Welcome, Fáilte - Diocese of Cloyne

Light a Candle at St Colman's from 1 Dec 2024

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Welcome

Fáilte, Welcome

to the website for the Catholic Diocese of Cloyne, Ireland

Bishop William Crean

08 September 2026

World Youth Day 2027 in Seoul, South Korea

The Diocese of Cloyne is now accepting expressions of interest for its pilgrimage to World Youth Day 2027

Please email Fr. Eamon Roche at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to express your interest, even if your interest is tentative at this point.

Closing date for expressions of interest is 30th September 2026

World Youth Day 2027 - Seoul

01 September 2026

Conducted Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration

Led by Fr. John Keane , Director of Eucharistic Adoration Holy Hour

St. Patrick's Church, Fermoy - Monday 21st September

Rosary at 7pm

Eucharistic Adoration at 7:30pm

It will be an hour of resting with Jesus, asking Him for help in our everyday lives or with any heavy burdens we must carry

All very welcome

Fr. John Keane

19 August 2026

BEHOLD I AM DOING A NEW THING
Says the Lord (Isaiah 42:19)

My friends,

This is the theme that has inspired our prayer and dialogue across the diocese over this past while. It reflects our desire to be attentive to the Lord’s invitation to change and adjust together to the new circumstances in which we find ourselves. It calls for a generosity of spirit on all our part, people and priests to create altered ways of sustaining one another in faith and life. While we are continually inspired by the deep roots of our Catholic tradition, we willingly embrace the challenge of adjusting our parish patterns to work more effectively with one another.

We thank all those taking up new appointments, lay people and clergy. We are ever indebted to all who quietly and generously give of themselves to ministry in their parish. We pray for one another, for a fresh outpouring of mutual service to one another in these turbulent times.

The following appointments will be effective from 12 Noon Saturday 12th September.

Very Rev. Anthony Wickham P.P. Newtownshandrum to retire and become Pastor Emeritus (P.E)
Very Rev. Michael Fitzgerald P.P. Blarney to take Sabbatical Leave
Very Rev. Canon Donal O’Mahony P.P. Charleville to continue as P.P. Charleville and also to be Administrator of Newtownshandrum
Very Rev. Eugene Baker P.P. of Buttevant and Adm of Churchtown- Liscarroll to be P.P. of Blarney
Very Rev. Christopher Donlon P.P. of Ballymacoda and Ladysbridge to be P.P. of Buttevant and Adm of Churchtown - Liscarroll
Very Rev. Tom McDermott Adm. Cobh to be P.P. of Milford
Rev. Mark Hehir C.C. Midleton to be P.P. of Ballymacoda and Ladysbridge
Rev. Gerard Cremin C.C. Cobh to be Administrator of Cobh
Rev. Damien Lynch C.C. Mallow to be C.C. Midleton
Rev. Micah Kibet Kemboi, Diocese of Kitale, Kenya to be C.C. Mallow
Rev. Tiernan Burke C.C. Youghal pro-tem, to be C.C. Cobh
Deacon Garrett Cody to serve as Co-ordinator of Support to PASTORAL AREAS

Yours sincerely,

+ William Crean

Bishop of Cloyne

04 October 2025

Bishop William Crean meets Pope Leo on recent pilgrimage to Rome

Watch this short video clip

Bishop Crean meets Pope Leo

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Latest Homily

6th September 2026 - Harden not your hearts

Latest Articles

September 2026
- World Youth Day 2027
- Guided Hour of Adoration, Cloyne Diocese - 21st September 2026
August 2026
- New Appointments in the Diocese of Cloyne - 12th September 2026
October 2025
- Bishop Crean meets Pope Leo
September 2025
- "Behold I'm doing a new thing" says the Lord (Isaiah 43)
February 2025
- Recent picture of St. Colman's Cathedral, Cobh. Co. Cork
October 2024
- Light a Candle at St. Colman's Cathedral

Coram Fratribus

25 søndag A

Ved denne messen ble Pater Florian Pletscher innsatt som sogneprest for domkirkemenigheten.
Jes 55.6-9: Mine tanker er høyere enn deres tanker.
Fil 1.20-27: Lev et liv som er Kristi evangelium verdig.
Matt 20.1-16: En husbond gikk ut ved daggry for å hyre folk.
Når Read More

Coram Fratribus

Qui cantat bis orat

Each year the Ukrainian Greco-Catholic Church in North America organises SingCon, at once a festival of sacred music, a liturgical retreat, and a seminar with workshops. I was privileged to be invited to this year’s event, held at St Elias Read More

