Dr. Raymond Gillespie

I was very shocked and saddened to learn of the sudden death of Dr. Gillespie, I was in Maynooth for a couple of years before I knew who he actually was, then a fellow student, at a book launch, informed me that Ray was the man in the green cord jacket who had just topped up my glass, and whom I had assumed was some random guy from the town, just helping out on the night. I got to know him a lot better when he became my thesis supervisor for my masters degree. He was so knowledgeable, amusing, kind and always very generous with his time, he even edited my thesis ! My sincere condolences to his wife Bernadette and family, he will be greatly missed by so many people - R.I.P. Ray, and thankyou.

For many years, until his retirement from Maynooth, I had the pleasure of meeting Raymond annually for an intense scrutiny of the Leaving Cert History exam papers, a process known as Uni Obs. He was so passionate and knowledgeable about his subject that it sometimes seemed he had actually lived in seventeenth-century Ireland. How else could he have known so much! Condolences to all of Raymond's family, friends and fellow-scholars on their great loss.

Sincere condolances to Dr Gillespies family. A wonderful teacher, full of wisdom and passion for history which he shared with his students in Maynooth. May he RIP.

I, on behalf of Clans of Ireland, would like to express deep condolences to Bernadette on the very sad death of Dr Gillespie. He was an inspiration to all of us who love Irish history and through his life's work he will long be remembered as a sentinel of its authenticity.

I began the MA in Local History course in 2009. It was a most enjoyable and fulfilling experience. Ray’s lectures were illuminating and I was delighted to have him as supervisor for my thesis. I was most grateful for his encouragement, patience and support. His observations were always pertinent, insightful and, if necessary, trenchant. My deepest sympathy to Bernadette and the wider family.

Sincerest sympathies to Bernadette and wider family on the loss of Raymond. I first met Ray when we were both undergraduates at QUB and his enthusiasm for Irish history made him an outstanding figure among his fellow students. His subsequent career at Trinity, the Irish civil service and eventually at Maynooth marked him out as one of the most distinguished Irish historians of his generation. His ability to forge friendships across all parts of this island was an example to many of us in troubled times.

My deepest sympathy to you, Bernadette, on the loss of Raymond. He was a wonderful scholar, generous, and kind and will be greatly missed. May he rest in peace.

Deepest sympathy to you Bernie, and the Cunningham /Gillespie familes on the passing of Ray, an absolute gentleman. May he rest in peace

So very sorry to hear of the untimely death of Raymond .He was a truly great teacher and historian whose contribution to national and local history studies was immense.
May he rest in peace and rise to glory .
Ruth Illingworth Westmeath Archaeological and Historical Society.

Deepest condolences to Bernadette and all Ray’s friends and colleagues. Ray was a fount of knowledge, with an unrivalled grasp of the sources available. He was a true gentleman, welcoming and generous with his time. He was truly inspiring. Deeply saddened to hear of his untimely passing. May he rest in peace.

I am very sorry to hear of Raymond's death. A wonderfully wide-ranging mind and a generous and supportive colleague to fellow historians and students, it was always a pleasure to spend time in his company and with Bernadette, at conferences and occasionally at home. It is not only historians of Ireland who will miss him.

I was so sorry to learn of Ray's death. He was such a fine scholar with an unrivalled knowledge of Irish historical sources and with a wonderful eye for the quirks of the past. I learnt a great deal from him both in person and in print. My warmest sympathy and condolences, Bernadette.

Sincere condolences to Bernie on the untimely death of your husband Ray. I first met Ray when we were undergraduate students at a history conference in Galway and more recently when he joined Maynooth University’s History Department. He had the same passion for history and a great positivity all throughout his life. May he rest in peace.

Tá fíorbhrón orm scéala báis Raymond Gillespie a chlos, agus deinim comhbhrón croí lena bhean chéile, Bernadette, agus le muintir Chuinneagáin ar fad. Fear uasal, lách agus staraí éachtach a bhí fial, flaithiúil le comhairle agus saineolas. Suaimhneas síorraí i gCathair na nGrás dó.

My deepest sympathy to the family of Raymond Gillespie.
His involvement with the CKAS was one of the things which made membership of that Society so enjoyable.

Mary McCarthy

So sorry to learn of Ray's untimely death. My sincere sympathy to Bernadette and the extended family. May he rest in eternal peace. What a brilliant, inspirational historian and lecturer he was. He was my supervisor on the MA in Local Studies and was so helpful and encouraging. Ní bheidh a leithéid ann arís.

