Tributes paid to well-known Irish archbishop who died suddenly in Brussels

The former Bishop of Down and Connor, Archbishop Noël Treanor has died suddenly at the age of 73.

Archbishop Treanor was the Apostolic Nuncio to the European Union or effectively the Vatican’s ambassador in Brussels.

He went out for a walk in Brussels on Sunday morning, felt unwell and died on his way back to his apartment.

He was born on Christmas Day, 1950 in Monaghan town and attended Saint Mary’s Christian Brothers School in Co Monaghan.

He was ordained as a priest in 1976 and was made Bishop of Down and Connor in 2008.

He began working in the role of the Apostolic Nuncio to the European Union in January 2023.

The North’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill said she was “shocked and deeply saddened” by the Archbishop Treanor’s death.

Ulster Unionist MP Robin Swann said he “always found Bishop Treanor a gentleman to work with, and he never failed to show his support and belief in the Mater hospital and everyone who worked in it.”

The charity Trócaire posted on social media that he had been “incredibly supportive of our work” and that he “served as a custodian of our mission, ethos and values”.

Archbishop Treanor is survived by his brother John and his sister Mary.