Meath diocesan chancellor appointed Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnois

Fr Paul Connell is former principal of St Finian's College, Mullingar

The former principal of St Finian's College, Mullingar, and the Chancellor of the Diocese of Meath, Fr Paul Connell, has been appointed Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnois, to be based at Saint Mel’s Cathedral, Longford.

The Bishop of Meath, Tom Deenihan, has welcomed today’s appointment by Pope Francis, saying Fr Paul has the experience, the ability, the dedication and the faith to undertake this important appointment at this time.

"Father Paul has served the Diocese of Meath willingly, totally and loyally in several roles since his ordination in 1982. He will be remembered in this Diocese particularly for his time as president of the Diocesan College, Saint Finian’s, in Mullingar. His leadership there was visionary and he steered the development of the Diocesan Boarding School into a vibrant and successful co-educational post-primary school. Just recently, he has been leading an ambitious though necessary expansion programme there to cater for a growing local need.

"In more recent times, he undertook, within the Diocese, the role of Diocesan Chancellor. I very much appreciated his support, advice and work in that role and my congratulations are tinged with personal regret at his loss to the Diocese of Meath. I will very much miss his judgement, loyalty and commitment."

The bishop added that Fr Paul, despite his punishing work schedule, has also undertaken the role of Administrator of Multyfarnham parish and acts as chaplain to Saint Mary’s Hospital in Mullingar, where he has offered Mass each Sunday for the residents over many years.

"He has a keen interest in local and church history, obtaining his Doctorate from the NUI Maynooth for his work on Bishop John Cantwell (1830-1866). That local knowledge and expertise will be a loss to the Diocese of Meath also.

"Fr Paul has spent his life in the service of education. In more recent years, he has served as Secretary to the Council for Education of the Irish Bishops’ Conference and as Secretary to the Catholic Education Service. In those roles also, as Chair, I very much appreciated Father Paul’s knowledge, support, wisdom and work ethic. He has been very much involved in the negotiations in relation to the reconfiguration of Catholic primary school patronage and in discussions on policy and partnerships with Education Training Boards and Catholic Trustees in relation to Community Schools and Designated Community Colleges. He is also a Director of the Catholic Primary School Management Association (CPSMA) and a Director and former President of the Secretariat of Secondary Schools (AMCSS/ JMB).

"While his appointment as Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnois means that the Diocese of Meath will be without his presence and expertise, it is to be welcomed that his knowledge and experience will continue to be available to the Council for Education of the Bishops’ Conference and to Catholic education in general. From working with Father Paul in his role as Diocesan Chancellor for the past four years, I know him to be a man that is ‘synodal’ in his approach to people and situations. That attribute will benefit both him and the Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnois in the years ahead."

Mullingar native

Bishop-elect Paul Connell, a native of Mullingar, Co Westmeath, was born on 27th January 1958, the second of four children to Thomas and Philomena Connell. He began his primary education with Mrs Katherine Mullaly before attending Saint Mary’s CBS primary school in Mullingar. In 1970, he commenced his secondary education in Saint Finian’s College, Mullingar, sitting his Leaving Certificate in 1975. From Saint Finian’s he entered Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, where he completed his seminary training in 1982. He was awarded a BA in 1978, followed by a BD in the Pontifical University in 1981. The following year he was recipient of the Gilmartin prize in Ecclesiastical History from the Pontifical University.

Bishop-elect Connell was ordained to the priesthood in the Cathedral of Christ the King, Mullingar, on 20 June 1982. Following ordination, he was briefly attached to Rochfortbridge parish before being appointed to the staff of Saint Finian’s College, completing his Higher Diploma in Education in 1983. He became vice-president of the college in 1989 and succeeded as president and principal in 1998. From 1992 to 1994 he completed an evening Masters in Local History in NUI Maynooth, and was awarded a doctorate in history by the university in 2002. Subsequently, Bishop-elect Connell spent a number of years lecturing part-time in ecclesiastical history at the Milltown Institute of Theology, Dublin, and has published a number of works in the area of local history.

Bishop-elect Connell remained as president and principal of Saint Finian’s College until 2019. Under his direction the college became a co-educational secondary school in 2003, and its boarding school closed in 2007. In addition, he was president of the national support body for secondary schools, the Secretariat for Secondary Schools, from 2013 to 2018. In January 2019, he resigned his position as principal of Saint Finian’s, whilst remaining as its president. This following his appointment as Executive Secretary of the Council for Education of the Irish Episcopal Conference, based in Columba Centre of Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth. In 2020, he was appointed by Bishop Tom Deenihan, Bishop of Meath, as Chancellor of the Diocese of Meath.

Since his appointment to Saint Finian’s in 1982, Father Paul has held the position of chaplain in Saint Mary’s Hospital, Mullingar (Cluain Lir). For many years during the summer months he has worked in the dioceses of All Saints and Saint Gabriel’s in the Archdiocese of Miami, USA, and more recently in the parish of Saint Gregory, San Diego. In August 2021 he was appointed as Administrator of the Parish of Multyfarnham, Co Westmeath.