The first female priest ordained in Ireland discusses the influence of women priests in the Anglican ministry

Twenty five years ago, Janet Catterall became the first woman ordained a priest in Ireland. Jonathan de Burca Butler caught up with Rev. Catterall and asked how she thought women priests had helped the Anglican ministry.

St Finbarr’s Cathedral

Reverend Canon Janet Catterall never expected to be a part of Irish history. The Wigan-born Anglican priest had been serving as a deacon in the Church of England for 10 years when in 1988 she and her husband, David, the current Rector of Longford, “were called by God” to serve the Church of Ireland.

“We came over to Ireland in 1988,” recalls Rev Catterall. “Prior to that I was a deacon in Stockport and I came here and worked for a year as curate of Bandon in West Cork.” Within two years she was ordained and thus became the first woman invested with holy orders in the Republic of Ireland. It was a watershed moment and one that took many by surprise — including Catterall herself.