Slane priest named as Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin

Slane native Fr Denis Nulty has been named Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin by Pope Francis. He is currently parish priest of St Mary’s in Drogheda, and will be 50 next month.
Denis Nulty is the youngest of five children of the late Den and Nan (Balfe) Nulty. Along with two brothers and two sisters, he grew up on the family farm at Bryanstown.  He attended St Patrick’s National School, Slane and secondary school at St Patrick’s Classical School, Navan, completing the Leaving Certificate exam in 1981. He entered the seminary at St Patrick’s College, Maynooth in September 1981, completing a BA in 1984 and a BD in 1987.
Fr Nulty was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Meath in Saint Patrick’s Church, Slane in June 1988 by Bishop Smith, in the presence of Bishop John McCormack. He was appointed curate in the Cathedral Parish at Mullingar where he served for ten years until 1998. In August 1998, Bishop Smith appointed Father Nulty as parish priest of Saint Mary’s, Drogheda where he has remained until the present day.
In 2006 Father Denis followed a course of study in All Hallows College, Dublin, leading to an MA in Management for the Pastoral and Voluntary Services being awarded by DCU. In September 2006, Bishop Smith appointed Father Denis as Vicar Forane for the Duleek Deanery of seven parishes.  Father Denis has been chairperson of the Council of Priests in the Diocese of Meath for the past eight years. He succeeds Monsignor Brendan Byrne, Diocesan Administrator since 2010.