Of all the tributes paid to the late Marian Finucane, one which stands out for me came from Archbishop Diarmuid Martin. I was sitting in for Sean O’Rourke the morning after the shocking news of Marian’s sudden death. Archbishop Martin told me how “fair” and “kind” Marian had been to him in interviews at “difficult times” for the Church.

Why it stood out was that it proved how important questioning voices in places such as the national airwaves were at a time when the once all-powerful, all-controlling Church needed to be brought to book. And good Church men like Archbishop Martin appreciate this too.

When the scandals began to emerge with victims no longer willing to stay silent, cracks emerged in the institution and the hierarchy was held to public account

If it wasn’t for fearless journalism and courageous broadcasters like Marian Finucane and Gay Byrne, who else would’ve been brave enough to shine a light on corruption and scandal in the Church? Or at least give a voice to citizens, particularly women, who felt they had none in Ireland up until as recently as around 1980.

The Roman Catholic Church is a man-made institution with rules overseen by a hierarchy. Over the centuries, it became the world’s biggest non-governmental organisation. When the scandals began to emerge with victims no longer willing to stay silent, cracks emerged in the institution and the hierarchy was held to public account. Still, despite the indisputable evidence of wrongdoing and cover-ups, Gay Byrne and Marian Finucane among others had to run the gauntlet of subservient hardliners who tried to shut them up with hate mail and derision.

Such a right-wing viewpoint exists in Ireland but mercifully in a very low and isolated place

They considered the basics of journalism and public service broadcasting as an anti-church conspiracy. Conservatism, by its very definition, detests disruption. And in some cases it can morph a step further into right-wing ideology which is growing in other parts of the world as we know. The line between religious fundamentalism and right-wing ideology remains somewhat blurred.

Such a right-wing viewpoint exists in Ireland but mercifully in a very low and isolated place. And to be fair it wouldn’t necessarily be based on religion but more on racism. One of the reasons why we don’t have such hard right or hard left movements of significance in this country is arguably down to the fact that the likes of Marian and Gay were ahead of their time in pushing the envelope. They put their necks on the line against the forces of church, state and RTÉ bosses to facilitate reasonable public discussion and debate on social issues which were otherwise taboo.

Rather, it’s thanks to the courage of the likes of Mary McAleese, who I think is fairly representative of most mass-goers in Ireland today, that we are not in fear of the hierarchy

While we may not all be going to mass every single Sunday anymore, Catholic faith in this country remains relatively healthy. That is no thanks to old-school Catholics who blame the media as being anti-Church and remain in denial at the recent social changes we’ve voted for. Rather, it’s thanks to the courage of the likes of Mary McAleese, who I think is fairly representative of most mass-goers in Ireland today, that we are not in fear of the hierarchy, that we can openly question the teachings, that the Church is its flock.

Gay and Marian were doing that long before anybody else. Both had Catholic Church funerals and evidentially possessed strong personal faith proving that far from being mere Church bashers, they were professionals who bravely parked their personal beliefs against the norm in search of the truth at a critical time in Ireland. May they rest in peace.