My deepest sympathy on the death of Raymond Gillespie.

His involvement with the CKAS was one of the things which made of that made being part of that Society so enjoyable.

He will be missed.

Mary McCarthy

Deepest sympathy to Bernadette on the untimely death of the brilliant Raymond.

Dear Bernie, Our sincere condolences. Ray was a true gentleman, great company, and a generous scholar. He will be missed

Sincere sympathy to you Bernie on the loss of Raymond. He was a wonderful historian and a great teacher, full of encouragement and enthusiasm. May he rest in peace.

Deepest sympathy to the family of Professor Gillespie. My late Father, Seamus McPhillips, held him in the highest regard as a fine historian, and a most kind and wonderful mentor during his studies In Local History in Maynooth University.

I had the pleasure of knowing Ray as a colleague in Maynooth. We worked together a little on the Local Studies BA. I loved meeting him because we always had good chats and many laughs. I'm sad he is gone and I wish him rest. Sincere sympathies to you his family and to all who loved him.

Sincere sympathy to Máire, the Cunningham and Gillespie families and especially Raymond's wife Bernie on his very sad and sudden death. Suaimhneas síoraí dá anam dilís.

Extremely sad to hear of Professor Gillespie's passing, condolences, sympathy and love to all his family and friends. The most inspirational, impressive man I ever met and after one lecture had inspired me to drop my other subjects and study history as a single honours subject. He brought his kindness, warmth and humanity to the subject and was a truly unique person.

Years ago when Raymond was a doctoral student in Trinity and I was a history undergraduate I had the true joy of attending his tutorials and sharing his company. Over forty years later I’ve never forgotten those formative hours , that window on a fine mind, a wonderful sense of humour , a rich spirituality. We may not have kept much in contact , but Raymond’s approach to history and to life has textured my own work through the decades and that wonderful laugh still sounds as a perpetual presence in my memory. He touched my life and so many lives very richly and my heart goes out to all who loved him most.

Sincere condolences to Bernadette on Ray's passing. May he rest in peace.

My condolences to Bernadette and all of Raymond's family and friends. A brilliant historian and a fantastic teacher. I was saddened to hear of his passing.

Sincere sympathy to Bernadette and the Cunningham families. Raymond was an inspiring teacher and mentor to many of us over the years. As a scholar he wore his great knowledge lightly but shared it generously with wit and enthusiasm. His sudden death is a blow to all who knew him. Rest in peace.

My most sincere sympathy to his wife Bernadette, his sisters in law brother in lawand to the extended Cunningham and Gillipsey families on the sad passing of Raymond. May he rest in peace. 🙏🙏

My deepest condolences to Ray's family on their sad loss. It was a privilege to have known Ray and to have had him as a colleague.

My deepest condolences to you, Bernadette, and to all your family on your bereavement. Ray’s splendid historical scholarship provided new insights which will always be appreciated. His kindness to others will never be forgotten. May he rest in peace!

Sincere condolences to Bernie and all the extended Cunningham family on the passing of Ray. May he rest in peace.

Dear Bernie,
Our hearts go out to you at this time. We loved anytime we got to spend with Ray and are lucky to have known him. We send you are best from California

Sincere sympathy to Bernie, the Cunningham and Gillespie family on the sudden passing of Raymond. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all at this sad and difficult time. May Raymond rest in peace.

Deepest sympathy to Bernadette on the untimely passing of Ray. He was truly one of a kind, a wonderful and inspirational teacher and mentor. He will be deeply missed but remembered with great affection by all his former students on the MA in Local History course.

I was a Maynooth History student of Dr Ray Gillespie and he was the BEST teacher I have ever witnessed. Moreover, on a personal level, he was very kind, funny, honest, deeply spiritual and proud of his Belfast heritage. He taught me so much - a fantastic human being. RIP.

We were both shocked and very sad to hear of Raymond's death. Such a brilliant scholar and a good and loyal friend for many years. We send our deepest condolences to Bernie and all the family. Andrew Carpenter and Lucy Collins.

So sorry to hear of Raymond's passing. A gentleman to his fingertips, a scholar who opened the doors to academic qualification for so many who would otherwise never have had a chance. Thank you for showing us that our work in local history is a valuable and vital component in understanding who we are. You have left a wonderful legacy.

