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Dermot Farrell

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Coat of arms of Dermot Farrell

Monsignor Dermot Pius Farrell was born in Castletown-Geoghegan, County Westmeath on 22 November 1954. He was educated at St Finian’s College, Mullingar and St Patrick's College, Maynooth. Now an independent affiliate of the newly constituted National University of Ireland, Maynooth (NUIM), St Patrick's houses both the Pontifical University and the National Seminary for Ireland.

Ordained priest on 7 June 1980, Farrell undertook postgraduate studies at Maynooth. He spent 7 years as curate in Mullingar from 1981.

In 1985 he went to Rome to complete his doctorate at the Gregorian University, while serving on the staff of the Pontifical Irish College. On his return to the Diocese of Meath in 1988, he was appointed curate in Tullamore. In 1990 he was appointed to the Faculty of Theology at St Patrick's College, Maynooth.[1]

President of St Patrick's College, Maynooth

In 1993, Farrell was appointed Executive Assistant (a hitherto unknown title) to the then President of St Patrick's, Dr Micheál Ledwith, his relative. Allegations of serious misconduct against President Ledwith led to latter's resignation. Dr Matthew O'Donnell of the Philosophy Department succeeded him as President with Farrell appointed Vice-President. After O'Donnell's sudden death in 1996, Dr Farrell was appointed President of St Patrick's College (Pontifical University and National Seminary). NUI Maynooth was reorganised by the Universities Act 1997, and Dr W.J. Smyth was appointed President of NUIM.

Dr Farrell presided over the revision of the formation programme Pastores Dabo Vobis at St Patrick's. He also supervised the renovation of its heritage buildings. His term as President, however, coincided with a general decline in vocations in the Roman Catholic Church.[2]

During Farrell's tenure, Dr Charles Curran, a controversial U.S. professor of theology, was invited to speak at the McDonagh Conference held at the college. The Conference was held to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the eminent liberal theologian and Professor Emeritus, Fr Enda McDonagh, a native of Bekan.[3] It transpired that Dr Curran had been censured by Cardinal Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) in 1986, due to his opposition to Roman Catholic Church ban on contraception.

Farrell left Maynooth in 2007 after an eleven-year term as President.

Parish Priest

Dr Farrell was appointed Parish Priest of Dunboyne, in the Diocese of Meath, effective 1 September 2007, replacing Monsignor Edward Dunne. Farrell was appointed Vicar-General to the diocese of Meath in October 2009, whilst retaining his position as Parish Priest of Dunboyne/Kilbride.

Bishop

in 2018 Farrell was appointed as the new Bishop of Ossory by Pope Francis.[4]

There was some surprise at Farrell's nomination to Ossory given that in his time at the helm in Maynooth there was 'steep spiritual decline' and allegations of gay scandal.[5]

References

  1. ^ "Media information for the Episcopal Ordination of Dermot Farrell as Bishop of Ossory".
  2. ^ Dr RD Stevens (11 October 2003). "Irish Religion: The Empirical Situation". irish-association.org. Retrieved 11 October 2007.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ "Time for Mayo to honour Fr Enda". Western People. 3 May 2006. Retrieved 10 October 2007.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ "Monsignor Dermot Farrell named Bishop of Ossory". RTE. 3 January 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  5. ^ "New Irish Bishop Oversaw Gay Scandals at Maynooth". www.churchmilitant.com.
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