Fr Martin Casey of the parishes Carnew/Tomacork/Coolfancy/Shillelagh, ordinated 09/06/74. Photo: courtesy of Fr Martin. On June 9 of 1974, Fr Martin Casey was ordained in St Peter’s Seminary in Co. Wexford. “I thought maybe it might be a way of being helpful to people in some way or another and bringing people closer to God,” Fr Casey told The Irish Catholic about his journey to priesthood. “That thought has remained with me ever since, that that’s the purpose of the priesthood, to bring people closer to God in whatever way you possibly can.”
Originally from Kerry, Fr Casey completed 6 years in St Peter’s Seminary in Wexford and was appointed to the Arklow Parish in the Dublin Archdiocese for two years, then returned to the Ferns Diocese at St Peter’s College for seven years. In 1983, Fr Casey was appointed to the Caroreigh Trinity Parish and the Parish of Timon until 1999. In September of 1999, he was asked by the bishop to transfer to the Parish of Carnew, which includes Tomacork, Coolfancy, and Shillelagh, where he is currently serving and retiring.
Special
When asked about what was special about this parish, Fr Casey said, “I was a lucky one that I’ve been left here for so long in this particular parish…there’s no reason to move on elsewhere, nor did I wish to move on elsewhere. Happy enough. Because wherever you go, you must set up a new home, and you have to start out over with new people again. And it’s not easy for the people that you move to, and it’s not easy for the priests moving to such people. You’ve got to get to know them. They’ve got to get to know you.”
Light-heartedly, he added, “There’s an old saying among the priests that it is the next thing to somebody dying when you have to leave the parish and leave a community you have been with for so long and you’ve had so many good times with them.”
In the coming few weeks, Fr Martin Casey of the Diocese of Ferns will celebrate his final Mass before going into retirement. “I come from Co. Kerry, and my intention is to move back there, despite the fact that I will be with a certain sense of sorrow leaving the community which I am living in now, I’ve been here for 28 years. But the practicality of it is, I suppose living on your own and moving into old age you’ll be expecting somebody…to be close by, so when I do move back to Kerry, I will have family close by.”
These impressive feats are only a few of what Fr Casey achieved throughout his hurling career”
A North Kerry man, Fr Casey is a decorated hurler. “There’s a lot of hurling played in that part of the county. So, it was not unusual to be in the evening times after primary school, playing hurling in the local field with some of the other boys.” Fr Casey said of his childhood past-time.
When he moved to St Peter’s College in Wexford, his talent was quickly spotted and he joined the team. As reported on by Terrace Talks, who interviewed Fr Casey in 2013, he holds one Wexford minor hurling medal with the clubs of Buffers Alley and Oulart the Ballagh and made two All-Ireland minor appearances, with him winning the coveted medal. His hurling career with Wexford saw him travel to play in Wembley Stadium, Amsterdam, Chicago, Gaelic Park New York, and Jersey. These impressive feats are only a few of what Fr Casey achieved throughout his hurling career. After joining the priesthood, he continued to play, of which is when he won his All-Ireland title.
“Age catches up on a person, and you have to call it a day at some time, but when I came to this parish here in Carnew, Co. Wicklow, I played with them for a few years and I finished at the age of 52 playing hurling,” said Fr Casey.
Even after retiring from playing himself, he will still watch hurling games, saying he particularly watches them on a television during the afternoons.
Legacy
Talking about his legacy on the parish, Fr Casey’s response was centred around helping the community through his ministry. “When a person is appointed to a parish, to look after the people, you are looking after their spiritual welfare, and I suppose that comes in a number of ways… We read the gospel stories, we read the epistles, and we try to give an explanation of them to the people, so they can make some meaning in their lives and to influence them in the ways of God, in the ways of Christian living as well.”
He said, “It’s not just all a spiritual aspect of people’s lives and your own life, but it’s also the whole community that which you live in, you reach out to people, maybe to mention the call, organisation, through other charitable organisations, and involved with local community work as well.”
He believes that “when a priest looks at his life, it’s a question of being of service to other people. In whatever way you possibly can,” which is the guiding principle that led him to a life of priesthood.
“Wherever I have been, whether in the town of Arklow… or in two different parishes… many memories still come back to me about all of those particular places, many good memories. And hopefully we’ve done some good somewhere around the line for some people,” the priest said, reflecting on his 52 years of ministry with fondness.
Thanks
With concluding words of gratitude, Fr Casey remarked, “Thank God for the gift of life that I have, had… for the gift of human life and the gift of life as a priest, and for all the different communities, and the people who have been so good and kind to me, and have been very generous over the years in their time, and in other ways as well. All one can say is good Lord bless them. Keep them. And they may always have appreciation for God and for the gifts of God in this world.”