The Board of Management of St Flannan’s College, Ennis, Co. Clare, recently announced the appointment of a new principal, Donal Cahir, a native of Kilnamona. Mr Cahir joined the staff of the diocesan school in 1999 and was appointed deputy principal in 2017. He succeeds Fr Ignatius McCormack, who worked with him in managing the…
Category: News
From Vatican apparatchik to shepherd – Archbishop Diarmuid Martin features in new Synod book
In a new book released this month, A Synod Diary -Sixty Days That Shook the Church- author and academic Michael W. Higgins recalls his first Vatican Synod, The Extraordinary Synod of Catholic Bishops from November 24 to December 8th, 1985 called to review the twenty years that had elapsed since the conclusion of Vatican II.…
Belfast Lay Dominican awarded papal medal
One of the oldest Lay Dominicans in Ireland was granted a Papal Award for a lifetime of service to the Church and numerous charities. James Joseph Tohill, also known as J.J., aged 92, is a retired Belfast businessman and accountant. Mr Tohill is a member of St Brigid’s Parish in South Belfast and received the…
Evangelium Ireland highlights growing hunger for apologetics
Evangelium Ireland has said there is a growing hunger among young Catholics for apologetics, as the organisation confirmed that its 2026 annual conference will take place in Cork. Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Evangelium’s public relations officer James Bradshaw said this year’s annual conference in Maynooth highlighted a strong appetite for discussion, reasoning and formation.…
Irish have become too angry says Bishop
The Bishop of Meath Tom Deenihan has said that one of his hopes for 2026 is that Irish people will become less angry. Speaking to The Irish Catholic the bishop said, “I hope people become less angry in 2026! It might seem like a strange hope but there is too much anger in society. We…
Derry will get new bishop but all dioceses need to reflect on future sustainability – Papal Nuncio
Exclusive Responding to questions regarding diocesan mergers and episcopal appointments in Ireland the Papal Nuncio to Ireland Archbishop Luis Mariano Montemayor has said that “the reconfiguration of diocesan boundaries is not a matter that affects the Irish Church alone. In the rapidly changing circumstances of society, worldwide, it has become an object of urgent pastoral…
‘There will be a next chapter for the Irish Church’ – Primate
‘There will be a next chapter for the Irish Church’ – Primate Striking a hopeful note this Christmas, the Primate of All Ireland, Archbishop Eamon Martin, has said the Church in Ireland has a future, pointing to the growing involvement of committed lay people and young people as a source of hope, while acknowledging the…
A year measured in power — and in the powerless
As 2025 draws to a close, it is tempting to summarise the year the way the world’s gatekeepers do: by counting victories, tracking markets, naming winners and losers, tallying territory gained and lost. It has been, in that sense, a year of headlines and hard edges—a year in which many people feel the ground shifting…
Ukrainians in Ireland celebrate Christmas with hearts turned toward home
For many Ukrainians living in Ireland, this Christmas will mark the fourth spent far from their homeland, as Russia’s war against Ukraine continues to cast a long shadow over family life, faith, and tradition. Despite the sorrow, Ukrainian communities across Ireland are marking the feast, holding fast to faith, tradition and prayer. In Sligo, parishioners…
Missionaries report new openness to faith across Ireland
Across Ireland those working in ministry with young people a reporting signs of renewed openness to faith. Thomas Starkie of NET Ireland says the past year has revealed a deep hunger among young adults for prayer and belonging. Reflecting on his time on mission, he described how modest beginnings grew into genuine communities of faith.…