Talk:Hugh O'Flaherty

Conversion of Kappler to Catholicism
Not sure if this counts as a valid source for a cite, but the conversion was mentioned in the BBC Radio Play 'The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican' which was broadcast on Thursday 30th November 2006 on BBC Radio 4. A link to the programme listing can be found at http://www.radiotimes.com/ListingsServlet?event=10&channelId=55&programmeId=52642195&jspLocation=/jsp/prog_details.jsp

Is this a valid cite? If so can someone fix the article?91.84.13.71 22:33, 1 December 2006 (UTC)


 * book reference provided ClemMcGann 10:07, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

Chetta Chevalier
have we a reference for Chetta Chevalier? a lot of people helped him. Chetta Chevalier was one of many. If we haven't a reference, I'm inclinded to delete ClemMcGann 10:07, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

Righteous among nations?
On Yad Vashems virtual Wall of honour (listing all Righteous among nations) (see )I cannot find O'Flaherty. Could someone provide a source for this claim? Gugganij (talk) 20:48, 4 September 2009 (UTC)


 * It is mentioned in the relevant section of this biography: http://www.geocities.com/msgr_hughoflaherty/index.html

I have seen other references to this, but don't have them at hand at the moment. Hohenloh + 02:01, 5 September 2009 (UTC)

I would assume Yad Vashem knows exactly whom they have named Righteous. Based on that and my inability to find even less strong evidence for this, I'm removing it. I can't access his New York Times obit, but the most complete site I can find about him neglects to mention what would be a very important honor. This 2009 interview only claims that "a file is open". As for the reference, I've searched the archives of both the "real" Irish Examiner and a US-based paper of the same name and turned up nothing more than a letter to the editor.Noophilic (talk) 06:04, 20 January 2011 (UTC)

I found myself researching this also. Robyn Rosen's story in the Jewish Chronicle Online asserts it (see ), but Yad Vashem's site doesn't list him. I've tweeted Ms. Rosen to find out more.Ledelste (talk) 23:42, 2 December 2012 (UTC)

email from yad Vashem

Dear Mr. Mitchell,

The case of Mgr. O'Flaherty is well-known in our department, but unfortunately we are unable to do much about it in terms of submitting it for the consideration of the Commission for the Designation of the Righteous.

The problem is that although everyone "knows" that O'Flaherty saved "many Jewish lives", no one has yet to actually name a person who was rescued by him. So the question remains: who did Mgr. O'Flaherty rescue, and who can testify on his behalf? We have printed ads in the papers several times over the years, asking people to come forward and tell us what they know – but no one ever did. So the case remains open until we find evidence for his actions.

I have to say that the name of Delia Murphy is new to me - are you able to tell me what you know of her involvement?

Also please note that the Cork-born Mary Elmes has just been recognized as Righteous for her actions in the Rivesaltes camp in France. Stories keep reaching us, even so many years later, and I would not be surprised if other stories of Irish rescuers would turn up in the future.

Kind regards,

Gili Diamant גילי דיאמנט Righteous Among the Nations dept. | Yad Vashem מחלקת חסידי אומות העולם | יד ושם Tel. +972-(0)2-6443166 Fax. +972-(0)2-6443743 gili.diamant@yadvashem.org.il — Preceding unsigned comment added by 165.89.84.89 (talk) 08:55, 11 August 2013 (UTC)


 * Given that is the position of Yad Vashem, shouldn't we be putting 'citations needed' request over all the claims in the article that he saved Jews, and shouldn't we mention the fact that Yad Vashem has not made him a Righteous Among the Nations? Tlhslobus (talk) 06:48, 21 August 2013 (UTC)
 * In the meantime, I've removed him from our List of Righteous Among the Nations by Country, and added Mary Elmes instead, both there and elsewhere (backed by an Irish Times citation), all thanks to the above most useful e-mail from Yad Vashem - my thanks to whoever posted it here. Tlhslobus (talk) 08:58, 21 August 2013 (UTC)

Last two paragraphs of the World War Two details
According to Stephen Walker's 'Hide and Seek', Pietro Koch, a leader of the Italian police in Rome, approached O'Flaherty to hide his wife and mother in the Escape Line. O'Flaherty agreed, but insisted on the release of two captured Escape Line members (Lieutenant Bill Simpson and Captain John Armstrong) held in Regina Coeli prison. Simpson was freed, but Armstrong was shot outside Rome, under the pretence of being transported to a concentration camp.

The last two paragraphs of the article appear to be based on the TV film 'The Scarlet and the Black'. — Preceding unsigned comment added by DaithiOMurichu (talk • contribs) 17:03, 17 April 2011 (UTC)

The "only English-speaking embassy to remain open"
That is the Irish Embassy to the Vatican.

But the next paragraph mentions the "British Ambassador".

How are those statements reconcilable? When an embassy is closed, its ambassador is recalled.

Varlaam (talk) 06:44, 28 April 2012 (UTC)


 * I suppose that it means that the Irish embassy was the only English-speaking embassy (to the Holy See) located in Rome (i.e. outside Vatican territory). Under normal circumstances all embassies to the Holy See are not within the Vatican (due to its minuscule area). However, during the war, countries with diplomatic relations with the Holy See but in a state of war with the Axis powers moved to the Vatican, where they were alloted some rooms which functioned as their embassy. Gugganij (talk) 23:34, 15 August 2012 (UTC)

Request to delete external link
Whatever your views about religion, that link to a PDF talking about someone's Confirmation is broken. Can someone please delete it?

Hugh O'Flaherty...
...or Karl Malden? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 217.46.75.125 (talk) 01:22, 8 February 2016 (UTC)

Commander of the British Empire.
I've reverted an edit for now, pending discussion, re his Commanders of the Order of the British Empire award. Plenty of cites show this, but it has been claimed that being Irish, it would have been honourary. I think his birth in British Ireland could have made a difference, but in any case I thought it best to discuss here. --Dmol (talk) 05:39, 7 March 2020 (UTC)


 * I'm not sure what his nationality when he was born has to do with the issue. Surely it's whatever it was when the CBE was awarded. By that time, presumably he'd become an Irish citizen. But maybe he held dual British nationality. We probably need the London Gazette notice to be sure.  --   Jack of Oz   [pleasantries]  06:30, 7 March 2020 (UTC)