Catholic Church in Ireland

The Latest

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Was this Italian Easter sweet miraculously invented by an Irish saint?

Apr 8, 2023

By Hannah Brockhaus

The incredible story of the “Colomba di Pasqua” (“Easter dove”) dates to the sixth or seventh century and includes a... Read more

A statue of the Virgin Mary on the grounds of the 15th-century Quin Abbey in County Clare, Ireland.

Signs of hope and renewal amid the dramatic decline of the Catholic Church in Ireland

Mar 17, 2023

By Courtney Mares

Father Owen Gorman remembers when Masses in Ireland were so crowded on Sundays that people had to sit on the... Read more

Young people at Holy Family Mission in County Waterford, Ireland.

Catholic gap year program in Ireland prepares young people for lifelong mission

Mar 15, 2023

By Courtney Mares

A new gap year program gives young people the opportunity to spend one year living in Ireland in an intentional... Read more

Bishop David O'Connell.

Murdered Bishop David O’Connell mourned in his native Ireland

Feb 21, 2023

By Jonah McKeown

David O’Connell, an auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles who was shot and killed over the weekend, is being mourned in... Read more

Iona Abbey and nunnery, established 563 AD on the site of the monastery founded by St. Colmcille, also known as Columba.

St. Colmcille, the Irish saint who went into exile after copying a book

Dec 7, 2022

By Patrick J. Passmore

Born on Dec. 7 in the year 521, this patron saint’s name is etched across the Irish landscape; his legacy... Read more

Father Willie Doyle, S.J.

Father Willie Doyle’s cause: fearless in his faith on Flanders Fields

Nov 22, 2022

By Patrick J. Passmore

Father Willie Doyle was an inspiring yet unassuming Irish World War I chaplain. Now his cause for canonization has been... Read more

Father Sean Sheehy

Irish priest reprimanded by bishop for homilies about sin

Nov 2, 2022

By Kevin J. Jones

In his sermon, the Irish priest said “you rarely hear about sin, but it’s rampant,” adding: “We see it in... Read more

Father Willie Doyle, S.J.

Will war chaplain Willie Doyle be Ireland’s next saint?

Oct 31, 2022

By Kevin J. Jones

Doyle was an Irish military chaplain for the British Army who served heroically on the battlefields of World War I... Read more

St Mary’s is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ossory. It is situated on James’s Street, Kilkenny, Ireland.

Irish bishop-to-be encourages ‘new generation’ of Christian witness

Oct 28, 2022

By Kevin J. Jones

Father Niall Coll, a parish priest and longtime university professor from the north side of Ireland, is Pope Francis’ choice... Read more

Emergency services attend the scene following an Oct. 7, 2022, explosion at a gas station and adjacent apartment building in Creeslough, County Donegal, in northwest Ireland that killed at least 10 people. Pope Francis in a letter Oct. 8, 2022, expressed his “spiritual closeness” to those affected by the tragedy.

Pope Francis expresses condolences to victims of explosion in Ireland

Oct 10, 2022

By AC Wimmer

Pope Francis has assured his “spiritual closeness” to those affected by an Oct. 7 gas station explosion in northwest Ireland. Read more

Celtic Cross on the hill at Cashel, Tipperary, Ireland.

Young Catholics in Ireland say their voices have not been heard during synodal process

Aug 10, 2022

By Charlotte Evans

A group of 500 young Catholics in Ireland have signed a letter saying they love the Church’s teaching, but that... Read more

Ireland’s President Michael D. Higgins, pictured on Oct. 13, 2018.

Nigerian Catholic bishop to Irish president: Church massacre not linked to climate change

Jun 13, 2022

By CNA Staff

The bishop said Michael D. Higgins’ ‘reasons for this gruesome massacre are incorrect and far-fetched.’ Read more

Michael D. Higgins, President of Ireland.

Ireland’s president condemns Catholic church massacre in Nigeria

Jun 8, 2022

By Hannah Brockhaus

Michael D. Higgins spoke out days after a Catholic charity appealed to world leaders to denounce the attack. Read more

Bishop Brendan Kelly (speaking) and Bishop Michael Duignan (seated) concelebrate Mass at Galway Cathedral, Feb. 11, 2022.

At installation, Galway's new bishop notes need for less infrastructure

May 2, 2022

By CNA Staff

Bishop Michael Duignan of Galway and Kilmacduagh highlighted the diminishing role of the Church in the Republic of Ireland at... Read more

Refugees wait for trains at Lviv railway station in western Ukraine.

Catholics in Ireland hope to host Ukrainian refugees

Mar 18, 2022

By Courtney Mares

‘We want to be able to open our doors and welcome them as much as possible,’ said Archbishop Martin. Read more

Stained glass of St. Patrick by C.E. Kempe in the church of St John the Baptist.

Bring Saint Patrick's peace and sympathy to Ukraine conflict, Irish archbishops say

Mar 16, 2022

By Kevin J. Jones

This Saint Patrick’s Day is a time for prayer and action for peace in Ukraine and for all the refugees... Read more

Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Irish Catholic bishops call on Patriarch Kirill to support Ukraine ceasefire

Mar 9, 2022

By CNA Staff

‘This invasion and aggression reminds us of the fragility of peace, even in Europe,’ the bishops said. Read more

Bishop Brendan Kelly (speaking) and Bishop Michael Duignan (seated) concelebrate Mass at Galway Cathedral, Ireland, on Feb. 11, 2022.

Pope Francis appoints bishop to lead two Irish Catholic dioceses

Feb 11, 2022

By CNA Staff

Bishop Michael Duignan said it was ‘a historic day’ for the Catholic Church in Ireland. Read more

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Report: 1 in 5 Irish priests and brothers have died in the past three years

Jan 14, 2022

By CNA Staff

The Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference was unable to confirm the figure. Read more

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Ireland to follow France in offering free contraception to women under 25

Jan 4, 2022

By Luke Coppen

The move underlines the rapid social changes in Ireland in recent years. Read more