Laurence Ryan was an Irish priest, theologian and

Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin The Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin is the ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin, one of the suffragan dioceses of the Archdiocese of Dublin. The episcopal title takes its name from the towns of Kildare and Old Leighlin ...

Biography

Laurence Ryan was born in 1931, to Michael and Brigid Ryan of Ballycrinnigan,

St Mullin's St Mullins (, formerly anglicised as ''Timoling'' or ''Tymoling'' - 'homestead of Moling')St Mullin's
Placenames Database of I ...

County Carlow County Carlow ( ; ga, Contae Cheatharlach) is a county located in the South-East Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. Carlow is the second smallest and the third least populous of Ireland's 32 traditional counties. Carlow Cou ...

. He was educated locally and at

St. Mary's Knockbeg College St Mary's Knockbeg College ( ga, Coláiste Muire Cnoc Beag) is a Roman Catholic, all-boys secondary school located on the Laois/Carlow border in Ireland, approximately 3 km from both Carlow town and Graiguecullen, Co. Laois. A former sem ...

; he went to

Maynooth College St Patrick's Pontifical University, Maynooth ( ga, Coláiste Naoimh Phádraig, Maigh Nuad), is the "National Seminary for Ireland" (a Roman Catholic college), and a pontifical university, located in the town of Maynooth, from Dublin, Ireland. ...

to study for the priesthood. He was ordained in 1956 and following postgraduate studies awarded a doctorate in 1958; subsequently he was appointed to the staff of the St. Patrick's College, Carlow. He studied in Germany for a year gaining a Doctorate in Theology. He served as President of Carlow College from 1974 to 1980, and was appointed in 1975 Vicar General for the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin. Leaving Carlow College, Ryan served as parish priest of Naas, County Kildare, from 1980 to 1985. He was award the title of Monsignor. Ryan was appointed coadjutor bishop in 1984 and became Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin on 10 December 1987, succeeding Bishop Lennon. Bishop Ryan resigned 4 June 2002 and retired. During his time at Carlow Cathedral, he presided over some changes to the altar which were controversial. Ryan died on 13 October 2003, in Beaumont Hospital in Dublin.Former Bishop of Kildare Dies
www.rte.ie. 13 October 2003.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ryan, Laurence 1931 births 2003 deaths Alumni of St Patrick's College, Maynooth Bishops of Kildare 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Ireland People educated at St Mary's Knockbeg College Academics of St. Patrick's, Carlow College Christian clergy from County Carlow 21st-century Roman Catholic bishops in Ireland