Pope Francis appoints Bishop Kieran O’Reilly as Archbishop of Cashel & Emly

22 Nov 2014

His Holiness Pope Francis has accepted the resignation, on the ground of age, of Archbishop Dermot Clifford as Archbishop of Cashel & Emly, and has appointed Bishop Kieran O’Reilly SMA as Archbishop of Cashel & Emly.  This announcement was made today in the Vatican at 12.00pm local time (11.00am Irish time).  Please see below an overview of the life and ministry of Archbishop Kieran O’Reilly.

ENDS

Life and Ministry

On 16 May 2010 Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI announced Father Kieran O’Reilly SMA as Bishop of Killaloe to succeed Bishop William Walsh who had retired on completing his seventy-fifth year in accordance with canon 401.1 of the Code of Canon Law.

o    Bishop O’Reilly was born in Cork on 8 August 1952 to Seán and Theresa O’Reilly.  Educated at Scoil Chríost Rí and Coláiste Chríost Rí, he entered the Society of African Missions in Wilton, Cork in 1970.  Bishop O’Reilly was ordained for the Society on 17 June 1978.  He served in Liberia for two years in the Archdiocese of Monrovia before studying for a licentiate in Sacred Scripture at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome.  From 1984 to 1989 he lectured in Scripture at the Major Seminary of Saints Peter and Paul, in Ibadan, Nigeria.  From 1989 – 2010 he served on the Irish and International Councils of the Society of African Missions.  In May 2010 he was appointed by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI as Bishop of Killaloe. In May 2014 Pope Francis appointed Archbishop O’Reilly as a member of the Congregation for Religious and Societies of Apostolic Life

At the time of the announcement of his appointment as the next Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly, to succeed Archbishop Dermot Clifford, Bishop Kieran was serving as Bishop of the Diocese of Killaloe.  He also serves as the Episcopal Secretary to the Irish Episcopal Conference.

Notes to Editors

  •  Photographs from today’s announcement in Thurles are available from photographer John McElroy on +353 (0) 87 241 6985.

 For media contact: Catholic Communications Office, Maynooth: Martin Long +353 (0) 86 172 7678