John Armstrong (archbishop of Armagh)

John Ward Armstrong (30 September 1915 – 21 July 1987) was an Irish Anglican bishop who served as Archbishop of Armagh from 1980 to 1986.^[1][2][3]

The Most Reverend John Armstrong
Archbishop of Armagh Primate of All Ireland
Church	Church of Ireland
Diocese	Armagh
Elected	25 February 1980
In office	1980–1986
Predecessor	George Simms
Successor	Robin Eames
Previous post(s)	Bishop of Cashel and Waterford (1968-1977) Bishop of Cashel and Ossory (1977-1980)
Orders
Ordination	24 December 1939
Consecration	21 September 1968 by George Simms
Personal details
Born	(1915-09-30)30 September 1915 Belfast, Ireland
Died	21 July 1987(1987-07-21) (aged 71) Skerries, County Dublin, Ireland
Buried	St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin
Nationality	British
Denomination	Anglican
Spouse	Doris Winifred Harrison
Children	5
Alma mater	Belfast Royal Academy Trinity College, Dublin

Education and priestly ministry

Armstrong was born in Belfast, the eldest of four sons (there were no daughters) of John Armstrong, a Belfast corporation official, and his wife, Elizabeth Ward. He was educated at the Belfast Royal Academy and Trinity College Dublin. He was ordained deacon in 1938, and his first position was at All Saints Church, Grangegorman.^[4] He was ordained priest on 24 December 1939. He was the clerical vicar at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin^[5] and then Dean's Vicar at St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin until 1944. He was then rector of Christ Church, Leeson Park, Dublin until he became the Dean of St Patrick's.^[6]

Episcopal ministry

Armstrong served as Bishop of Cashel and Waterford from 1968 to 1977, Bishop of Cashel and Ossory from 1977 to 1980. His translation to the See of Armagh in 1980 catapulted him into the fraught world of Northern Irish politics, a deteriorating security situation and the heightened community tensions of the Hunger Strikes and later still, the Anglo-Irish Agreement.

Along with fellow Church of Ireland bishops he regularly met political leaders to offer analysis and informed opinion: government minutes of some of those meetings have now been released.^[7] These meetings took place with political leaders in both jurisdictions on the island and Armstrong often led delegations to Dublin for talks.^[8]

He formed such a warm and effective working relationship with his Armagh neighbour Cardinal Tomas O'Fiach that when he announced his retirement, it was recorded that his successor Robin Eames was regarded by comparison as a "cold fish".^[9]

He retired in February 1986 at the age of 70 and spent his short retirement in Skerries, County Dublin. He died in July 1987.