Coram Fratribus

Our Fishing Ground A friend has sent me this translation by John Campbell of a Gaelic poem by Dòmhnall Iain MacDhòmhnaill. It is beautiful.
May your hand O Christ, be always with us.
Our seed to grow, our garden of roses;
Our Autumn of harvest, our barley store —
Let us be in your granary at life’s end.
You are our fragrant breeze, our May-morn dew,
Our safe harbour in times of danger,
Our fishing ground, our food, our plenty —
Let us be in your nets at time of death.
In childhood may your name live for us,
In my old age may your love be with us,
Guide us through our darkest clouds,
Through storms, to our star of hope.
Death is not our end but a new beginning —
Fill us with your grace and stay close forever;
so that when the end of our time comes,
May’s young month will replace dark winter.

Coram Fratribus

25 søndag A Ved denne messen ble Pater Florian Pletscher innsatt som sogneprest for domkirkemenigheten.
Jes 55.6-9: Mine tanker er høyere enn deres tanker.
Fil 1.20-27: Lev et liv som er Kristi evangelium verdig.
Matt 20.1-16: En husbond gikk ut ved daggry for å hyre folk.
Når vi hører evangeliet om husbonden som gikk til torvs for å hyre arbeidskraft, tenker vi kanskje på Trondheim Torg midt på dagen på en lørdag i vår tid. Det kryr av folk. Det er ikke lett å få oversikt. Så skjønner vi hvordan mannen overså noen som stod der og håpet på jobb, og traff på dem først ved senere mønstringer.
Men stopp en halv! Sammenhengen Jesus peker mot er ikke en moderne metropol, men en palestinsk landsby i antikken. Innbyggertallet der vil ha vært beskjedent — et par hundre sjeler, kanskje? Man vil knapt ha gått seg vill i mengden. Og husbonden gikk først ut ved daggry, før den lokale handelsstand hadde fått rigget seg til. Han vil ha sett hvilke sjauerne han hadde til disposisjon.
Omstendigheten teller. Den lar oss tolke lignelsen rett. Jesu hensikt er ikke å si at det stod fire grupper med arbeidssøkende pent oppstilt på torvet fra hanegal, og at siste gruppe kun ble langt merke til om kvelden. De som ble kalt sist, var enten nyankommet — de hadde hatt annet å bestille, eller hadde tilbragt dagen i en fluktstol — ellers hadde de vært der en stund, men uten å se etter noe å gjøre. Dét var noe de først fikk for seg da arbeidsdagen nær var omme.
Budskapet Jesus gir oss, handler om husbondens omsorgsfulle raushet. Han skjeller ikke ut de sist ankomne. Han ydmyker dem ikke. Han gir dem tvert imot en sjanse til å prøve seg, uten å forhøre dem om dypere motivasjon. Han vet at vinmarken vil prege dem. Han velger å tro at de kan gjøre nytte, om så for en stakket stund. Vinmarken, den er et bilde på himlenes rike. Der er det altså plass til noen og enhver. Alle er velkommen inn. Det forutsettes at vi vil ta i et tak. Det dreier seg ikke om et cruise-skip med fri bar. Men det er aldri for sent å melde seg. Virksomhet finnes til enhver, uansett kondis. Gir vi vårt beste, sannferdig, er lønnen sikret. For først og fremst er arbeidet gevinst, ja, lykke, i seg selv.
Dette er noe de først kalte, de som har holdt på siden soloppgang, har mistet sansen for. Når de ser at husbonden, om kvelden, gir alle samme lønn, om de har jobbet én time eller ti, blir de sure. De begynner å murre, en tendens Bibelen alltid fordømmer strengt, fordi den står for opprør mot Guds miskunn. Det foreligger ikke noen form for kontraktbrudd. Lønnen var alle blitt enige om før dagens dont tok til. Det skulle bli én denar, og det ble det. Det som provoserer de første, er ikke at de selv får for lite, men at de siste får urimelig mye.
Her møter vi to tendenser som maner til selvransakelse.
Første spørsmål vi kan stille oss, er dette: Hvordan reagerer jeg når andre fritt, og forbausende raskt, mottar nåde jeg selv kanskje har brukt år av mitt liv på å tenke jeg gjør meg fortjent til? Gleder jeg meg over Guds ekstravagante godhet i medmenneskers liv, eller blir jeg vrang når andre liksom for lett får ting jeg selv har slitt hardt for? Her har vi en gylden anledning til å fastslå om vi virkelig har sagt ja til et liv i nåde eller om vi egentlig heller sitter gjerrig for oss selv, lik skatteoppkreveren Matteus før han ble evangelist, og teller småmynt.
Annet spørsmål er følgende: Er jeg meg bevisst hvor stort det er å få lov til å tjene i Guds vingård, til å få være med og bygge opp hans Kirke? I en salme av Lars Oftedal synger vi i siste vers: “Å, hvilken lykke deg å tilhøre! Takk, takk at også jeg fikk være med.” Ja tenk, også jeg! Å vokse i kristen modenhet, er å bli stadig mer takknemlig, det vil si, å leve et stadig mer eukaristisk liv. Vi gjør det, ikke minst, ved å være oss livets etapper bevisst, ved å huske den Guds kraft som er oss gitt — samt vårt svar på den kraften i form av egne løfter. Det er en god vane at vi minnes årsdagen for vår dåp og konfirmasjon; at ektefolk feirer bryllupsdag, prester og ordensfolk dagen for løfteavleggelse og vigsling. Jo mer vi kommer inn i den fine tralten, jo mer vil vi glede oss over hvert øyeblikk vi har fått virke med i vinmarken. Vi har jo selv smakt den nye vin som gleder menneskenes hjerter.
Jeg innsetter nå Pater Florian til sogneprest her i St Olav domsogn. Han har vært sognets administrator alt en god stund. Vil han fra i dag av gjøre noe annet enn det han har gjort før? Nei. Hva er det så vi feirer? Vi feirer at han på en mer eksplisitt måte tar ansvar for vinmarkens liv her. I halvannet år har han blitt kjent med terrenget. Han har sett hvor det må vannes og lukes. Han har fått dreisen på jordbruksmaskinene. Han har lært å skjelne ulike druetyper fra hverandre. Han er blitt kjent med sine medarbeidere, dere. Og han har sagt: “Ja! Her vil jeg tjene.” Ansvaret hviler nå på hans skuldre. Måtte det bli et gagnlig åk, en lett byrde!
Etter P Florians troskapsed, fører jeg ham rundt til noen av kirkens viktige steder: Døpefonten, skriftestolen, tabernakelet. Ved hver stasjon kommer jeg med en oppfordring som svarer til den særegne Guds godhet vi mottar nettopp der. Godheten er for alle, utøst fritt over alle som vil ta den imot; presten er nådens kanal og forvalter. La Guds godhet ikke gjøre noen av oss ond! La oss juble over styrken vi får når vi samarbeider med den, enhver utifra Herrens særegne kall.
Måtte så St Olavs vinmark her bære gledens frukt i hundrefold! Amen.
Munker i Le Barroux gjør høstarbeid i vinmarken. Fotografi fra Le Grand Pastis.

