William Mahony, SMA was an Irish Catholic prelate who served as

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

of Roman Catholic Diocese of Ilorin, 29 April 1919 – 15 November 1994. The son of Mick and Mary Mahony of Derrybrien,

Slieve Aughty The Slieve Aughty ( ga, Sliabh Eachtaí) are a mountain range in the western part of Ireland spread over both County Galway and County Clare County Clare ( ga, Contae an Chláir) is a county in Ireland, in the Southern Region and the province ...

, Mahony had two sisters and three brothers. His father, grandfather and two of his brothers were

blacksmiths A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such as gates, grill ...

, a motif he incorporated into his

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...

as a bishop. Mahony was at the Gort sheep fair when he heard the call of God to become a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

, joining the Society of African Missions in 1936. He studied in Ballinafad Co. Mayo,

Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...

Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...

, Newry and

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. Following completing his secondary education at Sacred Heart College, Ballinafad, he went to St. Josephs Wilton, Cork and began his university studies in University College Cork, before moving to the SMA Novitiate at Cloughballymore, Kilcolgan, Co Galway, for two years, studying philosophy and completing his undergraduate degree in University College Galway, earning a B.A. degree (honours) in philosophy and education, in 1943. He entered the SMA major seminary in Dromantine House, Newry, studying theology, and being ordained a priest in St. Colman's Cathedral, in 1947. Following ordination, he gained a teaching diploma from the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

, in 1948.Bishop William MAHONY (1919 - 1994)
Obituaries, SMA International In 1948 he was assigned to what would become the Archdiocese of Kaduna in northern

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

, teaching there till 1960. In the latter year, he was appointed

Prefect Apostolic An apostolic prefect or prefect apostolic is a priest who heads what is known as an apostolic prefecture, a 'pre-diocesan' missionary jurisdiction where the Catholic Church is not yet sufficiently developed to have it made a diocese. Although it ...

Illorin Ilorin is the capital city of Kwara State in Western Nigeria.. Retrieved 18 February 2007 As of the 2006 census, it had a population of 777,667, making it the 7th largest city by population in Nigeria. History Ilorin was founded by the Y ...

(which was carved out of the diocese of ondo), a province of more than thirty thousand square miles and a population of about one million. He was ordained

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

Ilorin Ilorin is the List of capitals of states of Nigeria, capital city of Kwara State in Western Nigeria.. Retrieved 18 February 2007 As of the 2006 census, it had a population of 777,667, making it the List of Nigerian cities by population, 7th ...

on 1 August 1969 in

Kampala Kampala (, ) is the capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,680,000 and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division, and Ruba ...

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...

, by the pope.About
Ilorin Catholic Missions

References

* ''Derrybrien Centenary 1895-1995'', pp.70-72, ed. Oliver Mahon, 1995. Christian clergy from County Galway 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Nigeria Irish expatriates in Nigeria Irish expatriate Roman Catholic bishops Alumni of the University of Galway Roman Catholic bishops of Ilorin 1919 births 1994 deaths {{Africa-RC-bishop-stub Society of African Missions