare, Ireland
Age
68 years old
Birth Date
December 31 1955

John O'Donohue Facts

Child Star?
no
Occupation
Author, Philosopher, Priest
Education & Qualifications
University of Tübingen
Net Worth
$1,000,000
Current Partner
Kristine Fleck
Parents
Patrick O'Donohue, Josephine O'Donohue
Siblings
Mary O'Donohue, Patrick O'Donohue, Peter O'Donohue

About John O'Donohue 

Irish poet and author John O'Donohue is respectfully remembered for also being a Hegelian philosopher and a priest who promoted Celtic spirituality.

John O'Donohue has several popular publications, like 'Anam Cara', 'Eternal Echoes', 'Conamara Blues: Poems', 'Divine Beauty: The Invisible Embrace', 'Benedictus: A Book of Blessings', 'The Four Elements: Reflections on Nature', 'Echoes of Memory', and 'Walking on the Pastures of Wonder'. Through his writings, he mainly spoke of the inexplicable compassion that humans have to belong within a physical and mental being.

On January 4, 2008, just two days after his 52nd birthday, John O'Donohue died in his sleep. The reason behind his death was not revealed. So this led non-fiction writers to speculate about his death. Many articles are available on this, and the probable reasons are stated heart problems, aneurysms, and aspiration.

Unfortunately, John O'Donohue's last will was judged to be invalid by the High Court in 2011. It was because Justice Gilligan thought that the will was unclear, and that made it very uncertain in regard to its proceedings. So, his partner, Kristine Fleck, did not receive anything, and his estate devolved to his mother, Josephine (Josie) O'Donohue.

John O'Donohue was survived by Kristine Fleck (partner), Josie O'Donohue (mother), Mary O'Donohue (his sister), Patrick (Pat), and Peter (PJ) O'Donohue (both of whom are his brothers).

John O'Donohue Net Worth, Earnings & Spending Habits

What was John O'Donohue’s net worth?

John O'Donohue had an estimated net worth of around $1 million.

How much did John O'Donohue earn per year?

The exact figure of John O'Donohue's annual income was not revealed to the media.

Height, Age & Physical Attributes

How tall was John O'Donohue?

The height of John O'Donohue is not known.

How old was John O'Donohue?

Josh O'Donohue was born on January 1, 1956, in West Ireland, and he passed away on January 4, 2008, in Avignon, France. He was 52 when he passed away.

Childhood And Education

John O'Donohue was born to a Gaelic-speaking family, hailing from the Burren Region of County Clare, Ireland. His parents were Patrick O'Donohue and Josephine O'Donohue, and he was the oldest child. He had three siblings- two brothers, Patrick and Peter, and a sister, Mary. He used to work on the farms with his mother and father and his relatives. The farm was placed in a valley, which was the shell of his soul that ultimately shaped him as a person.

After his schooling, John enrolled in the University of Ireland in Maynooth at the age of 18. Here, he mainly studied English Literature, Philosophy, and Theology. In 1982, he was ordained into the priesthood, and in the same year, he completed his Master of Arts. Four years later, he did his doctoral studies at the University of Tübingen in Germany. In 1990, he received his doctorate in Philosophical Theology. For his thesis, he wrote about the German philosopher Hegel. The dissertation was a piece of art and was highly commended by the prestigious journal, Review of Metaphysics.

Family, Romance And Relationships

Who was John O'Donohue’s partner?

John O'Donohue's partner was Kristine Fleck. There is no information regarding his children.

Career And Professional Highlights

Best Known For…

John O'Donohue is best known for being a philosopher, priest, and author, whose best-selling book is Anam Cara (meaning soul friend in Irish).

John O'Donohue's writings are still relevant as he continues to have a strong readership, that too internationally. His writings embody constructive criticism along with visual imagery. This has greatly enabled people to transform themselves into freer and more liberal versions.

In his life, John O'Donohue underwent rigorous academic studies in Germany, after which, in 1990, he returned to Ireland to carry on with his priestly duties. In this journey, he realized a non-dual connection between Celtic philosophies and Hegel's theories. Although he was done with his education, John O'Donohue worked on a post-doctoral dissertation, which he based on the 14th-century German mystic and philosopher Meister Eckhart. This allowed him to take inspiration from Eckhart's ideas and led him to explore his own theories and understandings further. John O'Donohue renounced from the priesthood in 2000.

In the meantime, Anam Cara (meaning soul friend in Irish), O'Donohue's first published work, placed him as an author, speaker, and philosophical teacher in the eyes of people, especially in America. This happened in 1997, whereas in 1998, Eternal Echoes: Exploring our Hunger to Belong got published.

Besides writing and priesthood, John O'Donohue was also involved in environmental activism throughout his life, which led him to captain the Burren Action Group, which was formed to oppose government sanctions. The group ultimately succeeded in preserving Mullaghmore and the Burren, a karst landscape in County Clare.

In the later part of his life, O’Donohue focused on promoting creativity in the workplace, for which she became a prominent speaker. Also, to streamline the workflow, he reached out to executives from the corporate sector so as to amalgam soul and beauty in their work culture. Moreover, he constantly stressed the importance of self-improvement and self-analysis.

In 2001, his book, Conamara Blues, was published, followed by the publication of 'Divine Beauty: The Invisible Embrace' in 2004. In 2007, 'Benedictus: A Book of Blessings', his final complete work, was published. But he died two months after its release. His other books, like 'Echoes of Memory', got republished in 2009, whereas, 'The Four Elements: Reflections on Nature' was again released in 2010. Five years later, in 2015, John O'Donohue's interviews with John Quinn, who is an RTÉ Radio broadcaster and was John's close friend, were published in Ireland under the name, 'Walking on the Pastures of Wonder'. Publications of the same are expected to come up soon. Moreover, some of John's writing is being curated and prepared for release to the masses.

The main idea in the pieces that O'Donohue has worked on throughout his life has left on generations an eagerness to find a connection between soul and body, past and future, tradition and modernity, the visible and the invisible world, and life and death.

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Kidadl Team
Written By
Kidadl Team

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