Coram Fratribus

Golden Age Dreams The other day I re-read Mary Eberstadt’s essay from 2008, ‘The Vindication of Humanae Vitae‘. It gives much food for thought regarding baleful results of the sexual revolution. This afternoon, I found myself before The Golden Age by Lucas Cranach the Elder in Oslo’s National Museum. The visitor is referred by a curator’s note to Hesiod’s account of mankind’s dawn when ‘In harmony they lived, with countless flocks of sheep, at ease with all the gods’. Cranach renders the ideal in terms of innocent frolicking, with eros tamed to become harmless play. The heady revolutionary years from the late 60s were marked by much arrogance. It seems to me, though, impossible to understand them without acknowledging the dream, on the part of many, of historical fulfilment of Cranach’s vision. That dream has long since evaporated. Intense is the pain of innocence lost, also when the fact is unacknowledged. How vital, then, to remind the world that innocence can be restored, not by our endeavour, but by a grace that recreates nature. Human attempts to engender a golden age tend to have infernal consequence. The Age to Come that is of God, meanwhile, heals and elevates. It comes to each of us, if we will but freely receive it.

Coram Fratribus

Corruption In a recent essay, Ian Cawood writes: ‘From the groundbreaking work of scholars such as Frédéric Monier, Mark Knights and Jens Engels, it has become clear that, historically, corruption is that conduct by officials and corporations that public opinion (expressed through elections, petitions, complaints to watchdogs, polling and the media – both factual and satirical) will not tolerate. If the public does not know about the extent of corrupt behaviour (as in many countries around the world with limited press freedoms or plutocratic control of the media), then it is possible to maintain a corrupt regime […]. What is far more troubling is when information regarding the poor standards of governance is widely reported, yet the public chooses to ignore it […]. This is the great danger of identity politics. As long as the political leader or party embodies the dogma that a significant proportion of the electorate supports […], the integrity of politicians and those they appoint, or the societal impact of the policies they implement, are of negligible importance to their supporters.’ This is, as Cawood notes, a deeply troubling state of affairs.

