Bishop of Killaloe Kieran O’Reilly has appointed seven new parish priests in the diocese. The new appointments will take effect from September 5.
Fr Tom Hogan, administrator in Ennis, will be parish parish in Ennis while Fr Joe McMahon, president of St Flannan’s College, has been appointed parish priest pro-tem in Scariff, Feakle, Killanena and Flagmount.
Fr John Molloy is returning from mission work in Ecuador to take up the role of parish priest of Tomevara. Fr Pat Treacy and Fr Michael Harding will be co-parish priests of the combined parishes of Roscrea, Bournea, Kyle and Knock.
During the past year Fr Tom McGrath, MHM, was appointed acting parish priest in succession to the late Fr John Kelly and he will remain as parish priest of Kilmurry McMahon.
Similarly, Fr Seamus Nohilly, SMA, was appointed to the team of priests in Imeall Borine parishes and he is to be priest in residence in Tubber.
Fr Tom Corbett, parish priest of Roscrea, Bournea, Kyle and Knock, is to retire as PP and be co-ordinator of the parish team in the four parishes for a period of two years.
Under the new appointments, Fr Harry Brady, parish priest of Clarecastle, is to be assistant priest, while Fr Pat Malone, Vicar General of the Diocese and parish priest of Portroe is the new parish priest of Clarecastle. He will also continue as Vicar General of the Diocese.
Fr Willie McCormack, parish priest in Toomevara, is to move as parish priest to Puckane where Fr John Slattery is to retire with residence in Birr, while Fr Tim O’Brien will remain as parish priest of Youghalarra in addition to Portroe.
Fr Brendan Quinlivan, parish priest of Scariff, Feakle, Killanena and Flagmount, is to take a one year sabbatical break and will reside at Cathedral House, Ennis. He is to continue as Director of Diocesan Communications.
Also taking a six week sabbatical break is Fr Anthony McMahon.
Ennis curate Fr Fergal O’Neill moves to Portroe, assisting in Youghalarra, while Fr Joseph Hourigan, parish priest of Lissycasey, will continue in that role.
Fr JJ Rodgers, assistant priest in Borrisokane, is to retire with residence in Killanena, while Fr Donagh O’Meara, parish priest of Ogonnelloe and Bodyke, will also be Moderator of East Clare Group of parishes.
Fr Brian Geoghegan, priest in residence in Tubber, retired during the past year.
Ms Maureen Kelly, pastoral worker Inish Cathaigh, is to be the new pastoral worker in the diocese with responsibility for the liturgy, prayer and spirituality strand of the Diocesan Plan – Builders of Hope 2013-2020.
Ms Lorina Bourke has been appointed pastoral worker with responsibility for the leadership and partnership strands of the pastoral plan in the eastern part of the diocese, with Ms Marie O’Connell-Quin assuming the same role in the western part of the diocese.
In a cluster reconfiguration, the parish of Broadford, originally part of the Scáth na Sionnaine Cluster, now joins the East Clare Cluster.
Fr Tom Hogan, who has been appointed parish priest of the Cathedral parish of St Peter and Paul, Ennis is a native of Templederry. He was educated in St Flannan’s College, Ennis and St Patrick’s College, Maynooth.
Ordained in 1979, he subsequently taught in St Enda’s College Galway while studying for the HDip in Education in UCG. He was appointed chaplain-teacher in Roscrea Vocational School in 1980. In 1991, he was appointed Director of Religious Education in the post-primary schools of Killaloe Diocese and also as part time curate in Shannon. In 1998 he was appointed administrator of the Cathedral of St Peter and Paul, Ennis. From 1995 to 1999 he was director of ACCORD, the Catholic Marriage Care service.
Fr Joe McMahon has been appointed parish priest of Scariff protem in succession to Fr Brendan Quinlivan, who is taking a one year sabbatical to develop the communications strand of the diocesan plan.
A native of Milltown Malbay, Fr McMahon was educated at St Flannan’s College, Ennis, and St Patrick’s College Maynooth. He was ordained in 1973. He was appointed to St Flannan’s College as a teacher and continued post graduate studies receiving the HDip in education.
In 1983 he completed a one year course in career guidance. He was appointed vice president of St Flannan’s College in 1994 and president in 2005.
Fr John Molloy is a native of Terryglass. He was educated in Borrisokane Community School and the National Botanic Gardens and subsequently in St Patrick’s College Maynooth and St Patrick’s College Thurles.
He was ordained in 1997 and was appointed curate in St Peter and Paul’s Cathedral, Ennis. He volunteered for Missionary work in 2009 and worked until this year in Ecuador, South America.
Fr Pat Treacy has been appointed co-parish priest of Roscrea, Bournea and Kyle and Knock.
A native of Cloughjordan, he was educated in England and in St Patrick’s College Thurles where he was ordained in 1991. After ordination he was appointed curate in Bodyke – Tuamgraney and chaplain in Scariff Community College.
In 1994 he was appointed curate in Quin and in 1995 curate in Doora-Barefield. Since July 2003, he has been curate in Roscrea.
Fr Michael Harding, who has been appointed co-parish priest of Roscrea, Bournea and Kyle and Knock, is a native of Carrig, Birr Co Offaly. He was educated in St Brendan’s Community School, Birr and St Patrick’s College, Thurles. He was ordained in 2000 in Birr. He has been curate in Roscrea since his ordination.
Fr Seamus Nohilly, SMA, was appointed to the Imeall Boirne cluster of parishes and priest in residence in Tubber in January 2014, in succession to Fr Brian Geoghegan, who has retired.
Fr Nohilly is a native of Corofin, County Galway and has been a priest of the Society of African Missions since 1969. He has worked in SMA communities in Nigeria and Ireland.
Fr Tom McGrath, MHM, was appointed as acting parish priest of Kilmurry McMahon, in succession to Fr John Kelly, who died in November 2013. Fr McGrath is a native of the parish of Kilmurry McMahon and has been a priest of the Mill Hill Missionaries since 1969 when he was ordained in Inagh.
He has worked on the Mission in Kenya from 1969 until 2011, except for the period from 1975 to 1982, when he taught in the Mill Hill College in Freshford, County Kilkenny.
A total of 82 Killaloe priests are in full-time parish ministry while four Killaloe priests are engaged in full-time school chaplaincy, teaching and other pastoral work throughout Ireland. Three priests serve overseas in various ministries while 13 priests are fully retired from active ministry.
The diocese also benefits from the service of seven priests from other dioceses or religious congregations serving as priests in parishes of the diocese. The diocese also benefits from the ministry of the clergy based at the Franciscan Friary in Ennis and the Cistercian Monastery at Mount St Joseph’s, Roscrea.
At present there is one student studying for priesthood for the diocese of Killaloe, at St Patrick’s College, Maynooth.
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.