Fiachra Ó Ceallaigh, O.F.M. (18 August 1933, Lissycasey,

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

– 29 July 2018,

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

, Ireland) was an Irish

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

. On 17 September 2009, he retired as an Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Dublin.

Life

Ó Ceallaigh trained at the Franciscan Novitiate in

Killarney Killarney ( ; , meaning 'church of sloes') is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The town is on the northeastern shore of Lough Leane, part of Killarney National Park, and is home to St Mary's Cathedral, Killar ...

. He studied Irish and Celtic studies at UCG, and also gained a Higher Diploma in Education. He also studied in Louvain and in Rome. He was ordained a priest in Rome on 2 July 1961 in the

Order of Friars Minor The Order of Friars Minor (commonly called the Franciscans, the Franciscan Order, or the Seraphic Order; Post-nominal letters, postnominal abbreviation OFM) is a Mendicant orders, mendicant Catholic religious order, founded in 1209 by Francis ...

. He was appointed to Gormanstown College. He studied for a Social Science degree in UCD, and a Masters in Queens University Belfast. His father Seán Ó Ceallaigh was elected a Fianna Fail TD for County Clare in a by-election 1959. He was appointed an Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin, and, at the same time,

Titular Bishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...

of ''Tres Tabernae'' by

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

on 7 June 1994, at the age of 61. Prior to his appointment as bishop, he had been provincial of the Franciscan Order in

and was the first Franciscan to become a bishop in Ireland for over 170 years. Bishop Ó Ceallaigh served the Irish Bishops' Conference as a member of its Department of Worship, Pastoral Renewal and Faith Development, as Chairman of the Irish Language Commission, and as a member of the Commission for Religious and the Commission on Pastoral Liturgy. As an Auxiliary Bishop, he assisted Archbishops of

Desmond Connell Desmond Connell (24 March 1926 – 21 February 2017) was an Irish cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church. He was an Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland. Cardinal Connell was one of a number of senior clergy to have been heavily criticise ...

and

Diarmuid Martin Diarmuid Martin (born 8 April 1945) is an Irish prelate of the Catholic Church who was Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland from 2004 to 2020. From 1976 to 2003 he held a variety of positions in the Roman Curia and in the diplomatic ser ...

in the governance of the diocese. Bishop Ó Ceallaigh sent his letter of resignation at the age of 75 as he is required to do.

Pope Benedict XVI Pope BenedictXVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict's election as p ...

accepted his letter of resignation on 17 September 2009 but did not name another auxiliary bishop to replace Ó Ceallaigh. Upon his resignation being accepted Archbishop Martin said: "Bishop Fiachra’s warmth and particular personal qualities enriched our work. I, the priests, and no doubt the people of Rialto and his episcopal area are at one in praying that he find enjoyment in his retirement." He said Bishop Ó Ceallaigh, "particularly as he struggled with illness in recent years, was an outstanding witness to the motto he took on his episcopal appointment, (God is our courage)".

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:O Ceallaigh, Fiachra 1933 births 2018 deaths Irish Franciscans 21st-century Roman Catholic bishops in Ireland 21st-century Roman Catholic titular bishops 20th-century Roman Catholic titular bishops Auxiliary bishops of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin Christian clergy from County Clare