Daniel Kevin O Sé – known as Kevin to his family – was born in Cork on 2nd September 1940. Following school at Presentation Brothers College, he read Irish and German at University College Cork, graduating B.A. in 1961, Higher Diploma in Education 1962 and M.A. in 1970. A love and mastery of Irish and German language and literature was to remain with him all his life.
Attracted by military service, he joined for a time the FCA or Irish Army Local Defence Force, particularly enjoying the opportunity to serve in an Irish-speaking unit. A firm believer in the NATO alliance, he took a short-term commission in the British Army and spent much of his time as an officer teaching German to NATO troops in Norway. While there, Kevin added Norwegian to his growing repertoire of languages.
Following his military service, he spent several years as a teacher and housemaster in the Collegium Augustinianum in Gaesdonck, near the town of Goch on the Lower Rhine, close to the Dutch border. The school occupies a former monastery of Augustinian Canons and is an institution of the Diocese of Münster.
On 30th November 1981 Kevin entered the novitiate in Glenstal and received the name Cilllian, reflecting his devotion to the Irish missionary monk and bishop of Würzburg, St Killian.
In May 1982, feeling that he was better suited to life as a teaching brother, Brother Cillian left Glenstal and joined the Presentation Brothers in Cork. Before the expiry of his temporary vows with this congregation, and realising that his home was in Glenstal, he returned to the monastery. Dispensed from repeating his novitiate, Brother Cillian made simple profession on 15th
August 1986 and was solemnly professed on 22nd July, 1992.
Following his return to the monastery, Brother Cillian was involved in the school, specialising in teaching Irish and German, especially to the younger classes. For the remainder of his working life Brother Cillian rendered meticulous and devoted service to the school, being appointed its Academic Director. As such, while still teaching, he dealt with all matters to do with the then Department of Education – a task he performed through the medium of Irish. He was also the long-term coordinator of the school’s German exchange programme. In this, he excelled and created friendly and enduring contacts among several schools, where he is still fondly remembered.
In retirement, Bother Cillian had greater time to indulge his love for German literature, in particular for Goethe, but not neglecting some comic writers. To keep his linguistic interest sharp, he learned Spanish, though was modest about his achievements in this. A further great interest was Irish language literature, in particular, modern Irish poetry. An important exercise was his daily walk, conducted punctually and impeccably attired.
Always a model of monastic observance in all its aspects, Brother Cillian preserved this faithfulness up to recent months when failing health made it impossible to be present at the liturgy, except at the daily Conventual Mass and Sunday Vespers. He greatly enjoyed and made convivial contributions to monastic recreational gatherings.
In his final months, increasingly confined to his room, Brother Cillian was lovingly cared for by his carers, Tina Rainsford and Bernie Boyle, and his nurses Margaret Hayes, Noreen O’Brien and Margaret Molony. On 9th July, Brother Cillian was brought to St Paul’s Nursing home in Dooradoyle, Limerick, where he died peacefully in the late evening of 14th July 2026.
R.I.P.