Coram Fratribus

Qui cantat bis orat Each year the Ukrainian Greco-Catholic Church in North America organises SingCon, at once a festival of sacred music, a liturgical retreat, and a seminar with workshops. I was privileged to be invited to this year’s event, held at St Elias the Prophet Church in Brampton, near Toronto, to give a key-note talk: ‘He Who Sings Prays Twice. How?’
The singing of birds has ceased, or very nearly. Throughout the Western world — and I expect in much of the East, though I’m untravelled there, so will keep from making assumptions — shrubs, trees, and bushes stand as if exanimate, bereft of the trilling jubilation that seemed until recently to voice the world’s soul.
A century back, Thomas Hardy could naturally write in a poem:
The thrushes sing as the sun is going,
And the finches whistle in ones and pairs,
And as it gets dark loud nightingales
In bushes
Pipe, as they can when April wears,
As if all Time were theirs
Anyone anywhere would at once have known what he meant, even those who lived in coal-mining towns far to the north of Hardy’s Dorset Downs. Even miners whose daily contact with birds was confined to carrying into the bowels of the earth fated canaries, heralds, not of life, but of possible asphyxiation, could have bicycled out into the country on a Sunday after church to listen with relish and reassurance to nature’s symphony. Today our experience finds readier expression in a line by Goethe
Die Vögelein schweigen im Walde.
Out in the wood the little birds keep quiet.
In a conversation from 2010 with Vadim Jendreyko, in the wonderful documentary portrait entitled, The Woman with the Five Elephants, the great Ukrainian translator of Dostoyevsky, Svetlana Geier picks up on this line from Goethe’s Wanderers Nachtlied, ‘The Wanderer’s Night-Song’, and asks, ‘But how can we know that they’re there and keep quiet?’ We do know, now. For the little birds are dead, made extinct by exhaust, wasted habitats, or a changing climate, at any rate those that have not made it to some other wood elsewhere in the hope of a slightly longer lease of life and song.
The silence that results is uncanny: the articulation in muteness of doleful absence. This muffling of the woods has its parallel in human affairs. I recently came across this observation by the medieval historian Chiara Frugoni, who draws a line of contrast between the urban reality of towns in St Francis’s day and ours:
Today, as then, cities have their sounds and smells, but these are generated now in large part by traffic and general pollution. Yet the voices of men keep almost entirely quiet. Nobody sings any more except oddballs and eccentrics; even artisans who until recently accompanied their work by whistling or humming are dumbstruck now, preferring to listen to the voices and music of others, prerecorded; in so far as they speak, it is at most to voice impatience.
This statement touches me. It is obviously true.
You can listen to the whole talk here.

Today is the feast day of St. Januarius - bishop and martyr 🙏
Januarius was born in Italy in the late third century, and rushed through his holy studies - being ordained at 15 and named Bishop at 20.
He helped hide Read More 1 Comments

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Posted: 3 days ago

Kanturk & Lismire Parish
To mark the Jubilee Year of St Francis of Assisi and the Season of Creation, the Parishes of Kanturk & Lismire and Castlemagner are delighted to host well-known Gospel Singer James Kilbane on Sunday September 27th at Read More 5 Likes

Posted: 3 days ago

Starting point: Mallow - a little over an hour's drive from Killeagh

Posted: 3 days ago

September 15th - Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows.
Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows:
O God, who willed that, when your Son was lifted high on the Cross, his Mother should stand close by and share his suffering, Read More 2 Comments

Amen 🙏

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Posted: 5 days ago

World Youth Day 2027

World Youth Day 2027 in Seoul, South Korea

Guided Hour of Adoration, Cloyne Diocese - 21st September 2026

Conducted Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration

New Appointments in the Diocese of Cloyne - 12th September 2026

BEHOLD I AM DOING A NEW THINGSays the Lord (Isaiah 42:19)

Bishop Crean meets Pope Leo

Bishop William Crean meets Pope Leo on recent pilgrimage to Rome

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Latest Homily

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BEHOLD I AM DOING A NEW THING
Says the Lord (Isaiah 42:19)