Tag Archives: Fr Martin Blake

An open forum, organised in protest at the now postponed imposition of the Permanent Diaconate in the Killaloe diocese, heard harsh criticism of Bishop Kieran O’Reilly from several disillusioned priests. On August 15, The Clare Champion revealed that married men in the diocese could train to become deacons and preside over baptisms, weddings, funerals and other ceremonies. However, women cannot become deacons. In a letter issued to parishes last weekend, Bishop O’Reilly said that, following consultations, he had decided not to proceed with the introduction of the Permanent Diaconate “at this time”. At Monday’s forum in the Dromoland Inn, which was attended by more than 200 people, Ogonnelloe, Bodyke and Tuamgraney-based Fr Donagh O’Meara asked how and why the original decision to introduce a Permanent Diaconate was arrived at. “I’d like to ask a fundamental question; how are decisions made in our diocese and who makes them?” he queried. He expressed particular frustration in the light of the Killaloe diocese …

CLOHANES National School in Doonbeg will mark its 125th anniversary on the weekend of August 15 to 17. The 44-pupil, two-teacher school also has a resource teacher, along with a special needs assistant and a school secretary. The committee established to mark the milestone, and chaired by Mick Carrick, has produced a very informative 160-page book, which details the long history of the school. School principal Aideen O’Mahoney is a past pupil and, intriguingly, was her mother’s boss when she was appointed to her current post in 1993. “My mother (Marie Shanahan) taught me in the junior classroom for four years. Then, when I came back in 1993 as principal, I was my mother’s principal for nine years,” Aideen said. So how did that work out? “We got on well. As I often said, I was the principal, she was the boss. She showed me the ropes. She knew everybody, knew the locality and knew all of the families. It …