Fr Michael Enright celebrates 60 years and is crowned GOAT

At the age of twenty three and a half, a young Michael Enright decided to enter the priesthood, which has lead to ongoing celebrations over the past few weeks in Waterford for the Abbeyside native, as he reaches a remarkable 60 years since his ordination. 

One of the many celebrations for Fr Enright included a cake topped with Jaffa Cakes, which was presented to him at a surprise event to mark the occasion, by a group of local Waterford women he refers to as "The Jaffas". 

The surprise party was hosted at an AirBnB where Fr Enright was asked to deliver a letter to the premises. When he thought he might've arrived at the wrong address, one of the ladies from the swimming group opened the door and asked him to come inside.

Suddenly Fr Enright witnessed "about 40 women screaming and shouting, and four men".

"All the cars were hidden away in a nearby field," said Fr Enright, who was in shock. 

"We enjoyed a salmon or steak dinner. It was a great night altogether," he added. 

The Jaffas and Fr Enright enjoy plunging into early morning sea swims as often as possible, depending on the tide of course, and other community events that may coincide. 

Fr Enright, also nicknamed within his own family as "The Monk",  told the Waterford News & Star that he initially became a priest because he "failed the singing test for teaching", but despite being "tone deaf", during his time in college at St John's, he joined the choir and sang as a bass. 

"That was my singing career," he said, with a smile from ear to ear, adding that while he was taking his teaching exams, it had already been decided by him that he would become a priest. 

Following on from his six years in St John's, being ordained on June 14, 1964, Fr Enright travelled to London to start his ministry where he still travels to every year, except for one year, in 1984, where his love for sports may have contested his love for London. 

"I went straight to Los Angeles for the Olympics," he said. But quickly added that "London was always nicer". 

Along with his love for London, it didn't take Fr Enright long to mention his love for Manchester United, to which we reserve judgement. 

Fr Enright enjoys travelling to this day, and will continue his celebrations with his former parishioners as he takes a trip to London later this week.

Being involved in many parishes over the years, Fr Enright has been a big part of the lives of thousands of Waterford people, including the obvious duties, such as baptisms, weddings and funerals, but he was also chaplain to the Gaelscoil in Abbeyside for 12 years, retiring last month.

This led Fr Enright to a story about how, not only was he celebrating being ordained 60 years, but he's also been crowned by one student as the "Greatest Of All Time", more colloquially referred to by young people as GOAT. 

"They wrote lots of cards, the youngsters, and one of them wrote, 'Bhí tú i do GOAT'," he said, expressing his delight at his newly found title and adding jokingly that there may have to be amendments to the Gospel regarding the goats no longer being goats. 

Fr Enright would like to express his thanks to Michael and Catherine Kavanagh, who he said took him in; but particularly to Catherine who had to get her own room and her own telly as the other one appeared to be stuck on the sports channels constantly. 

When asked if he'd been given the chance to go back in time to the age of twenty three and a half, Fr Enright said he'd do nothing differently. He'd do it all again as he hasn't a single regret and has met some true characters along the way.