Rev Canon Anthony Dolan (1939-2024)

BORN Nottingham shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War, Anthony Dolan’s parents met and married in Dublin, his father’s hometown.

They moved to Nottingham where eventually they got a house in Old Basford, Bulwell.

He attended Our Lady’s Primary School then in 1950 and went to St. Hugh’s, Tollerton, for his secondary education where he learned German rather than French in his second year.

Bishop Ellis sent him to Innsbruck in the Austrian Tyrol for the first part of his immediate preparation for the priesthood. It was a decision he never regretted.

After two years of philosophy, Anthony returned to England to take up a state scholarship he had gained at the end of his schooling. In 1962, returning to Innsbruck for four years of theology

He was ordained priest in his home parish in 1966, on the 10th anniversary of his father’s death.

His first appointment was at Oscott College, Sutton Coldfield, where he taught Philosophy for three years.

He became asssistant to Canon Monaghan in 1971, then to St Hugh’s College, Tollerton, to teach a variety of subjects, then to Sacred Heart, Leicester.

In 1975, he entered a monastic life at Quarr Abbey on the Isle of Wight. Shortly before he was due to take his vows, the decision was taken by his monastic superiors that he was not in the right place.

From there he was appointed Assistant at Our Lady’s, Leicester. After two years, he was sent to St. John Bosco, Leicester, as priest-in-charge.

Six months later, he was appointed assistant at Alfreton but within two weeks of his arrival in November 1980, he became parish priest at Ashbourne and three years later to Ilkeston for the next eight.

In September 1992, he moved to Melbourne and Castle Donington, where he became very involved at the Sue Ryder Palliative Care Home at Staunton Harold, and was a founder member of the Nottingham East Midlands Airport Chaplaincy Team.

After 11 years on the borders of Derbyshire and Leicestershire, he moved to Grantham (October 2003).

In 1978, he was asked to help Canon Garrett Sweeney in the diocesan archives, and the following year took over from him as Diocesan Archivist.

This additional work, along with involvement in the Lincoln-Brugge-Nottingham Link, keeps Fr Dolan  busy, but left him time to develop his interest in foreign languages and travelling in Europe.

He retired in 2015 and returned to Bulwell, where he continued to take an interest in church matters, but strictly part time.

Canon Anthony died with his family at his side and tenderly cared for by the doctors and nurses at the Derby Royal Hospital.