Sincere condolences to Bernadette and the extended Cunningham and Gillespie families on the passing of Raymond.

My deepest sympathy to Bernadette, Mary, Teresa, Pat and the extended Gillespie and Cunningham families, relatives, friends, colleagues and neighbours on the passing of Raymond. May you be comforted by the caring thoughts of those who share your sadness.
Suaimhneas síoraí dá anam uasal

Our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Dr. Gillespie.
On behalf of the Retired Teachers Association of Ireland, and members of the National Executive Committee.

Condolences to Bernadette on the death of your husband Raymond. May he rest in peace. Fond memories of your Mum and Dad and 7th class in Ballinderry NS. many years ago.

Deepest sympathy on Ray's death.

I wish to extend my very sincere sympathy to Bernie, her siblings & all who knew & loved Dr. Raymond on the occasion of his departure from this life. No doubt you all have fond memories of time spent with him, which now become treasures. May he have eternal peace & rest.

Sincere sympathies to Bernadette, the Cunningham and Gillespie families on the sad passing of Dr Raymond, a gentleman and scholar.
May his gentle soul rest in peace!
Solas na bhFlaitheas!

Sincere sympathy to Bernadette, and to the Cunningham and Gillespie families on the death of Raymond. May he rest in peace.

Sincere sympathies Bernadette, the extended Cunningham and Gillespie families on Raymond's sudden passing. May he rest in peace.
John, Marie & family.

Comhbhrón ó chroí le Bernadette ar bhás anabaí Raymond. A dedicated scholar and teacher and a man with a warm and generous nature. Solas na bhFlaitheas dá anam geal.
Gearóid Ó Tuathaigh

It was with great sadness and a deep sense of loss that we learned of Raymond’s untimely death and wish to extend our deepest sympathy to his loving wife Bernadette, family, colleagues and his many former students. His contribution to the study of Irish local history is immeasurable and his teaching skills have inspired so many students through Maynooth University’s Department of History. It was an honour to have served with him on the council of the County Kildare Archaeological Society. I will miss him as a friend and mentor.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Sincerest condolences to Bernadette. He was a brilliant historian, but, even more, an inspirational teacher and a wonderful person,

Sincere condolences to Bernadette and extended family.

Dear Bernadette,my deepest sympathy to you,Mary,Teresa,Pat and the extended family on the very sad passing of Ray.I have treasured memories of wonderful holidays with yourself, Ray and Mary.Never once did I feel out my depth in the presence of such a learned man.May Ray rest in peace with all your dearly departed loved ones.

Sincere condolences to Bernadette and your extended family.

Comhbhrón ó chroí duit Bernadette agus do mhuintir Cunningham ar bhás Ray. His death was such sad and unexpected news to all. Ray was an expert and generous guide and an inspirational teacher, full of enthusiasm and good humour. All of us who benefitted from his knowledge, wisdom and support owe him a great debt.

So very sad, Bernie, a total shock. Raymond meant so much to so many people and it is just wrong that he has been taken so early. He was a mentor, an inspiration, a guiding hand, a guiding mind and a friend to so many of us. A great raconteur. A great sense of fun and sense of humour. Who will ever forget his laugh? Not to mention his enormous contribution to scholarship. There is a Raymond-shaped hole in our lives.

To: Bernie, Mary, Teresa and Pat and extended family, you have been in our thoughts and prayers all of this sad weekend, since we learned of the untimely death of Ray. We hope that the knowledge of this will comfort and support you in the days ahead. The testimony on these pages of so many of Ray's fellow scholars and former students serves as his most fitting memorial.

Ray brings to mind the Book of Daniel 1:23 "Those who instruct others....shall shine like stars forever". Bernadette and Ray an extraordinary team. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

My deepest condolences to Bernadette and Raymond's family, friends and colleagues on his passing. Raymond made an immense contribution to the study of the history of County Kildare, including during his term as editor of the County Kildare Archaeological Society Journal, through many publications and inspiring so many through his teaching and engaging lectures. He has left a lasting legacy and will be sorely missed.
May he rest in peace.

I remember the first time i had a lecture from dr. Gillespie. Having read several of his books i felt as though i was going to see a celebrity. What i saw instead was a human. Funny, witty, brilliantly brilliant. So engaging and passionate about history.

My his soul rest in peace and may his memories endure and help heal those who loved him.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.